CCM6750 - Particular Aspects: Work & Hours - Self-employed Claimants - Types of Work
The occupations which are capable of being carried out on a
self-employed basis can normally be readily identified as falling
within the definition of remunerative work. Retail or wholesale
traders, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, taxi drivers
and accountants, for example, are usually unambiguously engaged in
remunerative work, as they clearly work in expectation of payment.
Difficulties are usually encountered when an activity that is
commonly associated with leisure or with a hobby is claimed to
qualify as remunerative work. It is impossible to list all the
types of activity which may, depending on the circumstances, fall
on one or the other side of the work / hobby divide, but they may
include:
- craft work, e.g. soft toys, floral decorations, greetings cards
- needlework, e.g. soft furnishings, children’s clothes
- art work, e.g. painting, photography, pottery
- model making, e.g. dolls’ and wendy houses
- literary, e.g. writing novels or short stories
- design, e.g. clothing, software, websites
- composition, e.g. songs, musical scores
- cooking, e.g. cake making, jams and preserves.
Whether or not an activity amounts to remunerative work will depend on many factors, including:
- the stage it has reached.
If, in reality, it is still at the developmental stage, it will not qualify as remunerative work.
- the degree of organisation involved.
If the activity is an occasional one, carried out in response to a seasonal opportunity, for example, making Christmas garlands, it is unlikely to qualify as remunerative work
- the intention to receive payment.
If the claimant did not carry out the activity with payment as a motive, but simply accepted a spontaneous offer of payment, for example, if a friend asked to buy some jam, then other friends followed suit, it will not qualify as remunerative work.
