Reply to: Claiming unemployment benefits between roles

[psychocandy]

I thought it was £16K but can't remember exactly. What pissed me right off was the section about do I consent to them coming round to value my house. F that!!

Not sure but does the 16K savings thing effect contrib-based JSA too?

[psychocandy]

Agree x 10000, Jobcenter staff spend most of their day dealing with the great unwashed scroats of society who they see week in week out they follow the same script day in and day out, they have no way of dealing with anyone half intelligent, its degrading and humiliating, its worth going just for the experience when you come out you will have iron resolve to never go in again

To be fair, I found that once they realise you aint the normal scroat they're ok. They seem pleased to deal with someone whos got manners.

[psychocandy]

This forum has a search facility and I suggest you use it to find a more comprehensive overview of what I will post below.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.

Sorry SE but your wrong on a number of points here.

1. Yes, some benefits are means-tested but everyone is entitled to contributions based JSA for up to 9 months. So unless you've not even being paying a salary to yourself you're covered.

Admitedly, anything else you can forget if your parner is working.

2. You can claim if you're out of contract. I have done this in the past. You're not working remember - its perfectly legal.

3. The job centre wont hassle you to take a job in McDs. Each person is given a case worker in effect, and most know the score that its pointless trying to get a qualified person to work for minimum wage. Also, policy is that you're allowed 6 months at your level of salary.

I'm not saying they wont expect you to take a permie job - it is job seekers allowance after all. But it'll be on your terms. And to be honest, its not like the jobcentre are going to find a suitable job and hassle you to take it, is it? All they ever want is proof you're looking for a job - just apply for contract jobs, print out a spreadsheet and take it in twice a month and they'll be happy and none the wiser.

To be fair, they're usually surprised that someone is looking for a job and seem well used to dealing with scummers who've got no intentions.

[Boo]

If your company has less then 16K in cash then they can consider you unemployed, as companies still have some out goings even if they don't have staff.

Your company's cash at hand is entirely irrelevant.

Boo

[Boo]

You can be "laid off due to lack of work", all you need do is phone the Jobcentre Plus (JC+) and use that exact phrase. In my experience they do not require corroberation but you can get your accountant to issue a P45 if required.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

There are two seperate benefits that are likely to apply, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance (IBJSA) and contributions based Jobseekers Allowance CBJSA. You are entitled to CBJSA irrespective of your partners' status provided your accountant has filled in the forms right and you have notionally (not in fact) paid contributions by setting your income at a level where contributions are deemed to be paid (I forget what that level is).

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.
...snip...
If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.

I don't know the exact law as to how the value of your company is ascertained, the JC+ once wrote to me asking for a written value and I told them that it would be impossible to sell MyCo on the open market because I am the only fee earner and no-one would want the historical risks when a new company only costs £200 or so.

They were happy with that at the time, but on another occasion at a face-to-face interview they asked me that question and when I began the same spiel she stopped me by asking how many shares I owned and their face value. I said £100 and she was happy with that as the company value. In either case I was not required to provide company accounts nor was money at hand in the company relevant to my application for JSA.

All of the above is to question SueEllen's response that your company income in the year is relevant, it is not. There are limits on your personal savings for IB and CB JSA (AIUI £16k, but the JC+ will tell you wether you are entitled when you phone them). You are additionally restricted in how many hours you can work and or study at a college before all entitlement to JSA is removed.

You may be entitled to other means tested benefits like Mortgate interest benefit and Council Tax benefit, the JSA will put you through the hoops for those at the same time as they do you for JSA, but you may be sent supplementary forms later on.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

You can, as stated, be sanctioned if you don't take a job you are offered. However you are entitled to restrict your search for work you normally perform for (IIRC) 6 months before being forced to take anything. If you keep on sending off applications you are pretty much guaranteed to keep the JC+ off your back, they are not unreasonable IME. If you do get offered a permanent job you are honour bound to accept it, but hopefully some new skills or will sweeten the pill.

Hth,

Boo

[SueEllen]

This is true, however you have to be unemployed to get jobseekers, if your LTD you will still be employed by your own company

If your company has less then 16K in cash then they can consider you unemployed, as companies still have some out goings even if they don't have staff.

