Taxman

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @HousingITguy or LinkedIn here https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy



No one could have missed the change in employment landscape over the last ten years. So many people now no longer fit into the full, temporary, part-time employee business model, that all of parents would have recognised. In those structures, your tax and NI would be faithfully deducted for Her Excellent Majesties Revenue and Customs.

The rise of the gig economy and a lot of us now working independently for ourselves, as resulted in more flexible working patterns, where we invoice as companies and sort our own tax and NI out, via an (expensive) accountant. This can be evidenced by the latter, sprouting up on many high streets, in what used to be the video rental shop.

Within SocialHousing, the 1% rent cut and other factors has meant that many experienced staff took voluntary redundancy and went to being self-employed. In a few cases, I have been at someone’s leaving do one week, to be back working with them as they are back on similar pay, for just three (not five) days  work. Why wouldn’t you do that? For the organisation themselves, it’s probably a win-win, as from one budget a person’s salary has been saved (yay!), and consultancy payments probably come out of a completely different budget (yay!).

There have been past cases where individuals have worked ‘under contract’ so to speak, but to all intents and purposes, were really employees, in the eyes of HMRC. The perception that some interim managers and contractors, were not paying their fair whack of tax has been reinforced by “bad press”.  For example in the case of Ed Lester and the Students Loans  Company in 2012,  where he was Chief Executive but paid through a Personal Service Company.

Since 2000, a regulation called IR35 has been in place to determine if contractors, are in fact that or employees. If a contractor works too much in a particular place or does not work with a changing set of clients, there are a number of tests to determine your IR35 status.

From April 6th 2017, new Public Sector regulations are expected, which means that the client you are working for, is responsible for determining the IR35 status of the work that you do. Many might take the path of least resistance and revert to paying the contractor or interim, directly with NI & tax deducted. This might have tax implications for many. Transport For London, has already acted in this area.

If you are a contractor / consultant / interim, doing long term contracts, it may be worth your while boning up on these changes - Here.

Catch the blog monthly archive at https://archive.org/details/@housingitguy

Related Post: How cartoons can really aid communication 

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The Beatles – Taxman.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009


Access a quick list of our Social Housing ICT blog posts here

Could we help you or your organisation? Our contact details are here , get in touch we will be pleased to chat about your problems and help with your organisation issues.
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Bedbugs & Ballyhoo

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or LinkedIn here http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy

What an interesting week in Westminster, what with the near catwalk rollout of Cameron's Babes, rejection of the male, pale & stale and the Bedroom Tax / Spare Room Subsidy report buried under it all.


In the unlikely event you missed the gratuitous Daily Mail leg and skirt fest, maybe you were on holiday or living under a stone, you can get up to speed here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2691813/Waving-goodbye-Tory-veteran-Ken-Clarke-prepares-end-ministerial-career-Cameron-reshuffle-promotes-women.html
100% less images, thighs & leg flesh accompanied the Mail's brief report on the bedroom tax, sneaked out the same day: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2693488/BEDROOM-TAX-ARREARS-REVEALED.html

Just 4.5% of tenants hit had managed to downsize, due mainly to a lack of one bed accommodation, most being in the more expensive PRS (Private Rented Sector). No surprise to housing professionals, who have been trying their best to flag this up for the last two years. Arrears are up, foodbank use is well up by 163% (http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-figures-top-900000 ) and the benefit bill is still rising.
The press have played a big part in helping portray the 'Spare Room Subsidy' as fair. I am sick of explaining to my non-housing sector friends why this is rubbish. I remember doing some training on site last year, with two very bright twenty something's working for a medium to large housing association. Both rented flats in the PRS and this came out when training moved to HB and the monitoring of expected payments, technical and non-tech arrear.

I mentioned that with UC, HB might in future be paid direct, so explained how procedures would need to change and how that impacted the housing management system in use. At that time un-prompted, one trainee mentioned he agreed with the Bedroom Tax. Interested in this, I asked him where their single tenants in a 2 or 3 bed property might downsize to, as only 8% of their stock was one bed (& already quite actively sought after). On explaining a move to the PRS might double rent, which might all be covered with full HB, the penny dropped. "Won't that increase the amount of HB being paid?". Yup. The right wing press don't mention that.

