Anyone signed on the dole while benched?

[Bagpuss]

He's on my ignore list, but I'm pretty sure (hearing many times over the years) that claiming jobseekers as a company director involves commiting fraud if you are a major shareholder and company coffers are not empty. I expect it's possible to get away with if you don't tell the truth though and pretend you didn't make yourself redundant.

[NotAllThere]

Yes I have, thanks for asking. I'd much rather get facts from the horses mouth rather than the horses arse...

Well, you were very fortunate then. The majority I've ever had to deal with have difficulty reading, never mind understanding the regulations they've been told to follow.

I once had lodgings with friends who were on the dole, while I was on a contract away from home. They declared the income they gained from having me as a lodger. They had all their benefits summarily stopped, until the "horses mouths" worked out that my income was utterly irrelevant to the friends' entitlement.

Administrators working in Job-centres and the like, have a low paid, largely unrewarding job. And like most people in such employment, they'll choose the path of least resistance. If they say "no you can't claim", then they've no paper-work to do, and their lives are easier.

I'll readily confess that there are some hard working, competent administrators in the public sector. There are also honest agents, reasonable traffic wardens...

[ratewhore]

<snip>

Just to be clear, the term 'horses arse' was not directed at your personally. It was meant to be reflective of CUK as a whole. The accuracy of information on the board is directly proportional to the amount spent on gaining it...

[expat]

IMHO we are discussing how to commit fraud here, as the OP is just between contracts and has not run out of income.

IMHO some of us get that, and some don't. Sad.

[NotAllThere]

We'll leave that to the judge...

[GreenerGrass]

Just to say thank you to everyone, this thread kept me entertained yesterday afternoon, Cyberman was really on form. I find it hilarious how he antagonises everyone.

As for signing on, in 2001 when my contract expired I went 3 months without even thinking of setting foot in a job centre.
But as the weeks went by I became more and more desperate, I'd bought a flat recently so my bench fund was very limited, and the situation was dire on jobserve.
After 3 months I was faced with having to sell my car, and either furnish my flat with items from Argos or starve to death.
One morning I sat crying at the shame of what I was about to do, but I wiped the tears from my eyes and told myself that it was for the greater good, it wouldn't be for long, and I had to look after number 1.
Reluctantly, I had finally decided to go permie.

[Grinder]

Well this has polarised the team! I wanted to learn people's views - thanks to everyone who contributed.

I can see there are a lot of questions raised, but I'll stick to the "should I" aspect which despite 100 replies still comes down to personal choice

I actually don't want to claim - its a lot of effort for not much cash, I have money anyway and at least I have some self-esteem to carry into conversations with future potential clients.

The one nagging voice in the back of my head (or is that the mother-in-law ) is what happens if this goes on for 2 years as suggested above? I don't think it will... if it does it wouldn't just be me signing on!

[Jubber]

Well this has polarised the team! I wanted to learn people's views - thanks to everyone who contributed.

I can see there are a lot of questions raised, but I'll stick to the "should I" aspect which despite 100 replies still comes down to personal choice

I actually don't want to claim - its a lot of effort for not much cash, I have money anyway and at least I have some self-esteem to carry into conversations with future potential clients.

The one nagging voice in the back of my head (or is that the mother-in-law ) is what happens if this goes on for 2 years as suggested above? I don't think it will... if it does it wouldn't just be me signing on!

Yes it is something we all may have to face one day. This 'downturn' may be hard. During 2002 I had to rely mainly on freelance work rather than 'agency' or 'direct' contracts as there was much less 'contract' work about. Whatever is said on here, if you can't find any work and your company coffers are empty, IMHO you would be a fool not to claim. I will be.

Edit: But to get back to your original question - no I don't sign on while benched, but would if my business was no longer viable.

[Ardesco]

If your company is no longer viable and there are no funds in it to pay yourself then signing on is fair enough if you can't find any work, myself I would rather get a job stacking shelves or down a pub....

[PM-Junkie]

...unless you are signing on merely to get your mortgage insurance to kick in of course (my understanding is that you have to sign on, not neccessarily receive any benifits, in order to activate mortgage insurance?).

I'm probably wrong though?