ON THE back of her own escape from claiming benefits, one Ross-on-Wye woman is promoting self-employment as a way out of the financial spiral that she found herself in after 20 years of full-time employment and becoming a mother.

Jules Hawkins is now using her life experiences to help support others to become self-employed through her own ventures.

Jules reflected on her career pre-motherhood, when barriers to work simply did not exist and said: “I worked full-time for 20 years and worked evenings and weekends if more money was needed, so the shock, when trying to fit work into childcare, not only of reduced my income but added additional costs, significantly reducing my ability to earn and remain self-dependent.”

And that’s when her problems started, as Jules found herself entering a highly competitive race for part-time child friendly work patterns, and consequently fell into debt and having to claim benefits and facing the stigma that went with it, along with adversity.

But her way out of this financial spiral was through adding business and freelance work into the heady mix, so much so that she managed to turn that around, escape benefits, help other single mums and even publish a book ‘Breaking out of Benefits Jail’.

She said that the experience with the Department of Work and Pensions was beyond traumatic and pointed out that in business she never spoke to people like she was spoken to by the benefits agency.

She said that closing her benefits claim and reclaiming her self-dependence as a single mother was a significant mental health saver.

And over the years of self-employed working, she began to reduce the barriers to work, homes and finance, yet Jules became increasingly aware of the different ways in which people faced barriers to work; whether through caring, physical health or neurodiversity.

She champions that sometimes working for yourself is the only way to make work, work and reduce the pressure on the public purse, that is enhanced by presenteeism in the workplace.

Jules said: “When you face barriers to work, and consequent financial hardship, isolation and loneliness often goes hand in hand with that journey.

“My aim is to help others re-integrate and enjoy human connection once again. The social side to self-employment is so important as is the need to keep up with professional qualifications, but most importantly, people just need to be themselves.

“I’ve devise aa fully supported business package that will enable more people to also do something they enjoy earning a living.

“And by working 10 hours input per week, that includes four hours of very low impact physical activity, without the stress of public relations expertise or needing business knowledge or extensive qualifications, can work.

“It is all designed to help bring out the best in others, and to facilitate laughter and financial health.”

Jules runs several ‘human connection’ mediums through the centre she has set up, including Labeada aka Wye Valley Dance and Wellbeing and the Labeada Lounge, located in Alton Road in Ross.

Jules signposts people to her magazine for activities she cannot undertake, which is also available online at wvdw.co.uk, that promotes other organisations. Jules can also be contacted through the website.