The perils of self-employment

Practising architecture is difficult at the best of times, but if you are self-employed and things go wrong it can quickly become a nightmare. The ABS cannot help with practice debts, but we can help with personal difficulties. Mrs Williams outlines the support she and her husband received after he went bankrupt.

“My husband was self employed for about 30 years. He was very successful but happy for his accountant to deal with the finances. Every year his tax forms went in with an item of projected income. A lot of speculative work did not go ahead but he was charged income tax on his estimated earnings. This rolled on year after year.

He was far too trusting and did not keep pressing clients for payment. He did not act until it was obvious that they were not going to pay.To keep the practice running it was suggested he remortgage our home. He really believed that he would be able to meet the repayments from the work he had invoiced. This was a disaster and he was made bankrupt.

He realised that he needed help when he could not even pay his National Insurance contribution. He applied to the ABS who paid the backlog which enabled us to get an old age pension.

The DSS were not helpful as, being honest, he said he was still working rather than telling them he had no income. Eventually they gave us some Housing Benefit to pay rent.

As he was getting back on his feet it was discovered he had cancer. He managed to keep going with treatment but in the end he had to have a heart bypass and died.

When he died the ABS helped not only with personal financial support but also by simply being there to talk to. Without the ABS I sincerely believe I would have given up - their support has been invaluable.”