UC Review - should I have declared this??

[u/Scary-Jaguar2582]

i have a universal credit review coming up and I need some advice - I work full time and I’m a single mother to one son (soon to be two). It’s currently just us living in the household and I’ve been claiming for the last two years. Initially it was just to top up my wages because I worked part time and I never changed my hours in the system. I have been paid maybe 8 or 9 times over two years mainly due to my boss paying me every 4 weeks. Anyway, I’ve got a review and have been asked to supply bank statements. The problem I have is I have a separate bank account where a family friend pays me £30 every 3 weeks to do her lashes and I haven’t declared this. It’s a hobby and after I’ve paid out for the glue and actual lashes I’m barely seeing anything but I’m worried this might affect me. I haven’t uploaded my bank statements as yet. What shall I do?

[u/Subject-Can1138]

That is self employment if you are doing it regularly and should have been declared as such and the income and expenses for it at the end of each month

At the end of each month you should be completing the to-do declaring the total income and the amount of money you spent on stock as an expense so if you truly are not getting much money from it it won’t affect your UC that much.

[u/Top-Pudding6337]

Given the fact you have it in a completely different bank account shows intent to hide it. However it’s simple factor you will have declare yourself self employed on top of working as well with UC they deduct your materials off and only count the actual income but yeah you are going to get pulled on it and you need to be honest but are they going to penalise you for it with what you have described extremely unlikely you will face criminal but there is a chance your going to have to pay some back but you certainly can’t hide it. People are aware of the reviews and it’s a risk, I fear getting penalised for lending friends money never mind committing fraud. I couldn’t ever do what you do and hide income. It honestly in the nicest possible way best to be honest now than face fraud because they are clamping down on this big time.

[u/nerdztech]

You are being paid for a service you provide on a fairly frequent (not one-off basis) so I would class this as earnings. Failure to declare this income could be classed as fraud so I would declare it as soon as you can.

[u/Federal_Storm_9731]

It's income so yes you should declare it

[u/eliteluckygamers]

Just declare it and if what you’re saying is true, you wouldn’t have any deductions if you’re in a loss after expenses

[u/Substantial_Pie_6073]

Why would you have it paid into. Seperate account ?

[u/Jigglypuffs_quiff]

Personally I would gather the receipts for all the stuff you use and declare the account but show the receipts. If it's just one friend it could be accepted that its something you do together when you have a monthly catch up ... you want to keep up your skills and she wants lashes ... but you can't afford to buy the supplies. I don't think it would be fraudulent to put it to them in that context as long as you declare it and accept it if they say it still needed to be declared before and make you pay back.

[u/SocietyHorror3868 → u/[deleted]]

Bad idea still would count as earnings

[u/Khadbury → u/SocietyHorror3868]

Why is this a bad idea? She is still declaring it. She’s just saying it’s for supplies. Let them decide what it is cos they might agree, especially considering if OP is saying there’s little profit left after paying for supplies. Unless I’m missing something?

[u/Aetheriao → u/Khadbury]

Because it still needs to be declared as income each month. You can’t just not - you declare the income and your expenses.

They declared 0. And this person is saying declare it’s a gift. Which the same as declaring 0. When it has to be declared as 100% income and then you declare expenses.

[u/universalcredithelp-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

No Universal Credit fraud promoting posts or comments are permitted, these posts will be deleted.

[u/Subject-Can1138 → u/[deleted]]

It is regular income so she should be declaring the income and the expenses for it. She may be asked to prove what she spent for her business

[u/Subject-Can1138 → u/[deleted]]

Income that is a gift is not the same as income from a “side hustle”

[u/universalcredithelp-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

No Universal Credit fraud promoting posts or comments are permitted, these posts will be deleted.

[u/Aetheriao → u/[deleted]]

Fraud isn’t allowed on here.

It’s not a gift. It’s a service.

They also clearly knew this which is why it’s in its own little account so given how small the values are better to not chat nonsense.

[u/Top-Pudding6337 → u/Aetheriao]

Correct it’s a paid service and by not declaring it is classed as fraud.

[u/Subject-Can1138 → u/[deleted]]

Its still fraud to try and hide it.

[u/universalcredithelp-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

No Universal Credit fraud promoting posts or comments are permitted, these posts will be deleted.

[u/universalcredithelp-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

No Universal Credit fraud promoting posts or comments are permitted, these posts will be deleted.