Thinking of turning hobby into income

[Lilly_Monroe]

To claim WTC you have to be working 16 hours a week if you have a disability. At the moment there are no minimum income rules, though these are being brought in under UC which will close the loophole (and more). If you're on income based ESA then any earnings plus WTC would effect your entitlement to help with mortgage, and council tax benefit would need to be reassessed based on the new income. It's not something I would advise doing if you're on income based ESA or getting mortgage help - it could well mess things up for you and you won't end up better off by claiming WTC. It does work best in situations with a working partner with low income and a cont based ESA award. But in the circumstances of claiming WTC you would need to keep track of the hours you work as they may need to be proved for WTC purposes.

 

The rules that make it possible are the fact that there are no hours restriction on ESA when earning less than £20 a week, and there is a clause in WTC saying that permitted work counts towards the hours requirement for WTC - also the fact that there is no minimum income requirement.

 

Your best option, Lily is to just take advantage of the earning less than £20 a week permitted work rule. The earnings under permitted work don't get taken into account when calculating your ESA, mortgage help or CTB - even if you later move up to the higher earnings limit - the earnings don't count for a year as long as (at the higher earnings limit) you work less than 16 hours a week.

 

If you decide to do permitted work, you can get a form from the DWP to complete. You also need to ensure than any work you do is not contrary to the descriptors you scored points on in your WCA.

 

 

Thank You - that has been very helpful.

[jadeybags]

I turned a hobby into an income. But I haven't had anything to do with DWP for some years now tbh, so not sure what that side of it involves.

But the type of work I now do would involve sometimes buying your work lol

At the moment it's pretty easy, as like you, 99% of my expenses & income is done on line, apart from Petrol & postage at the post office, mine is mostly done through Paypal, so I just print all that off & put it on a spread sheet & print that out too every month.

The amount of selling you & I do shouldn't need an expense like paying a web host.

When Universal credit kicks in though, things may change by the way. Minimum wage for 32 hours or whatever it is. I'll have to expand the business at that point. And have ideas. But at the moment I tick along whilst claiming tax credits.

[Conniff]

If we are only talking a few knitted clothes then I wouldn't bother with anything but just go ahead and do it. You could always ask the daughter if you can put the sale in her name but it's millions to one that anyone would notice anyway.

[estellyn]

If we are only talking a few knitted clothes then I wouldn't bother with anything but just go ahead and do it. You could always ask the daughter if you can put the sale in her name but it's millions to one that anyone would notice anyway.

 

I think you may have not meant to imply you condone fraud?

[Sparks_]

Could it not be classed as selling off things on ebay that you no longer need/want?

[Nystagmite]

That depends how you go about it. If you just sell your old DVDs, etc. that should be ok. But you'd have to declare it if you were making stuff to sell on.

[estellyn]

That depends how you go about it. If you just sell your old DVDs, etc. that should be ok. But you'd have to declare it if you were making stuff to sell on.

 

Yes, or indeed if buying things to sell on at a profit.

[Guest]

agreeing with Estellyn its a murky area if any money is being earned and not declared, which is how they would see it. I was told by dwp that even if I earned under or upto the allowed amount, which is now £20, I still had to tell them, so they had it on record even though it didn't affect benefit. This was years ago when I worked part time but got some help as I had two school age children and an ex-husband you couldn't fill holes with.

[Sparks_]

Off topic but burlyb please empty your in box....cant message you till you do