Claiming JSA on the bench?

**fullyautomatix** · 4 January 2012, 17:10

Originally posted by psychocandy View Post

No, I'm not on the bench yet.....

What are the rules for this? Does the company account need to be empty? i.e. not paying you dividends or just not paying you a salary (i.e. you sack yourself)?

Presume the former doesnt matter because you can still recieve income from shares and be jobless. And JSA is not means tested for a number of months.

I know that many years ago I did this when I was on the bench for a few months and they did pay up. I remember it was fairly difficult trying to explain my situation.

Anyone done it recently? I know its not a huge amount but its all money at the end of the day especially if you're benched....

I do not know out of experience, but it depends on your savings I think. If you have more than 16K you cannot get any help from the state.

**northernladuk** · 4 January 2012, 17:14

This has been asked alot so plenty of threads to pick from. There was one quite awhile ago with a link showing all the things that you can claim but I can't find it at the moment.

Try a search like JSA site:forums.contractoruk.com or similar and you will find plenty of advice.

Just googling something like 'Job seekers allowance contractors' also comes back with a couple of articles on it.

**SimonMac** · 4 January 2012, 17:15

Originally posted by fullyautomatix View Post

I do not know out of experience, but it depends on your savings I think. If you have more than 16K you cannot get any help from the state.

WHS, and yes you would need to make yourself redundant (if you sack yourself there may be an issue in how long you have to wait before you can claim)

**TheFaQQer** · 4 January 2012, 17:17

It's all covered here as well, but that might take some reading.

**northernladuk** · 4 January 2012, 17:22

Here it is...

http://forums.contractoruk.com/accou...lst-bench.html

Hi
If on the bench, presumably you wouldn't pay yourself a salary.
Could you therefore sack yourself from your limited company, declare yourself unemployed, and claim benefits?
I found an interesting website
Check your benefit entitlement - Turn2us

mine works out as:-
Means-tested income entitlements
JSA £4,917.07 £94.30 JSA (income-based).
Means-tested bill reductions
Council Tax Benefit £999.57 £19.17 You should not have to pay Council Tax as you qualify for full Council Tax Benefit.
Total Entitlements £5,916.64 £113.47 weekly

not bad huh?
why aren't YOU claiming when you're on the bench?

But there is an issue. This was posted by..

contractor79 View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message Add as Contact
Contractor Among Contractors

contractor79 never made it past tape changer

DYOR

**psychocandy** · 4 January 2012, 17:37

thanks all.

**MarillionFan** · 4 January 2012, 17:57

I am of the view(and having read the attached thread) that if you're having to go and sign on a few months after finishing a contract because your skint then frankly you have no right calling yourself a contractor. It smacks of permiedom. In addition, if you've contracted for years and after a few months benched you need to sign on, don't have 16k in assets and have not been involved in a horrible divorce than you probably need therapy for drugs, alcohol or gambling!

**kingcook** · 4 January 2012, 19:34

I did it after my 1st contract as i only had a small warchest. It was hardly worth the effort looking back.

I was only on the bench though for 4 weeks, and during this time i got about £260 iirc.

I had to give myself a P45, spend almost 2 hours filing in a form, sit through a long boring interview at the job centre, got raised eyebrows as i produced my previous months dividends vouchers as proof of previous income/etc, then had to attend a couple of other interview pretending to look for permie jobs that i had absolutely no interest in taking (as i was busy looking for other contracts).

When i found a new contract i had to fart about with a P46 re-employing myself at my ltd co.

Oh, and at the end of the tax year i had to pay tax on the £260 i "earned" while on the dole!

Unless you're *really* desperate, serious, don't bother.

**northernladuk** · 4 January 2012, 20:20

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.

Claiming JSA on the bench?