Reply to: job seekers allowance ...

[ziggy]

Thanks folks ... some very good advice ... I think I will crack on and claim the JSA as 6 weeks on the bench could easily become 6 months ...

[Epiphone]

A very permie thing to do, throw yourselves onto state handouts.

It's a very contractor thing to do to get some tax back

[Foxy Moron]

He works in a low skilled job obviously

[Cyberman]

You seem to know a lot about claiming the dole.

I was affected by the first New Lie recession of 2000-2002 when they first started allowing uncontrolled worker immigration into IT to aid a 'skill shortage'.

[DimPrawn]

You should claim JSA, if only to get NI credits. You need 30 years of NI payments to get a full state pension, and as a contractor you could be working out of the UK a lot of the time in the future and not qualify. Otherwise, you may have to make additional NI payments in the future to pay missing contributions.

As a contractor you are entitled to 'contributions-based' JSA for six months as long as you have paid so much NI Class A in the past three years. After that, you must apply for means-tested benefits. Regardless of whether you get the benefits, you do get NI credits and this could be worth many years of contributions the way that the economy is going !!

You seem to know a lot about claiming the dole.

[Cyberman]

You should claim JSA, if only to get NI credits. You need 30 years of NI payments to get a full state pension, and as a contractor you could be working out of the UK a lot of the time in the future and not qualify. Otherwise, you may have to make additional NI payments in the future to pay missing contributions.

As a contractor you are entitled to 'contributions-based' JSA for six months as long as you have paid so much NI Class A in the past three years. After that, you must apply for means-tested benefits. Regardless of whether you get the benefits, you do get NI credits and this could be worth many years of contributions the way that the economy is going !!

[Jubber]

If you are using a brolly or agency PAYE - go for it - sign on the day you leave the employer.

But if you are a business - it is different. If you still have money in the business you can still pay salary, tax etc while you are looking for work.

[Foxy Moron]

That's not 'appearing' is it, it's the actuality. I thought you meant shifting money into other accounts!

I've never tried to claim Jobseekers while on the bench, but then I've never saked myselft or ran out of income/reserves (while being a Ltd)

[AlfredJPruffock]

Appear to reduce savings isn't fraud.

You can do the following

Pay of CC debts
Pay Utilities in advance
Pay bills car tax - insurance - council tax
Pay other outstanding stuff

If you can get under 16k then you'll get something. I beleive that paying your bills is still legal.

When you consider that Governments have been dolling out Billions in tax payers money to failed Bankers - how can anybody speak of fraud ??

[DocP]

Savings Question

Appear to reduce savings isn't fraud.

You can do the following

Pay of CC debts
Pay Utilities in advance
Pay bills car tax - insurance - council tax
Pay other outstanding stuff

If you can get under 16k then you'll get something. I beleive that paying your bills is still legal.

[Foxy Moron]

are they playing locally?

[fckvwls]

I wouldn't lower myself to claim JSA unless I was really in dire straits

I don't think you'd have to go very far.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Apply for it now. You can even get a % of your mortgage interest payments covered. Make sure that your savings appear as low as possible.

I finished my contract yesterday. I've paid my taxes - so I have no issue in applying to get a portion of my money back. I'll apply for JSA today.

Quite Right whnever Im out of contract I claim JSA etc as a matter of course - well that is if its been over a month since Ive worked - as I recall you can actually have in the region of 15k in savings before it impacts your claim - this was from a couple of years ago - so do check.

[ziggy]

For starters I'm with an umbrella ... in fact ... a few weeks back they sent me an email saying they would "sack me" after 8 weeks <grin> ...

I do have savings ... but there are 2 types of JSA ... one of which does not appear to be means tested i.e. as long as you've paid your NI.

It's not that I need the £60 a week (yet) ... but I do need to talk to the bank about reducing mortgage payments so am wondering whether being on the JSA would assist with bank talks, etc.

[DimPrawn]

A very permie thing to do, throw yourselves onto state handouts.

A real contractor just redoubles his efforts to get that next contract.