I haven't written a blog for a while so I thought I would today as I need to get this off my chest.
When I first registered with the Job Centre after being made redundant, I was told about the New Enterprise Allowance scheme. I had mentioned to my adviser at the time that I was considering self employment as a music workshop leader and they recommended this scheme.
This is how it is described on the DWP website
New Enterprise Allowance (NEA)
Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants aged 18 and over who want to start their own business can get extra help through the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA). This help is available from the first day of their benefit claim in most cases.
From 18 February 2013, lone parents on Income Support, from their first day of benefit claim and Employment and Support Allowance claimants in the Work Related Activity Group aged 18 and over who are receiving support form Jobcentre Plus, can also access NEA.
People taking part in Work Programme or Work Choice provision are not eligible for NEA as support with self-employment is delivered by their provider.
Disabled people enrolled in the NEA can now receive additional support through Access to Work to help pay for necessary specialised equipment, support workers and travel costs to get their business started.
Participants will get access to a volunteer business mentor who will provide guidance and support as they develop their business plan and through the early months of trading. Once a participant has had their business plan approved, ended their benefit claim and started trading, they will be able to access financial support. This will consist of:
From 1 October 2013 loan arrangements are changing for new NEA participants. If required NEA participants may apply for an unsecured loan through the BIS start-up loan scheme. For more information talk to your Job Centre Plus adviser.
- a weekly allowance worth £1,274 over 26 weeks, paid at £65 a week for the first 13 weeks and £33 a week for a further 13 weeks, and
- the facility to access a loan to help with start-up costs, subject to status.
(http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/new-enterprise-allowance/ dated 13/11/2013)
Sounds good eh. Money to support the start up of a business, a mentor, regular payments etc.
So I went ahead with it. I went to my introduction with my mentor. To be fair to him he is really good. He went through everything about writing a business plan etc. He told us about his own experiences. In fact it was really useful.
So I went away and started writing my business plan and my cash flow forecast. When I had any questions I emailed my mentor and he would get back to me fairly quickly. All was good and I was looking forward to embarking on this new adventure.
I completed my business plan on week 4 of the 8 weeks given to do so. So I phoned the job centre to get a meeting with my adviser to be signed off so that I could start working. We agreed a signing off date and off I went.
That was two and a half weeks ago. I have one client which is great. I'm sure there will be many more. However, I have no money. The job centre don't seem to have released the payments for the scheme. The last payment I received was the week after I signed off being my payments up to my signing off date.
Have I started to receive my £65 a week payment...... no.....
Can I get through to my adviser to find out when I'm likely to get any payments..... no
Have I had any letters saying when I'm likely to get any payments..... no
It feels like I have been discarded by the job centre because it looks good on their statistics and now they don't care if I'm getting paid or not.
Now if this is how they treat everyone how do they expect anyone to get on. It not only demoralises people but it also leaves them with limitations in what they can do in terms of finding work.
That £65 a week can pay for travel to jobs, it can pay for basic supplies to get someone started. However, they do not seem to send it through for it to make a difference.
If I hadn't have gone on the scheme I would've been receiving £141 tomorrow in JSA. Instead I'm getting nothing and although I have got my first client, I will not be getting payment from them until the end of the month.
The Job Centre really need to start understanding that they are messing with people's lives and causing honest people to struggle more than they should do.
