Boundaries are good- 9th June

#Ukraine - 🙏🙏🙏- part 6

9th June 2022

We are leaning in. I have learnt that being self employed is not recognised as a good thing in Ukraine.

Benefits are a good thing -  best not to meddle with them in our Ukrainian world, so if money is deducted from Universal Credit for working then best to leave well alone. The rule is that for every £ earned Universal credit is reduced by 55p. So it’s obvious -  don’t declare the earnings - just to work for cash or better still enjoy the numerous parties/coffee mornings/teas and network with other Ukrainians. One can see the point.

‘Rejoice. I say rejoice!’

Also we appear to have learnt something from the 1950’s.  As Ekaterina pointed out the man at the Job Centre told her to take her time before getting a job. Her ‘job’ at the moment is to learn English at an approved centre which in our case is Reading College.  She has enrolled.  She will be assessed and lessons start in September….which leaves 3 months for parties/networking.

Actually Universal Credit is more generous to anyone who sets up their own business. No benefit is deducted until the company makes a profit.  I explained all this to E together with a simple spread sheet with expenses incurred for ‘Ekaterina Services’ to look after dogs and do translations and cleaning and washing up. I explained that if the small company does this, it can claim the money spent looking after dogs as a business expense - including vet  bills.

Gosh I was proud of my spread sheet which proved categorically Ekaterina would get 100% Universal Credit for at least a year until she was making serious money - more that £8,000 incl benefits.

But no, I was up against the Ukrainian system which taxes all self employed people whether they make any money or not and in short E does not trust my system as it is not the same as what she is used to and it is not Ukrainian. She says she will attend a webinar on 14th June which explains with Ukrainian subtitles how UK self employment works and maybe that will help.

Caroline and Ann and Rachel have provided a bicycle of the right size and E can now get to the shops on her own to buy essentials. We have explored the bus stop and see that buses to Reading go twice and hour daily - so getting to Reading and Oxford is possible on public transport and it would be a huge benefit to all the hosts if Oxford County Council could bring itself to provide this transport foc.

Nora the eldest Yorkshire terrier has come into season and Thwaite is beside himself. Poor Thwaite. The Berlin Fence in the library works reasonably well in the house.  I have not cracked boundaries outside and worse still, our Borders have followed the Yorkshire’s lead scrambling under the picket fence gate to get out of the garden.

Yesterday Thwaite was picked up on the far side of our wood. I was blissfully unaware as I was in London

‘You must have been worried’ I said to James.

‘I didn’t even notice, until someone called to say they had Thwaite’ he replied

That’s a first. But he is knee deep doing risk assessments for Ukraine Chain

https://www.ukrainechain.org/

Much love Jane

Thwaite looking wistfully at the Yorkshires through our Berlin Wall

Bus timetable Cane End to Reading