Work Programme and wanting to start up a business.

[sillygirl1]

RebeccaPidgeon, the advice given by the Work Programme people to me has been far far more supportive and practical than the advice given by an independant business adviser who was not in the least interested in my two ideas, they tried everything they could to get me to sign up for an 'office experience' programme' which I did not want (nor need, having 40+ years office experience at senior level) and was a waste of an afternoon.

 

The Prospects people have given me a lot of support and are very very easy to contact - unlike the independant person who took three days to reply negatively to an email about start up help, when the Prospects people came up with six different sources of funding applicable to me.

 

My two ideas do not need much start up capital and equipment and do not need business premises. Idea one has been around for a while and has been fine tuned and Idea two is really simple, needs a little bit of research and can be done without any capital!

[RebeccaPidgeon]

RebeccaPidgeon, the advice given by the Work Programme people to me has been far far more supportive and practical than the advice given by an independant business adviser who was not in the least interested in my two ideas, they tried everything they could to get me to sign up for an 'office experience' programme' which I did not want (nor need, having 40+ years office experience at senior level) and was a waste of an afternoon.

 

The Prospects people have given me a lot of support and are very very easy to contact - unlike the independant person who took three days to reply negatively to an email about start up help, when the Prospects people came up with six different sources of funding applicable to me.

 

My two ideas do not need much start up capital and equipment and do not need business premises. Idea one has been around for a while and has been fine tuned and Idea two is really simple, needs a little bit of research and can be done without any capital!

Although pleased that you were given better than average advice, it is the case that Administrative Clerks within a W2W Organisation, the W2W Sector being at a low point in the Economic Food Chain than Job Centre Plus, and who may never have started a business before, may well have their focus on a nice bonus for registering more people in starting a business. Which is fine if the business is sustainable, but tantamount to "fraud" if all they are doing is commencing people to set up any old business working to the pretense of applying for Working Tax Credit provided that they can increase their hours to 30 hours per week.

 

Unfortunately, if the candidate is not careful, they may find themselves liable to payback several £1000 to HMRC, and subject to a Police Investigation for fraud.

[sillygirl1]

The chances of people setting up a 'Phoenix' company is not really part of their agenda, as they are monitoring people up to 2 years after signing off...

 

I agree some companies will fail spectacularly and some will not be viable long term, but if you do not fall for the 'get rich quick' schemes most business plans should enable you to come off unemployment benefit, whether it will enable you to come off housing benefit remains to be seen.

[fif-lilly]

My two ideas do not need much start up capital and equipment and do not need business premises. Idea one has been around for a while and has been fine tuned and Idea two is really simple, needs a little bit of research and can be done without any capital!

 

 

To sillygirl1

 

I was wondering if your ideas are the same as mine? Are you able to divulge? Sorry if this is not acceptable, this is my first post.

[sillygirl1]

They are to do with my own knowledge base, the second one cropped up on a workshop to do with the first idea. I am doing some high end needlework stuff and a guided tour of needlework related places in London that are off the usual tourist trail... you would be amazed how many there are!

[fif-lilly]

They are to do with my own knowledge base, the second one cropped up on a workshop to do with the first idea. I am doing some high end needlework stuff and a guided tour of needlework related places in London that are off the usual tourist trail... you would be amazed how many there are!

 

 

Thank you!

[MARTIN3030]

The chances of people setting up a 'Phoenix' company is not really part of their agenda, as they are monitoring people up to 2 years after signing off...

 

I agree some companies will fail spectacularly and some will not be viable long term, but if you do not fall for the 'get rich quick' schemes most business plans should enable you to come off unemployment benefit, whether it will enable you to come off housing benefit remains to be seen.

 

NEAS gives a 4 week run on of HB and Council tax after signing off.

Councils will then send out adjusted invoices for the full remaining amounts outstanding on CT.

People who are not going to be taking much salary because of new startups should do a projected income and exp sheet and apply for the HB and CT to be renewed.

After 6 weeks trading,they will ask for figures to be supplied with some evidence.

[sillygirl1]

NEAS does NOT apply when you are on the Work Programme, there are different rules for the people on that - ask me how I know!

 

NEAS is for people who haven't yet been placed on the Work Programme.

