Self-Employed Earners

Who is Self-Employed?

A self-employed earner is someone who is gainfully employed in Great Britain unless they are employed under a contract of service (an employee) or employed in an official capacity with a company (a company director).

It is possible for a person to be both a self-employed earner and an employed earner. This is because self-employed status relates to employment rather than the person.

Claiming Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate

If you are classed as self-employed you would still have to claim Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit the same way as an employed earner.

What evidence do I need to supply?

We will need to see proof of your earnings. The evidence required will vary on your circumstances:

• Verified Accounts: If you have an accountant you must supply your verified business accounts. This will shows your income and expenses.
• No Verified Accounts: If you do not have an accountant you must complete our Self Employed Earnings Form. This will allow us to calculate your weekly income.
• Newly Self-Employed: If you have recently started trading new can take a statement for a predicted income for the start of your claim which will be reviewed after 3 to 6 months. If you have been trading for under a year you must complete our Self Employed Earnings Form for the period that you have been trading.

All evidence supplied must be up to date and all self-employed income should be supplied at the end of each year of trading.

Self-Employed Income Form:  self-employed-income-form