JSA, out of contributions, new sign-on..

[Berberis]

Can anybody clarify the situation with regard to 0 hours?

Can they claim anything if they don't get the hours, and don't have any money coming in?

Are they deemed to be self employed? Do they have to buy their own National Insurance stamps?

 

Yes they can.

 

To get Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) you must:

 

• be 18 or over but below State Pension age - there are some exceptions if you’re 16 or 17
  
• not be in full-time education
  
• be in England, Scotland or Wales
  
• be available for work
  
• be actively seeking work
  
• work on average less than 16 hours per week
  

 

https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/eligibility

[Anna B]

Yes they can.

 

To get Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) you must:

 

• be 18 or over but below State Pension age - there are some exceptions if you’re 16 or 17
  
• not be in full-time education
  
• be in England, Scotland or Wales
  
• be available for work
  
• be actively seeking work
  
• work on average less than 16 hours per week
  

 

https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/eligibility

 

Thankyou Berberis.

 

Considering it can take more than 6 weeks to process a new claim, is there something in place to allow for claiming one week, (under 16 hours,) but not the next (over 16 hours,) then the next (under 16 hours) etc without having to wait for payments.

 

It seems terribly complicated to me. Heaven knows how people can budget.

[Berberis]

Thankyou Berberis.

 

Considering it can take more than 6 weeks to process a new claim, is there something in place to allow for claiming one week, (under 16 hours,) but not the next (over 16 hours,) then the next (under 16 hours) etc without having to wait for payments.

 

It seems terribly complicated to me. Heaven knows how people can budget.

 

It doesn't. At the height of the credit crunch when I was made redundant, the claim took 2 weeks and was back dated.

 

The claim process is complicated but you are guided through it by a member of the JS team over the phone. They call you back so you don't have to pay for the call and fill in the form for you. All you need do is turn up to your local JS and sign the agreement.

[onewheeldave]

Considering it can take more than 6 weeks to process a new claim, is there something in place to allow for claiming one week, (under 16 hours,) but not the next (over 16 hours,) then the next (under 16 hours) etc without having to wait for payments.

 

It seems terribly complicated to me. Heaven knows how people can budget.

 

No, there is nothing in place for that. You will constantly have to sign off, then make a new claim, then sign off, then make a new claim...

 

The process is utterly inflexible, and, each time you're signed off JSA, your housing benefit and council tax benefit claim will also stop, and have to be re-applied for.

 

Additionally, with housing benefit, due to silly rules concerning not getting paid for the first week of a claim, even if the reclaim process worked smoothly (it doesn't) you would be out of pocket.

[Anna B]

No, there is nothing in place for that. You will constantly have to sign off, then make a new claim, then sign off, then make a new claim...

 

The process is utterly inflexible, and, each time you're signed off JSA, your housing benefit and council tax benefit claim will also stop, and have to be re-applied for.

 

Additionally, with housing benefit, due to silly rules concerning not getting paid for the first week of a claim, even if the reclaim process worked smoothly (it doesn't) you would be out of pocket.

 

God, what a nightmare.

[poppet2]

No, there is nothing in place for that. You will constantly have to sign off, then make a new claim, then sign off, then make a new claim...

 

The process is utterly inflexible, and, each time you're signed off JSA, your housing benefit and council tax benefit claim will also stop, and have to be re-applied for.

 

Additionally, with housing benefit, due to silly rules concerning not getting paid for the first week of a claim, even if the reclaim process worked smoothly (it doesn't) you would be out of pocket.

 

100% correct. The beauracy is there to prevent you claiming benefits. Don't you think if they wanted to they could have a special department for Temps, Zero hour contracts, and contractors who have these flexible hours? They could but they won't.

Then all employees would need to do is fax, email their weekly payslip as proof of hours worked that week.

 

It's bad enough when employers that advertise through the JC advertise for someone full-time, then lay them off 4 weeks later. Employers advertise for a full time job to make it look attractive because they know most people don't want zero hour contracts. Those employees have to go through the system all over again, it's soul destroying.

Edited May 1, 2015 by poppet2

[Anna B]

100% correct. The beauracy is there to prevent you claiming benefits. Don't you think if they wanted to they could have a special department for Temps, Zero hour contracts, and contractors who have these flexible hours? They could but they won't.

Then all employees would need to do is fax, email their weekly payslip as proof of hours worked that week.

 

It's bad enough when employers that advertise through the JC advertise for someone full-time, then lay them off 4 weeks later. Employers advertise for a full time job to make it look attractive because they know most people don't want zero hour contracts. Those employees have to go through the system all over again, it's soul destroying.

 

Yes, indeeed.

 

If only some of the ney sayers who know sweet FA about it would read these posts. Some of the things that are going on in our 'flexible economy' are a disgrace.

