Reply to: JSA for contractors - money in Ltd account.

[original PM]

The Concourse.....

Noo you mean "Eeeeer the connie"

[speling bee]

One of the things that surprised me is they said they consider anything within a 90 minute commute counts as acceptable. 90 minutes would be an exceptionally long commute for most.

What about the cost of the commute? An £800 monthly travelcard plus 12 hour childcare wouldn't make a lot of sense for a low wage job.

[VectraMan]

He told me they had problems with some people telling them that a 10 min bus ride to the next town for a job was unacceptable for them.

One of the things that surprised me is they said they consider anything within a 90 minute commute counts as acceptable. 90 minutes would be an exceptionally long commute for most.

[psychocandy]

Like I said, I never gave them my P45. All that happened is after I got a job, they wrote to me telling me they hadn't received a P45 so couldn't work out how much tax I should have paid (on benefits- really?). When I get round to doing my SA for last year I'll need to add that into my earnings and probably have some small amount of tax to pay.

I will say that nothing gets you motivated to find another job than having to go to the Job Centre.

I will admit the job centre experience is not cool. Scrotes hanging around outside, security guards on the door etc.

Found the staff generally ok. One or two were a bit off but I put that down to dealing with scrotes all day.

Yeh, you do have to go through the forms etc and it takes a while. Signing on every two weeks takes literally 1 minutes so no big deal.

Apparently, after 3 months you've got to have an interview with an advisor. Never got that far but I guess at this point they may start trying to get you to take other jobs so this might not be too much fun.

But at the end of the day, after 3 months, if they say, take shelf-stacker job or no more benefits just say ok no thanks. Nothing lost. Got a feeling they don't do this though.

Used to chat with one of the fellas. Nice bloke. He told me they had problems with some people telling them that a 10 min bus ride to the next town for a job was unacceptable for them. Told me its a constant battle because people just dont turn up for interviews with a vareity of excuses.

[VectraMan]

Like I said, I never gave them my P45. All that happened is after I got a job, they wrote to me telling me they hadn't received a P45 so couldn't work out how much tax I should have paid (on benefits- really?). When I get round to doing my SA for last year I'll need to add that into my earnings and probably have some small amount of tax to pay.

I will say that nothing gets you motivated to find another job than having to go to the Job Centre.

[d000hg]

Absolutely unrelated. Yes I am an employee and director of my own company.

Are you sure you're an employee?

[TheFaQQer]

Job Centre not Dole office! :-)

They don't make you sell all your possessions inc car to claim JSA.

No, but turning up at the Dole Office in a new 911 might not be the done thing.

[psychocandy]

How much is the bus fare to the Dole Office, and can you claim it back?

Job Centre not Dole office! :-)

They don't make you sell all your possessions inc car to claim JSA.

[speling bee]

Month on the bench = approx £300 in JSA.

Time to get P45 = 5 mins email to accountant.

Time to fill in forms for JSA = 30 mins
Time for appt at job centre = 30 mins.

I will admit I claimed once, 10 days later got a gig, so it was £100 and hassle. If I'd known the gig was in the bag, I wouldnt have bothered.
But no good wishing you'd claimed 3-4 months down the line is there?

How much is the bus fare to the Dole Office, and can you claim it back?

[psychocandy]

I'm not sure I could be bothered to stop the payroll and issue a P45 after every contract, so that I could go and argue with the Dole Office about my entitlement, before going into another contract.

Month on the bench = approx £300 in JSA.

Time to get P45 = 5 mins email to accountant.

Time to fill in forms for JSA = 30 mins
Time for appt at job centre = 30 mins.

I will admit I claimed once, 10 days later got a gig, so it was £100 and hassle. If I'd known the gig was in the bag, I wouldnt have bothered.
But no good wishing you'd claimed 3-4 months down the line is there?

[psychocandy]

I guess it could. But the thing with the JSA that puzzles me is that I don't think the claimant is really unemployed. Are they looking for jobs as an employee? Or are they looking for contracts for their business? And if the latter, isn't that working?

However, it does appear to be legal.

Like I said, JSA staff dont really understand it. BUT, rules are you can look for stuff you want for so many months. i.e. they're not going to make you take job as trolley man at tesco.

In reality, JSA people are fair if you're fair to them. If you tell them you're looking for another contract they're happy.

Remember, these people spend 90% of their day arguing with scrotes who have no intention if they can of ever getting a job. When they deal with someone polite who is actually trying they're fine.

[speling bee]

In my case no spare money. As above, if there is money, you can't pay it out as salary and claim JSA. Paying dividends would also be dodgy IMHO.

Again, as above, I answer questions that they ask truthfully.

Thanks.

[psychocandy]

But I thoiught that to claim JSA you had to prove you had been laid off and not sacked/left the job of your own accord.

So surely in order to claim JSA you need to stop being an employee of your LTD?

Absolutley no idea what the score is if you are a director of your LTD...

Yes you need a P45 from your company.

[psychocandy]

I don't have a problem with unemployed people with money claiming contribution based JSA. I find it perverse that a company director, who takes a tax advantage as a business rather than as a disguised employee, can have spare money in the Ltd and claim to be unemployed / laid off. It seems to me that if you want the advantages of being in business, you should pay your salary between contracts (if you have that money). But I accept it may be legal.

I am interested whether being upfront and honest includes advising the Dole Office how much money and spare money (after tax obligations are met) is in the Ltd account.

In my case no spare money. As above, if there is money, you can't pay it out as salary and claim JSA. Paying dividends would also be dodgy IMHO.

Again, as above, I answer questions that they ask truthfully.

[psychocandy]

Thanks VM. I was asking because a poster in another thread stated:



I am just wondering if 'totally upfront and honest' includes showing Ltd company bank statements, although I now understand from what you say that there is formally no need to do so.

If they ask I will show. No problem with that. But then they didnt ask me what I had for breakfast either so I didnt offer than information either.