Reply to: Claiming JSA on the bench?

[psychocandy]

I am of the view that if you are eligible for money from the government, you might as well take it. We try to minimise our tax rather than just saying "well it's only right I take a proper salary and pay a fair whack of tax", so this comes into the same category.

Needing to take benefits does smack of foolishness, except in special cases. And leaving/rejoining your Ltd as an employee every few months seems a pretty blatant giveaway to me.

Note - JSA can be exceeded by housing benefit; if you could get both it's potentially a lot of money.

Wont get sod all if your partner is working though. My Mrs is a nurse who works part-time, bring in about £14K a year. No chance of getting bugger all else if I was on JSA.

[d000hg]

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!

I am of the view that if you are eligible for money from the government, you might as well take it. We try to minimise our tax rather than just saying "well it's only right I take a proper salary and pay a fair whack of tax", so this comes into the same category.

Needing to take benefits does smack of foolishness, except in special cases. And leaving/rejoining your Ltd as an employee every few months seems a pretty blatant giveaway to me.

Note - JSA can be exceeded by housing benefit; if you could get both it's potentially a lot of money.

[The Spartan]

To give an idea of the kind of people you meet there, a friend told that in the job centre in Castleford a woman (white) came in to sign-on and brought her two mixed race kids with her, when they started messing about, she called out "Beyonce, Jay-Z come here now!"

That's ridiculous, MTV does rot your brain then but then again I suppose you have to have one first

[Antman]

To give an idea of the kind of people you meet there, a friend told that in the job centre in Castleford a woman (white) came in to sign-on and brought her two mixed race kids with her, when they started messing about, she called out "Beyonce, Jay-Z come here now!"

[psychocandy]

To be fair to the jobcentre staff, they do seem to have to put up with tons of scumbags by the looks of things.

Once you get over the hurdle of trying to explain things, when they realise you're going to be polite to them etc, it all gets sorted.

Like I said in previous post, about the form asking me to commit to minimum wage within an hours drive. I talked to the jobcentre manager at the time and we sorted that out but I remember him saying that there were some people who refused to take jobs if they even had to catch a bus (i.e they wanted a job within walking distance of their house!) because it was too inconvenient! This is why they had this form.

[quackhandle]

"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

During previous bench periods I'd never bothered claiming as you get in the mindset of why bother I could find a new gig in a few days and the form filling is a real ball ache but in 2009 I had to bite the bullet and go down the local job center. Obi-wan had it spot on.

I remember seeing local chav types being given emergency loans and the women taking about using it to go off on holiday with and the fellers going down the pub. Or the bookies. Then you'd get a number of very scared 50+ year old fellers suited and booted armed with reams of CVs sitting telling the JC staff "I was MD of so-and-so, I was on 80K, they made me redundant, what do I do now?" It is strange telling the JC staff what you have been earning, and most of them don't even understand the world of contracting. "I don't understand why you only look for jobs on the internet. Is there any more you can do to look for a job?"

I always felt you were just a number/name to be ticked off the list when you gain any form of employment, they don't care what it pays or what it does. Really its just playing the game and trying to get them to understand and trying not to let it get you down. There is a good post on here somewhere that explains that like a company that makes widgets, you have been laid off (by your company) as demand for widgets has dropped. But you could be working for them again when demand for widgets picks up.

Best of Britsh.

qh

[psychocandy]

Compare with RAV in Switzerland. My mate contracted there for two years, finished, claimed and got around 70% of his last earnings for 400 working days then it starts tapering off. No means test.

Wouldnt bother looking for a new contract for a while then !!!!

[stek]

Mine was center of Salford so not a pleasant place as you can imagine. There was a security gaurd at the entrance and one upstairs where all the interviews were held. Never again.

4 for the gaurd? It's worth 10!! Offer me 6.....

[The Spartan]

I'd like to contract there

[FiveTimes]

I believe Ireland used to offer 250 euro/week for 12 months

[stek]

Compare with RAV in Switzerland. My mate contracted there for two years, finished, claimed and got around 70% of his last earnings for 400 working days then it starts tapering off. No means test.

[northernladuk]

Job centres are scroat city.

First time I walked into local one there was a security guard on the door. He grabbed me as I walked past to ask me what I wanted. Then I noticed everyone had to tell him why they were there.

Apparently, this is normal for job centres in some place. (I am in Zooport though after all!)

Mine was center of Salford so not a pleasant place as you can imagine. There was a security gaurd at the entrance and one upstairs where all the interviews were held. Never again.

[psychocandy]

and that is pre-tax as well...

I applied once but got a role before the 10 days cool down ended so never got paid anything. I was so annoyed about the process and the type of people it benefits I wouldn't claim it again just so I can be happily oblivious of the scroats the bleed the system. It is worth not claiming it so as not to step foot in another job center IMO so agree with Mal, purely personal choice as it is so little financial incentive.

Job centres are scroat city.

First time I walked into local one there was a security guard on the door. He grabbed me as I walked past to ask me what I wanted. Then I noticed everyone had to tell him why they were there.

Apparently, this is normal for job centres in some place. (I am in Zooport though after all!)

[Mr.Whippy]

Not really. Just can't be arsed explaining my situation in depth, and the fact that someone may have a house worth X and I have no house but X in the bank, and waiting to buy a new house is benefit fraud, just because of my circumstances for a brief period.

The point of benefits is so you can live and pay for stuff during hard times.... someone with a house worth X cant exactly whip out a few bricks to pay for the weekly shop to feed their family now can they? Whereas someone like you with a tidy 6 figure sum in the bank can easily afford to stand on their own two feet regardless of how much you've "put in". The fact you don't currently have a house is hardly a defence for that.

It's a shame you didn't get caught. I'd shop you myself if I knew who you were.

[MarillionFan]

Not really. Just can't be arsed explaining my situation in depth, and the fact that someone may have a house worth X and I have no house but X in the bank, and waiting to buy a new house is benefit fraud, just because of my circumstances for a brief period.Your honour

ftfy