The effect of starting self-employment on Housing Benefit will depend on the local authority\u2019s assessment of the claimant\u2019s income, or likely level of income, from the self-employment.<\/p>
<\/p>
Guidance on how to assess self-employed income is in Chapter BW2 of the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, specifically in paragraphs W2.310 onwards. A link is provided below.<\/p>
<\/p>
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-20T15:33:40.9122198Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Benefit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the effect of a claimant becoming self-employed is on awards of housing benefit.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"}
], "uin" : "210726"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93665", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93665/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236976/hbgm-c8-suspension-and-termination.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "210724"}
, {"_value" : "210725"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-20T15:22:29.3090187Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Benefit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it is his Department's policy that an award of housing benefit should be suspended when Permitted Work is reported as a change of circumstance.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"}
], "uin" : "210727"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93666", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93666/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " There is no time limit set by Central Government for this. The latest published data for average Speed of Processing for change of circumstances for 2013/14 is 9 days.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-20T13:47:21.3570039Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Benefit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the time limit is for local authority decisions on determining reported changes of circumstances.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"}
], "uin" : "210728"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93667", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93667/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236976/hbgm-c8-suspension-and-termination.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> <\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/220", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Webb"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Thornbury and Yate"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Steve Webb"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2014-10-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : [{"_value" : "210725"}
, {"_value" : "210727"}
], "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2014-10-20T15:22:29.1189961Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2014-10-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Benefit"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what circumstances local authorities are permitted to suspend housing benefit payments.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Hoey"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Vauxhall"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Kate Hoey"}
], "uin" : "210724"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93668", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/93668/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Guidance to local authorities on permitted work and how it affects Housing Benefit is provided in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter BW2, specifically paragraphs W2.141 and following. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p> www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/236962/hbgm-bw2-assessment-of-income.pdf<\/a><\/p> <\/p> There is no specific suspension rule relating to permitted work cases. Decision makers have general powers to suspend any payment of Housing Benefit, in whole or part, when there is an issue about whether the conditions for entitlement are or were fulfilled, or a question arises about whether a decision to award HB should be revised or superseded. This might be exercised where, for example, the decision maker needs further information from the claimant in order accurately to assess Housing Benefit entitlement. It is not an obligatory power; the decision maker may decide whether or not to suspend, based on the circumstances of the case. Guidance is in the Housing Benefit Guidance Manual, Chapter C8. A link is provided below.<\/p> <\/p>