In 2013 I started claiming HB, both myself and my husband are self employed. We had only just set the business up in 2012 following him being made redundant and me having a baby. For the first 3 tax years the business made a loss (2010, 2013, 2014). In January 2017 they wanted to reassess us again , I made up the books (I was doing this anyway for the Jan 31st deadline) and found we had made a small profit, which was reduced by the tax losses brought forward. I then also made up the next lot of accounts when the new tax year started in April. The council have reassessed and said we were overpaid and we owe them around £9500 in HB and £3500 in CT, plus we have now accrued £400 in rent arrears while this is being sorted out. As far as I can see the problem / over payment has been caused by the council using different figures than the tax man, for example they have disallowed certain expenses which have left me scratching my head. I had no way of knowing what they would or wouldn't allow, and on top of this they seem to have made up a lot of the figures. I called shelter and they said they couldn't help, I called CAB who said from what I told them I need to get a specialist solicitor, but I have no idea how much this will cost and I have no savings, I live week to week on our low income. 've written to the council, and copied their own letter and written corrections next to all of their figures. This making me feel sick to my stomach, I have no way of paying back what they want, plus I think it's incorrect. I psyched myself up to phone first thing but they aren't open until this afternoon. I just can't believe when I've been 100% straight and always notified them of any changes that I'm now £14,000 in debt. Does anyone have any experience of this sort of thing? Is there anything specific I should ask or say when I do speak to them?

Hi all, I wrote a book last year and it was picked up by a publisher and was published in February of this year 2014 and has been doing pretty well, it is available worldwide. I run a Facebook page which went crazy popular and it has now got over 100,000 likes. It currently has about 125,000 likes. I was approached by a publisher to write a book on the subject of Wicca which I did. I have been on benefits since being made redundant last March 2013. When my book was published I had a case worker who I saw regularly to help me get back into work and I asked her about the book and what I need to do and she said I shouldn't worry it is more a case of paying tax on it at the end of the year as long as my savings or earnings don't go past £6000. Well the book hasn't made £6000 yet I get a monthly payment from the publishers for royalties of the sales and e-book sales, it started out as about £600 but has now whittled down to about £200 a month for the physical book and the e-book versions. . I am also on a work program called A4E which everyone knows about the book I even took a signed copy in for one of the advisers as she was interested in Wicca. I have always been totally open about the book with both the dole and A4E. I often told the person signing me on I had a book and they would say 'Oh good for you I will look it up' and nothing more said. I had a customer compliance interview with the benefits office and they asked to see my bank statements and other relevant information regarding the book which I showed them. The man interviewing me said they would regard the book as capital and didn't even take a photocopy of my bank statements just made a quick note of my earnings from the book. Today when i went to sign there was a garbled letter in the book that said I must fill in a B7 form which is for people who are working part time and to declare any hours worked or pay. The man seemed confused and went to ask the person who put the letter in my signing book, which he says he 'thinks' that is what i need to do, then they couldn't work out what is was i needed to do so they sent me to another woman who then says I need to fill out a B16 for self employment and they have made an appointment for me for Monday. I don't really want to sign or say I am working part time as i am not I am still available for work and am not working for any company, neither do I want to sign that I am self Employed as I am not I do not own a company or work for one I have owned. No one seems to know including myself what is to be done in these circumstances. I have always been told that my book is capital and it can make up to at least £3000 before it affects my benefit. Can anyone help please??