On mentioning UC, there is another IT and process disaster being played out. Only the delays are preventing failure so far. Rather than scrapping the system now, we will in 2 years time, to do it properly (with the detail this time) or scrap it entirely. So on the reshuffle, where was IDS & Eric the Pickles? Two 'Pale and Stale' white chaps if I ever knew any. Definitely laying low those two. One would think that they both were actually meeting their briefs. That would be true if the hidden agenda was to 'break' the benefits system so badly that it was impossible to claim for very much at all, that you were entitled to. Now there's a thought...    

The only silver lining to this whole bedroom tax fiasco is that many housing associations and groups have improved their data, in attempts to better understand their customers, sizes, needs, income, issues. Most organisations where I work have far better links with local credit unions (or set one up themselves), and are visibly working better with other local community resources. This data is important for so many reasons and if the Bedroom Tax is going to go away, that insight must not be lost. Keep improving the information we have and use our systems, imagination and switched on managers to continue to join the dots. Ensure users know the processes to be followed and manage them to keep them on the right track to keep improving data accuracy, for the use of the wider organisation.

Next: Do you take the customer journey seriously?

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You can link with me on LinkedIn here - http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonysmiththathousingitguy It would be great to connect !

Echo and The Bunnymen - Bedbugs and Ballyhoo.
(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

PS As usual, if there are subjects you might like me to tackle on this blog, please get in touch and let me know!

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Four Long years

If you do the Twitter thing, follow me at @hotpixUK

Well, the Christmas party is over, the tinsel and the top of tree angel are boxed for another December. time to get out teeth into the next four years of austerity.

For everyone in housing it’s going to be a busy year. Fortunately most have been planning for it over the last 18 months. So what’s coming peeps? Here is a quick crib sheet if you think you may be behind the curve. As ever, my belief is that you IT and system scan be helping you with a lot of this stuff. If its not, ask "Why Not"?

Jan 2013 – If you are with a local authority, you will no-doubt be well ahead with publishing your ‘Tenancy Strategy’. This lays out all the things that social landlords in your area need to ‘have regard to’ (in the terminology) when dealing with fixed term tenancies. The old policy expires at the end of January.

Apr 2013 – The Housing Ombudsman Service takes on responsibility for all social housing complaints in England. Your complainants need to be referred to it by a designated individual (this could be an MP or local councillor) or can contact it after eight weeks after they have exhausted your own internal complaints procedures.

Several areas of the welfare Reform Act start to kick in too. Many landlords I am aware of are already putting substantial resource into informing residents of what is coming down the line. The (total) benefit cap of £350 or £500 per week for couples was planned to come into force. This has been delayed now until the summer. Details are vague, but this will be while four trial programmes in London are trialled. (Thanks Joe Halewood for flagging that one up!). 

Bedroom tax starts. Working age households under-occupying stand to lose 14% for one room and 25% for two+ rooms.

Residents you may have receiving DLA (Disability Living Allowances) will now move over to PIP (personal independence payments). This will affect new claimants first with others migrated over from autumn 2013

May 2012 – The Prevention of Social Housing Fraud Bill is expected to be  passed. This attaches maximum penalties of two years in prison and unlimited fines for tenancy fraud. How wel do you vet your tenants on sign up? Do you take a photograph or photo ID, recording that on your systems? Are your residents encouraged to report suspected fraud? Dedicated fraud investigation staff may also be useful.

Oct 2012 – UC (Universal Credit) kicks in for new claimants. It is estimated that existing claimants will be migrated over between then and December 2017.

So, quite a lot of change coming. Information distilled from your data (as there is a substantial difference!) should be assisting with identifying and informing your under-occupiers and others likely to be hit by the benefit cap. Depending if residents already use a bank account or not, these groups will need different types of assistance.

Vulnerable tenants should be prioritised. Your housing management system will probably provide the means of recording this information, although if it is up to date and can be relied on is a different matter. To equip front line staff, training may be needed in dealing with tenant questions and anxieties. This may include helping them budget.

Where bank accounts are a viable option, residents should be able to move to direct debit. You may be able to introduce extra DD cycles to support UC payment cycles. For some, the move to monthly budgeting will be a struggle. As will the occasional 5 rather than 4 week month, in which to pay their rent.  I would not be surprised if some landlords resort back to rent collectors in some areas. A return to the ‘Gilbert strip’ might be imminent. By that I do not mean Arizona’s best gentleman’s club either!


Four long years left (so far).


(c) Tony Smith, Acutance Consulting www.acutanceconsulting.co.uk 07854-655009

PS If there are subjects you might like me to tackle on this blog, please get in touch and let me know!

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