Claiming JSA on the bench?

[MarillionFan]

And the utter humiliation of having to rub shoulders with the unemployed at the job center can scar for life.....

What really pissed me off is the letter they send after the assesment. Talk about black and white. You will not be eligible for this, you will not be eligible for that, you cannot have this etc. The only way to get the max benefits is to have absolutely nothing yet I am the one that (used to as permie) contribute crap loads. Really got my goat that did.

I personally wouldn't claim just because it ticks me right off to get nothing after so much put in.

If you can apply for it and get it after you've been contracting for a long time then it's an indication that you are a complete failure that shouldn't be contracting in the first place.

[Cenobite]

If you claim JSA can you stipulate that you're only interested in contract/temporary work? Otherwise, they'll just find you a bob-salary permanent job pretty quickly.

[VectraMan]

If you claim JSA can you stipulate that you're only interested in contract/temporary work? Otherwise, they'll just find you a bob-salary permanent job pretty quickly.

You think they find you a job?

I had a couple of 6 month periods on the bench, but had half expected it and had left enough money in the company to keep paying myself a minimum wage salary. Obviously not enough to live on, but I didn't feel justified in calling myself unemployed whilst earning any salary (and I was working on the Plan B at the time too).

With hindsight, I'd be several thousand pounds better off now if I'd swallowed my pride and gone down the Job Centre. So maybe I should have. As it was the month I ran out of money was the month I got some more work, but I'd planned to to sign on. I probably could have got housing benefit too.

If you want to quantify it: as a contractor you need to earn double, because you may be spending half your time out of work. So if you work a 6 monther, then have 6 months on the bench, you're not unemployed, you're a contractor in the non-earning phase of your job. However after 6 months, maybe you really are legitimately unemployed and shouldn't have any qualms about accepting the state aid you're entitled too.

[kingcook]

If you claim JSA can you stipulate that you're only interested in contract/temporary work? Otherwise, they'll just find you a bob-salary permanent job pretty quickly.

I told them that i was on the look out for new contracts, however, they still insisted that i look through all jobs on their system (local jobs for local people paying a 5h1t salary).

[stek]

Having used an LLP last time (never again) I finished contract, found nowt for 7 months, still had over 16k in bank (LLP remember - all came as earned income to me), claimed - nowt - not even JSA since I had no class 1 NI for last two years. Fukin' joke. I paid 28k in tax alone that last year and I got eff all.

It's not gonna happen again, if the worst happens, I will have my huge warchest (i.e. money in Ltd and peace of mind), make sure I have no visible savings, pay myself 16 hours a week, no divis and claim the fooking lot, JSA, WTC, CTC, CTB, HB, anything and everything. Will be enough to get by and warchest remains intact til next contract...

No way am I gonna play the white man this time, and if that's a racist term they can fook right off....

[Antman]

The money is there to be had but there isn't very much, and you have let the state have every piece of information about you. I suppose I should try and claim what is mine, but I just accept that it's an unfair world and get on with finding a contract

[ChrisPackit]

<Removed>

[MarillionFan]

I came out of another business, and for 6 months just did my own thing before I got back into contracting. I was PM'ing a house build too, so had well into 6 figures in the bank but had just sold my previous house. I told them I had no savings as I thought that the money is basically my 'house'. They didn't check up, and yes you get the humiliation of 'scratching on' with the armpit of society, but from memory had £1200 council tax paid pro-rata, £100 a week and never had to go to any interviews.

I wasn't particularly proud of it, but like others I feel when you've put into it for years and seen nothing back, it's only fair that you should use it when times are hard.

So you committed benefit fraud. Big man.

[Mr.Whippy]

I came out of another business, and for 6 months just did my own thing before I got back into contracting. I was PM'ing a house build too, so had well into 6 figures in the bank but had just sold my previous house. I told them I had no savings as I thought that the money is basically my 'house'. They didn't check up, and yes you get the humiliation of 'scratching on' with the armpit of society, but from memory had £1200 council tax paid pro-rata, £100 a week and never had to go to any interviews.

I wasn't particularly proud of it, but like others I feel when you've put into it for years and seen nothing back, it's only fair that you should use it when times are hard.

Ah diddums you only had 6 figures in the bank, times must have been really hard for you.

Benefit cheat. Plain and simple.

[FiveTimes]

All thats needed is for your accountant to issue a P45, then call the job centre and arrange an interview.
You can leave as much money in the business account as you want. Its not your money.
Then every 2 weeks go and sign on with the rest for around £120/2 weeks.