[Native lad]

Just thought I'd mention my personal experience of the Jobcentre.

 

The last time I visited was back in 2010, to use their computerised job search facilities - you know, where you select from various drop down menus to search locally, nationally or internationally for work.

 

As usual, you could print out details of any job you were interested in, but if you wanted contact details for the employer, the Jobcentre were not prepared to let you have them unless you had a successful claim for Jobseeker's Allowance. In essence, even if you were unemployed, they would not recognise you as such without a successful claim (you were classed as "non-employed"). Furthermore, if you were unemployed as a result of being sacked, or quitting a job, your claim would be unsuccessful. In which case, you were not allowed to claim for several months after the initial claim had been unsuccessful (six, I think).

 

This final point is worth remembering when applying for work. If you have a successful claim, you have agreed to accept any work that is offered to you, and must take it or lose access to the allowance. After six months of claiming, they used to offer you access to training/education, or insist you join a "Job Club" (the sort of thing that David Walliams takes the Mickey out of). If you selected the former - having been permitted to select from a very limited range of limited options placed before you - you were expected to continue applying for jobs and quit your education or training should you be offered a job, even if that job was just minimum wage work, regardless of your progress with the education/training. I wonder how much public money has been frittered away in this manner?

 

 

(contains vulgar language)

 

 

 

Furthermore, if you have an unscrupulous employer that neglects his responsibilities and statutory duties, you are expected to have done everything reasonably practicable to have sorted these problems out with the employer prior to quitting. The Jobcentre will expect YOU to provide evidence of everything you and your employer did or didn't do, if you want any hope of having a successful claim. This is the case even if it was trying to address such problems that got you fired!

 

There was a time when staff at the jobcentre would have been authorised, able and willing to give you this kind of advice. However, when I visited, in 2010, things had changed. NONE of the staff were allowed, able or willing to help with advice or queries. When I asked why, I was told that they no longer offer that service in person and are not trained to do so. Instead, I was directed to a row of telephones strung out along a wall and told that I could use a telephone to call an advisor who would be authorised, able and willing to answer my questions.

 

Another problem with the Jobcentre is that they do not have a professional careers advisor to assist with careers advice. They will not suggest ways that you can improve your education or training, how to find out about such, or give information on access to funding.

 

Back in 2003, or there about, I had a JSA claim. I found myself work. When I went to my final meeting at the Jobcentre, the official asked whether I would mind if he claimed that he had found me the job. I asked why he thought I should agree to that. He said that all the staff doing his kind of work were issued with a target they were expected to meet each week: they had to get so many people in to work each week, or there was increased likelihood of them losing their jobs. I was shocked, to say the least, as this represents an incentive to push people in to jobs for which they are not well suited. In turn, this increases the likelihood of upsetting both employers and jobseekers, and significantly increases the likelihood that the claimant will have another claim in a few months time.

 

I agreed to the man's request, only because he had a severe disability.

 

It makes you wonder just how many ingenious ways there are for the government to ensure statistics support their political agendas.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Native lad

[poppet2]

Furthermore, if you were unemployed as a result of being sacked, or quitting a job, you were not even allowed to claim for several months after (six, I think).

 

 

Easy way round that, just sign on with an agency, even if it's catering or clerical, as they are usually the easiest temp jobs to get, even as a washer-up, just get one day's work, then state you've been offered nothing else for over a week so you are signing on. It's not your fault the agency has nothing more to offer you, and you can't live off thin air.

[Itrytoplease]

"Back in 2003, or there about, I had a JSA claim. I found myself work. When I went to my final meeting at the Jobcentre, the official asked whether I would mind if he claimed that he had found me the job. I asked why he thought I should agree to that. He said that all the staff doing his kind of work were issued with a target they were expected to meet each week: they had to get so many people in to work each week, or there was increased likelihood of them losing their jobs. I was shocked, to say the least, as this represents an incentive to push people in to jobs for which they are not well suited. In turn, this increases the likelihood of upsetting both employers and jobseekers, and significantly increases the likelihood that the claimant will have another claim in a few months time."

 

Thanks Native Lad

 

A4E used to do the same type of thing, If you found a job on your own without their help, about a week after starting the job A4E would write to you and ask if it was OK for them to contact your employer. This was for them to claim they found you the employment and so claim their bonus.

 

---------- Post added 02-05-2015 at 22:14 ----------

 

Hi Riffraff, sorry to hear of your situation, but just for curiosity contact the DWP and ask them for a pension forecast. As i see it you have paid in the required number of years to get a full pension so anything else you pay in the future will make no difference to your final pension claim.

 

This is the best advice I've seen on here so far, but like all the other advice it won't / can't help you very much as your tied into signing on with your Morgage company. It may well be worth writing to your morgage company to see if there is any leaway on these conditions?