[Crow from the Crows Nest]

When I graduated from Uni in 2010 at the age of 55 most of the online advice was considerably out of date so I in my innocence applied for JSA though I did have a business idea which required very little finance. My DWP job advisor was extremely unsupportive and dismissive and insisted that it was compulsory for me to attend a job program. I was informed that I would get a kitchen Hygiene certificate and be trained as a security guard. I informed him that I had no desire to work in kitchens or for that matter as a security guard. He then started rambling on about me getting a career in retail and I struggled successfully to keep my temper.

 

The training staff that I briefly met at some pre-emptive interview avoided eye contact and mumbled at the desk top that I might as well get the training in case I changed my mind. So over a few days I researched the applicable company which only employs staff who have experience in sales as so called employment advisors and then I researched the DWP who had a points reward system for staff who co-erced clients onto a so called voluntary work programe which is only compulsory for clients who have been out of work for 18 months.

 

My protest involved me not attending the program or signing on for a month though I did put my reasons in writing before hand. I was then fast tracked onto a self employment scheme which I completed in 3 months rather than 6 because I had to. By and large I was barely any better off aside from getting £30+ every fortnight for 3 months as self employment is a hard road at times. My so called advisor handed me instructions on what to do when I resolved to return to the system. I wanted to say with all due respect I do not need any paid help in order to get a crap job but I was worried about swearing so I kept my own counsel. Variously I had been tempted to work as a meter reader, a mail sorter, data entry and as a kitchen porter. I was told that I had set my own sights too high....no disrespects to anyone who works in those roles and I hope you move on when you can... but I refused to step backwards just so someone can tick boxes.

[sillygirl1]

It is still a tickbox culture but luckily for me I already knew that I had alternative skills I wanted to use - the DWP still think there are plenty of office jobs out there - and if people don't do office jobs they can do retail or become a carer.

 

I'd like everyone in the DWP to have had experience of long term unemployment and let them rewrite the rulebook for the government, same as everyone who works in the Department of Transport should be made to use public transport at every single opportunity..... that way this country would stop sliding downhill.

[Crow from the Crows Nest]

Bah what a load of old rubbish. I periodically get similar nonsense usually of a sadistic sexual nature from some sad person. NEVER Ever click on any links in this kind of nonsense

[tfp]

Hi, new to this forum!

 

I am currently at Ingeus:sad:. I asked about self employmet on my first encounter with them. I was told enthusiastically that this was an option. The advisor I saw entered the fact I had an intererest in self employment onto his PC. I saw THREE other advisors including the chap I saw the first time. I told them of my business plans. The advisor I was supposed to see on a perm basis was off on long term sick leave. I saw her ONCE!

 

After a gap of several weeks I then saw a FOURTH advisor. She (let's call her Maxette) was by far the most ueless of the lot (so far). She asked me what job types I was intersted in. I told her and then said i was intersted in setting up my own enterprise. Maxette was not convinced I was serious as I did not inform her of this from the off! I had to remind her that I told her in no uncertain terms that I told THREE of her collegues my self employment plans. She did not believe me as she could not find any details on her PC!

 

I said to Maxette (almost losing my temper at this point) that it was not my fault if her fellow advisors could not input data properly and if their IT system was not up to scratch. To top it all, she insisted that Ingeus did NOT have a self employment option! I asked her why I was told the opposite. She practically insisted I was lying! Maxette made a fool of herself when she asked a fellow advisor oposite if Ingeus offered self employment. He said they did! I was offered a business plan booklet by him.

 

I complained about Maxette to Ingeus management. Her attitude stank! Thus after seeing yet another advisor, who was fine and actually listened, I was passed on to a third party that handled Ingeus' self employment 'course'. Run by an outfit called Exemplas, it runs for just 18 weeks. The chap I saw was nice enough. However, his advice was pretty basic. The 18 week course for me finished a few weeks ago.

 

I have an appointment at Ingeus this Weds. Wish me luck!

[sillygirl1]

I've now done the same 'Self Employment' modules four times over the last 18 months, and can actually give the demonstration - but still have to 'job search under their supervision' so maybe I can jobsearch using my self-employment skills.

 

I have a regular adviser who isn't too bad, he knows his stuff and helps find ways around the system.

 

The whole system is designed to stick everyone in the same boat, whether or not you need their 'support'. I find having to go into an office and do job searches with other people demeaning, especially when all can see I have highly advanced typing skills and can show other people how to trip search engines!

 

I still think that whilst you are with these providers you are not counted in the unemployment figures - maybe somebody knows different.