Oh Heck!......When things go not quite as planned

[John G]

Really sorry to hear about this Ian, as Matt said above - maybe a chat with a solicitor, to see where you stand, or even a visit to the citizens advice centre.

Fingers crossed - you'll work this out.

[Ian M]

Matt,

I've already checked & I haven't a leg to stand on. The best bit is I was told I could claim working tax credits by the new small business advisor at the Jobcentre when I first started. He said even if your sat looking at the PC at rivals work this is classed as research & you add that to your working hours. I just did what I was told to do & it now seems the goal posts have moved somewhat.

This is why they ask to see copies of all your invoices so they can see what you have produced to sell & they then calculate that against copies of the pressing times which they have from somewhere. They then take those figures & average them out over a period which in my case was six months & then they divide that into individual weeks to see the actual hours you have worked per week.

I did try to explain the time it took to produce any artwork from start to finish, the time it took to produce transfers, the time it took to pack items & everything else that goes with this job & he just wasn't at all interested. He said it was all calculated on the amount of sales you produce & nothing else.

Let's face it this government is doing all they can to save money & I got the distinct impression this is one way the Revenue & Customs are doing their bit.

It takes a lot to make me breakdown & cry & I haven't done much else since putting the phone down.

Ian

[AdamB]

Jeez Ian - I hope everything gets worked out but as everyone else says some 'legal' expertise is required here ............. makes my (nasty woman) post look very, very trivial compared to this dilema.

Fingers crossed - you'll work this out.

Ditto - fingers also crossed

[Ian M]

Really sorry to hear about this Ian, as Matt said above - maybe a chat with a solicitor, to see where you stand, or even a visit to the citizens advice centre.

Fingers crossed - you'll work this out.

Thanks John but, I really am stuffed now mate. I'll try to do what some others do & do this on the side & go job hunting. Going to be a bit difficult as my old employer RBS are closing the Leeds, Bradford & Harrogate offices down any week now so 3,600 of my old work mates will be on the dole too. By the way there are 17 people out of work now in Bradford for every available job.

Ian

[Ian M]

Jeez Ian - I hope everything gets worked out but as everyone else says some 'legal' expertise is required here ............. makes my (nasty woman) post look very, very trivial compared to this dilema.



Ditto - fingers also crossed

Thanks Adam.

[Stitch Up]

Now who said they wanted people to set up a business & really make something of themselves? Oh it was someone called David Cameron wasn't it........wonder if his parents were ever married consideing what I'm now calling him.

Ian

It's changed now. Cameron wants as many people as possible to work for absolutely NOTHING - I think they call it 'The Big Society'.

Maybe the News of the World will turn out to be this Government's Watergate - we can only hope.

[Matt Quinn]

I did try to explain the time it took to produce any artwork from start to finish, the time it took to produce transfers, the time it took to pack items & everything else that goes with this job & he just wasn't at all interested. He said it was all calculated on the amount of sales you produce & nothing else.

Is it any wonder many people tell you WFTC is more trouble than it's worth to claim?

- These guys work on stats. They know fine well some people will 'fold' at the first bit of pressure and that's an 'easy one up' on the 'P.I.s' (performance indicators) they chase... Others will appeal and succeed; that's expected. Bear in mind a lot of these guys have been 'acquired' from the DHSS (whatever they're calling themselves this week) and work with the same mentality they did in 1986! FACT - The people that administer WFTC are known for their legendary incometence!

- It's plainly ludicrous to base time estimates on just part of a process. - A process in which that are clearly inexpert and grossly ill-informed.

One of the reasons we don't touch mugs is that my initial time-and-motion studies indicated the entire process averages around 35 minutes PER ITEM in terms of labour! - That places a man-hour cost of over £11.66 per item when we take into account all the overheads of employing someone!

Likewise it's nonsense to penalise a business for lack of or limited sales. What if you produce 500,000 mugs, have them all as stock but can't sell a single one? -Doesn't mean you didn't work to produce them! WFTC is based on the time you work; whether that work is lucrative or not is irrelevant except in so far as it affects the level of credit - Remember; this is esentially a re-named benefit!

- A farmer who's crops fail is not 'punished' this way.

You need to get proper advice here. Sadly I don't know where to turn other than a lawyer, but I would start at my local welfare rights organisation.

[Paul]

bas***ds!!!
I am realy sorry Ian

I'm now going to go to the Jobcentre & sign on & claim whatever benefits I can which is the last thing I ever wanted to do. Ian

good on ya!!
how they can justfy paying all those neverworkinglazychuvs!?
and can not help honest working man shame on them

[Ian M]

John,

I was watching The Fairy Job Mother the other week & she said there are plans that anyone getting Job Seekers Allowance will be expected to do community work such as criminals who are ordered by the courts to do Community Service otherwise no money.

Keep your eye on what happens next with NOTW because what they have done to refer the BSkyB bid will now take aroud 6 months to make a decision. How fresh in peoples minds will this be in the very early part of next year?

[Ian M]

Matt,

I've spoken to me next door neighbour who just happens to work for HM Revenue & Customs & he said they have been told by the government new ways to work out claims. I also used the farmer with failed crops argument & he said there is a special section in the self assessment form for that purpose & he's correct. He also said writers & artists come under the same type of consideration as farmers with failed crops as it can take them a lot of work to produce an end item/product for sale.

He said at the end of the day I really haven't a leg to stand on because I can't prove beyond all reasonable doubt how long it takes me to produce such as artwork. He also said they know retail is very down right now & that is why they have been told to target people such as myself because they know they have a good chance of winning & able to demand all the money back.

So, your right in saying it's all to do with stats & PI's & at the end of the year they'll tot up all the money they have stopped paying & also recovered & report back to the government who will be more than happy.

I'm not as upset now as it has now turned more to anger.