PART 6CALCULATION OF CAPITAL AND INCOME
C1CHAPTER 2EARNED INCOME
Gainful self-employment
C1Start-up period64
1
A “start-up period” is a period of 12 months and applies from the beginning of the assessment period in which the Department determines that a claimant is in gainful self-employment where—
a
the claimant has begun to carry on the trade, profession or vocation which is their main employment in the 12 months preceding the beginning of that assessment period, and
b
the claimant is taking active steps to increase their earnings from that employment to the level of the claimant's individual threshold (see regulation 89).
2
No start-up period may apply in relation to a claimant where a start-up period has previously applied in relation to that claimant, whether in relation to the current award or any previous award of universal credit, unless that previous start-up period—
a
began more than 5 years before the beginning of the assessment period referred to in paragraph (1), and
b
applied in relation to a different trade, profession or vocation which the claimant has ceased to carry on.
3
The Department may terminate a start-up period at any time if the person is no longer in gainful self-employment or is no longer taking the steps referred to in paragraph (1)(b).
Pt. 6 Ch. 2 applied (coming into force in accordance with reg. 1(3) of the amending Rule) by The Social Security (Payments on Account of Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (S.R. 2016/223), regs. 1(3)(h), 13(7)