Getting back in the system

[Mark Bolam]

I met this lad I used to climb with a couple of months ago.

Great bloke, great climber, but always was a bit of a free spirit hardcore hippy arb type, living day to day, travelling, off up to the hills for weeks etc.

Turns out he was living in a camper on his grans drive and had been completely ‘off grid’ for about 10 years.

Never claimed anything, but never paid anything in either.

 

He called me last night and asked if I had any ideas about how he could get back in the system again.

 

Rather than just have him call HMRC I thought I’d ask on here to see if anyone had any ideas or experience they could offer.

[Steve Bullman]

Shot himself in the foot a bit there then! I guess his only hope is dole?

[Mark Bolam]

No, he’s not at all arsed about making money due to the pandemic or anything, he mentioned it before it all started.

He means long term.

[JonnyRFT]

Signing on will be the easiest way as I’m guessing they’ll consider him economically dormant if he’s been totally off grid. He could register a business at his grand address maybe as a sole trader? 

[eggsarascal]

If I'm reading you correctly the only thing he may want to catch up on is NI, apart from that he can just reappear. Credit/finance will be tough for 6 years should he need it.

 

Living off grid and having NFA isn't a hanging offence. Just turn up with some ID, NI number, jobs a good"un.

[Mick Dempsey]

There will be a record of him, a social security number, tax record etc.

 

He has just got to phone them up and tell them he wants to start paying his stamp, start up as self employed (or has a proper job)

 

He won’t have to back pay his stamp unless he wants to, which sounds unlikely.

Edited April 7, 2020 by Mick Dempsey

[Baldbloke]

There will be a record of him, a social security number, tax record etc.
 
He has just got to phone them up and tell them he wants to start paying his stamp, start up as self employed (or has a proper job)
 
He won’t have to back pay his stamp unless he wants to, which sounds unlikely.

Not sure about that...

I left school at 16 and worked for two years in NZ before coming home and then immediately setting of and worked around Europe for a further 6 years.
Stupidly, because I never asked, and didn’t know, I didn’t tell the SS what I was doing or I could’ve had my National Insurance contributions credited from my tax and pay from NZ and the EEC (as it was before the wank EU)
Came home and got on the system but had to start all over. At 61 I’m behind on my contributions in spite of never not working.

[Spruce Pirate]

24 minutes ago, Mick Dempsey said:

He has just got to phone them up and tell them he wants to start paying his stamp, start up as self employed (or has a proper job)

Is being self-employed not a proper job????

[AHPP]

I'd encourage him very strongly not to. People are scared and doing things they wouldn't ordinarily do at the moment. Suggest he sleeps on it for a few weeks at the very least.

Edited April 7, 2020 by AHPP

[eggsarascal]

2 minutes ago, AHPP said:

I'd encourage him very strongly not to. People are scared and doing things they wouldn't ordinarily do at the moment. Suggest he sleeps on it for a few weeks at the very least.

I'm with you, stay under the radar if you can. If he needs to work (legit) he just needs to send in a return. Keep it under £12k/annum profit, or whatever it is now, he can carry on regardless.