Do i have a valid claim for loss of earnings?

[deano16]

i am self employed and about 1 month ago i was scheduled to start a job. A date was set, so i made myself available for the job. Since then the job has been postponed no less that 3 times, each time giving me 1-3 days notice. As i began to get frustrated with them messing me about i started to look for work elsewhere. i was informed that the job will 100% be starting on the latest date set (have texts to confirm this). however this was not the case, and this time i wasn't even given 24hrs notice, infact he made no effort to even let me know. i only found out from a friend of mine also meant to be starting on the job. I had other work lined up to start this last week aswell, but turned it down due to there being more work on the job that never was. with less than 24hrs notice, i was given no chance of finding alternative work, leaving me out of pocket through no fault of my own. Do i have a valid claim for loss of earnings?
All help and information will be greatly appreciated.

[boxtops]

what does it say in your contract documents (presuming you have any)? Your contract ought to say "I'll do this job for you for £x, but if it's cancelled within so many days of the due start day, there is a penalty of £x per lost day's working". That's what I'd do, you can't keep hanging around in the hope of work and turning down other jobs.

[rojash]

"through no fault of my own"
Not sure about that - you'd been let down on numerous occasions: maybe it should have occurred to you that it was likely to happen again, and you should have found other work.

[dotty.]

no claim at all, self employed means just that and you find and retain or let go your own contracts. my oh has just pulled off a job he's been doing for 10 days (a 6 week contract) because a 4 month contract was offered elsewhere, the trade gets used to it and the best contract managers can pick their jobs.

[deano16]

thanks for you help boxtops, this is something i will have to do in future. There is no written contract. Just texts and emails confirming the start date.
If you read it properly rojash i found other work, but was then told the job would 100% be starting on the last date given. but thankyou for your useless comment anyway.

[dotty.]

you also must realise that the costings on the job would only be for works scheduled and completed (within deadlines) and not for unearned pay claimed by contractors that never did any work, that's a certain way of losing a job.

[EDDIE51]

Valid claim ? sorry you have no claim at all.

[Krausse]

You poor thing !