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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Covid-19 issues  →  Thread

Any allowance from DWP on UC claims yet regarding MIF for self employed

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As above, this really affects established self employed people who suddenly have no income but are still fit to work?

This really is the time to waive the MIF.

Elliot Kent
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This is the current position:

self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are required to stay at home or are ill as a result of coronavirus will not have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied for a period of time while affected

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-support-for-employees-benefit-claimants-and-businesses

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Thanks.

Ianb
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Elliot Kent - 19 March 2020 10:23 AM

This is the current position:

self-employed claimants on Universal Credit who are required to stay at home or are ill as a result of coronavirus will not have a Minimum Income Floor (an assumed level of income) applied for a period of time while affected

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-support-for-employees-benefit-claimants-and-businesses

Which doesn’t appear to offer any relief to people who have simply seen their work dry up because of the general cessation of so much economic activity. We really need a general suspension of the MIF.

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That was the main enquiry from my client, he is a golf caddy at St Andrews. He can work, not at risk and doesn’t need to self isolate. They are also on WTC/CTC and would far prefer to stay on that as it gives the whole family flexibility that UC wouldn’t!

TF
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Clients can possibly argue that they are currently not gainfully employed and agree to work search requirements to try and avoid the MIF.  Likely that their new work search commitments won’t have too much of an effect on their current self employment as unlikely DWP will be arranging regular face to face appointments in current climate.

Peter Turville
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Although the BBC correspondent Simon Gompertz is providing a slightly different interpretation (which does not appear to be correct given ESA&UC;(CD)Reg. 4)

“He (the Chancellor) has made it easier for claims to get through by removing the requirement to have been earning a minimum income before claiming.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-51945323 at 11.23

This incomplete information is not helpful!