I work or should I say did work for a private ambulance service that deducted damages to an ambulance that occurred 6 months ago on hospital grounds and when i was not with the vehicle itself. I invoiced my monthly pay and when received they deducted 379.08 from the total but did not tell me why. The next day i received an invoice for the damages to the vehicle. ~ Can they just deduct wages without my knowledge ?? ~ Can i claim the money back and how ?? I get married in 60 days and the owner said with a smerk "dont spend to much on a solicitor will you as you will need that for your little wedding"

Advice desperately needed as on Friday my husbands employer has stated that he is no longer going to pay him the rate he has been paid for the past year and is dropping it down to just 50.00 per day . He works as a part time garage door fitter and has a contract with his employer to work two days a week . He started 4 years ago and has had pay rises since then and the pay for the last year has been 80,00 per day. The rest of the week my husband was employed on on a self employed basis and would submit an invoice for any repairs and extra fitting that be may be booked for on other days of the week . but since the recession he was not getting enough self employed work to cover our bills so last year he set up as a maintenance man and has slowly but surly increased his customer base . Since he was getting such a low rate just 10.00 pounds for a repair that could be take two hours and as he uses his own vehicle and tools the repairs were just not economically viable as he was losing work from his maintenance customers. So last week he told his employer that he could no longer do the repairs based on the 10.00 per repair . Yesterday his employer stated that as my husband was not prepared to do the repairs , please remember this is the self employed part of the week and many weeks there was no repairs to do!, he is only going to pay him 50.00 per day for the two days he is employed for instead of 80.00 that he has been getting for the last year. Tax and NI have been paid by his employer based on the 80.00 so basically I'm asking can he do this?

Hello, Well the annual SLC hell arrived - deferment. I sent everything off in good time, recorded delivery, email, fax and also telephoned as every year they deny receipt so thought this year would be extra careful. I'm self employed and like many people at the moment, I on paper made a small loss overall in the previous tax year. I thought at least I don't have to pay the SLC. But no. They have rejected the application to defer on the basis that "the law states you need a minimum of XX per week to live on" and stating they will not defer my loans! I've communicated in writing that, as I am below the threshold for repayment, there are no payments due and I have no further information to give them. Now threatening legal action and accuring arrears at a scary rate. I've tried to complain to the Financial Ombudsman, who have so far in three months failed to respond at all. I'm actually considering letting them take me to court for the alleged arrears as I think there is a very good chance that they would loose on the basis that I am below the income threshold and also they have treated me unfairly and breached the CCA, I have a chance to have the loans written off. Any advice please? I would rather resolve but they are adamant that they will not defer on the basis of my tax return, accepted by the Tax office! Getting quite stressful really. Many thanks.

Hi folks. Can anyone help and also maybe put this in the right place? My ex bought a business 2-years ago as a going concern and the price agreed of £19,000 was 'lock stock and barrel'. The business was VAT registered, my ex was not. She's just received a letter from the previous owner's solicitor stating that, he has had to pay VAT on the sale and because of that they are claiming £2,829 inc interest from her. Should she pay this? Are they right to claim it? Many thanks, Stu

Hi I am a contractor and I work self employed. I travel around the country visiting various work sites which usually means I have to stay in accommodation for that week. I worked mainly in Swansea for just under a year, travelling from my home address which is also my buisness address at weekends. The tax man is not allowing my mileage claim from my home address to the work site in Swansea then returning to my home address, staying in temporary accomodation through the week. He is saying that the travel fom my home address and work site then back again are personal miles. I am disputing this saying I would not be travelling these miles if it wasnt for my work so all the miles are buisness miles. He is allowing the miles between my temporary accommodation and work. Is he right to disallow these miles

Hi All I'm self-employed and have been for 4 years, my husband and I put in a claim for Housing Benefit & Council Tax Benefit in January this year as work for me was slowing down and the company my husband was one of the directors of had gone into administration. As work was slow I decided to do a Diploma course to make good of the extra time I had, this course cost £1500 and was to take 10-15 weeks part-time at home mostly. The Council have now had 5 S/E forms and done numerous checks on my husband and I, we are and have been for some time living on nothing more than our Tax/Child Credits payments, we have been served with a s.21 eviction notice from our private landlord and the Council have still not processed our claim. Further to this, the Council have told me that the time that I spent doing my Diploma I was not S/E but was actually a Student!, I have contacted the DWP and asked their advice, they told me I was S/E and still am. Just wondered if it was possible to get hold of ALL the information that the Council hold on my husband and I to see if there is someone just making life more difficult than it already is. Thanks CC