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

[AdamB]

ouch! bad news mate ........ I'd invite him to come and stay though - although his accomodation would be in my cellar ...... a room with no view!

[Renniwano]

OMG.. I really feel for you and can't believe the way the world is going to the dogs..

I am in a position that a hobby business for the last four years is looking to go full time this september when my youngest child starts school..

I am terrible at paperwork and even though I have everything nothing would show 25 hours work that I claim for.. as I spend a lot of time at the moment sorting out websites and searching online for suppliers etc..

I am now absolutely crapping the fact that if it were to happen to me.. i'd probably curl up under my desk and shrivel away.

I think you are extremely fantastic to have kept your cool the way you have.. because I would be setting them up for a world of pain with the newspapers etc. especially as like you, I have a lot of 'benefit scroungers' in the area who are happy to sit on their butts doing nothing all day.

I am now as of tomorrow sorting out all of my paperwork.. getting a diary.. and a hair dye !!

I really hope that you can sort this out.. and will happily bitch at a newspaper and MP or two if you need help..

They wonder why people riot, loot and generally become lowlifes.. and now you know why !! we are treated as such because we choose to get off our backsides and make something of ourselves.

HUGE hugs..
Nikki x

[pitkin2020]

Sounds like you have been right through the ringer mate and you have my sympathies. Don't give up on your sublimation sales just look for avenue where its cash only sales, a position that most are forced into because of the stupid system. (thats not legal advice BTW and should sort of be ignored!! lol)

I would also look to appeal the decision again on the grounds the appeal was taken on by the original decision maker and is a biased opinion. Citizens advice can be pretty useful for information in situations like this. Unfortunetly they want you to just roll over and give up because they just get what they want then, you have to keep fighting it. I would still go the jobseekers route for the time being then you may have a good case for suing them for the loss of business if you do manage to get it over turned.

The whole system is a complete joke, if you play the system most seem to do really well where as those who tie the line and do everything above board get collared. Its hardly worth doing things the proper way these days. The system doesn't reward those that are actively trying to work only those that are actively trying to not work!!

[Ian M]

realy sorry to hear this Ian! any cheance for appeal of the appeal??

Thanks Paul & no chance for another appeal as it just isn't worth it mate. It really is just a no win situation.

[Ian M]

You should go to the local press to get your story out there. Surely this can't be right just because some halfwit says so.......twice.

I thought about going to the press Andrew but, I doubt they would be that interested to be honest. I've also got to bear in mind I have to do some serious job hunting now which should be fun & no future employer would want to take on someone who they thought could be trouble causer. I agree that it's not right but, I just don't fit the new HMRC/government rules.

[Ian M]

ouch! bad news mate ........ I'd invite him to come and stay though - although his accomodation would be in my cellar ...... a room with no view!

Adam, I really did invite him to come & stay with me for a week & it was funny because he just didn't know how to reply. He then said 'we're not allowed the time to do things like that'. He was very aggressive with me right at the start of his call & so he got aggressive back & he really couldn't handle it. If he spoke nicely to me I spoke nicely back & he soon realised I could give back as much as he could. I could never do a job such as his as I just wouldn't be able to sleep well at night.

[Ian M]

OMG.. I really feel for you and can't believe the way the world is going to the dogs..
I am in a position that a hobby business for the last four years is looking to go full time this september when my youngest child starts school..
I am terrible at paperwork and even though I have everything nothing would show 25 hours work that I claim for.. as I spend a lot of time at the moment sorting out websites and searching online for suppliers etc..
I am now absolutely crapping the fact that if it were to happen to me.. i'd probably curl up under my desk and shrivel away.
I think you are extremely fantastic to have kept your cool the way you have.. because I would be setting them up for a world of pain with the newspapers etc. especially as like you, I have a lot of 'benefit scroungers' in the area who are happy to sit on their butts doing nothing all day.
I am now as of tomorrow sorting out all of my paperwork.. getting a diary.. and a hair dye !!
I really hope that you can sort this out.. and will happily bitch at a newspaper and MP or two if you need help..
They wonder why people riot, loot and generally become lowlifes.. and now you know why !! we are treated as such because we choose to get off our backsides and make something of ourselves.
HUGE hugs..
Nikki x

Thanks Nikki,
I started the business from a hobby as I found myself out of work not long after the banking crisis & guess who worked for a bank at the time.....me.
Your not going to like the next bit because during my appeal he did manage to get my working hours to 25 which fell 5 hours short of what I needed. I said the same about spending time doing research finding suppliers looking at the oppositions websites for inspiration (not to copy them) & he said they would allow a maximum of 3 to 4 hours per week for that. They would allow the same amount of time for building or maintaining a website & no more. He also said as far as mail outs go you should be able to print, write & fill envelopes at 70 per hour. He said going to see customers the time it takes you to get there & back is not counted as working hours only the time you are with the customer. He also said you are allowed one hour per day maximum for all your paper work such as invoices, doing your books or even filling out a tax return. It just went on & on & when I questioned where he was getting all these figures from he just said it was what they are told to use.
I'm afraid I've now had to join the throng of the scroungers but, I can't afford to go to the shop for cans of beer, get drugs from a local dealer, get a new car, have holidays abroad, or even smoke & there is no way I'm walking around all day in a shell suit with the hood up.
If I was you I would keep a diary of all that you do & just wish I had known about that trick myself before they told me.
Anyone fancy joing my riot soon? :biggrin:

[Ian M]

Sounds like you have been right through the ringer mate and you have my sympathies. Don't give up on your sublimation sales just look for avenue where its cash only sales, a position that most are forced into because of the stupid system. (thats not legal advice BTW and should sort of be ignored!! lol)
I would also look to appeal the decision again on the grounds the appeal was taken on by the original decision maker and is a biased opinion. Citizens advice can be pretty useful for information in situations like this. Unfortunetly they want you to just roll over and give up because they just get what they want then, you have to keep fighting it. I would still go the jobseekers route for the time being then you may have a good case for suing them for the loss of business if you do manage to get it over turned.
The whole system is a complete joke, if you play the system most seem to do really well where as those who tie the line and do everything above board get collared. Its hardly worth doing things the proper way these days. The system doesn't reward those that are actively trying to work only those that are actively trying to not work!!

Thanks Richard. I'm not going to give up on my sublimation work as I have a few really good customers who will stick with me because they say I give an excellent service to them.
As far as the Citizens Advice goes you try getting to see them. You have to phone them to make an appointment & they don't hardly ever answer the phone these days. The people I spoke to at the Job Centre just said they've had a few people just in the same boat as me & one of the staff said it is the worst she has ever known it in over 40 years at working there.
One of the things I said to the person who has taken the decisions against me at HMRC is that it usually takes a new business around 5 years to start showing healthy profits. He said that has now changed with this present government & it is now 12 to 18 months & no longer.
I agree it is a complete joke & these people making such decisions should be dressed as clowns.

[JackB]

You will have to start printing shirts with : Vote Conservative if you don't want people to have a hobby or any fun in their lives.

Jack.

[Renniwano]

One of the things I said to the person who has taken the decisions against me at HMRC is that it usually takes a new business around 5 years to start showing healthy profits. He said that has now changed with this present government & it is now 12 to 18 months & no longer.

Jees.. they obviously think we're all drug pushers or the likes then.. because i'd like to know how to make a healthy profit in that time once machinary etc has been paid for.. i'm in the wrong job !!