I'm sure employees of companies can be laid off short-term and claim JSA in some circumstances.

[northernladuk]

All that matters to the DWP is:
1) You're available for work
2) You have less that £20k in savings (I think)

If you have less than £6000 in savings you'll get the full amount, otherwise you'll get less. Mind you when I was on JSA I was never asked any evidence of my savings.

I thought it was £16K but can't remember exactly. What pissed me right off was the section about do I consent to them coming round to value my house. F that!!

[dbigalow]

Agree x 10000, Jobcenter staff spend most of their day dealing with the great unwashed scroats of society who they see week in week out they follow the same script day in and day out, they have no way of dealing with anyone half intelligent, its degrading and humiliating, its worth going just for the experience when you come out you will have iron resolve to never go in again

so true..I hated every moment of it..gradually I managed to wean of benefits, but going back to that life scares me so much..you feel like a human piece of sht

[Support Monkey]

I tried this when I got benched first time. It takes 10 days to kick in and I got a gig 4 days later! Mehh...

Anyway, the process was traumatic. Salford jobcenter is just the pits, the people, the staff etc I wish I hadn't gone. I went in a suit as well and was convinced I was going to get mugged in the middle of the jobcenter and no one would lift a finger to help although they did have 3!!! security gaurds on.

You do the business and get a list of jobs I wouldn't let my dog do and then get a letter back telling me what I can't claim and so on.... I just felt dirty and angry

I just wouldn't do it again on prinicple, 67 quid a week or not. It just wasn't enough to justify the experience.

Just my personal opinion but HTH.

Agree x 10000, Jobcenter staff spend most of their day dealing with the great unwashed scroats of society who they see week in week out they follow the same script day in and day out, they have no way of dealing with anyone half intelligent, its degrading and humiliating, its worth going just for the experience when you come out you will have iron resolve to never go in again

[northernladuk]

I tried this when I got benched first time. It takes 10 days to kick in and I got a gig 4 days later! Mehh...

Anyway, the process was traumatic. Salford jobcenter is just the pits, the people, the staff etc I wish I hadn't gone. I went in a suit as well and was convinced I was going to get mugged in the middle of the jobcenter and no one would lift a finger to help although they did have 3!!! security gaurds on.

You do the business and get a list of jobs I wouldn't let my dog do and then get a letter back telling me what I can't claim and so on.... I just felt dirty and angry

I just wouldn't do it again on prinicple, 67 quid a week or not. It just wasn't enough to justify the experience.

Just my personal opinion but HTH.

[petergriffin]

Hi, was wondering if working through a limited company means you should forget altogether about any of these entitlements, especially NI based ones when presumably you will be paying little or no contributions towards this when employed?

Or will it be tricky if they start delving into your affairs if you try to claim?

All that matters to the DWP is:
1) You're available for work
2) You have less that £20k in savings (I think)

If you have less than £6000 in savings you'll get the full amount, otherwise you'll get less. Mind you when I was on JSA I was never asked any evidence of my savings.

[Support Monkey]

As far as I am aware, if you have paid NI for six months in the previous year you are entitled to contributions based JobSeekers Allowance of £67 per week for 6 months. Not much, but would you walk past it if it was lying in the street.

This is true, however you have to be unemployed to get jobseekers, if your LTD you will still be employed by your own company

[billridley]

Thanks for the info.

As I suspected, too much hassle for what it's worth. About to finish up my contract and people telling me to claim what I can etc.

As far as I am aware, if you have paid NI for six months in the previous year you are entitled to contributions based JobSeekers Allowance of £67 per week for 6 months. Not much, but would you walk past it if it was lying in the street.

[Dandyman]

This forum has a search facility and I suggest you use it to find a more comprehensive overview of what I will post below.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.

Thanks for the info.

As I suspected, too much hassle for what it's worth. About to finish up my contract and people telling me to claim what I can etc.

[SueEllen]

This forum has a search facility and I suggest you use it to find a more comprehensive overview of what I will post below.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.