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

[RiffRaff]

I have never known a JC to be open on the weekends, are you sure?

 

As you say, strictly speaking closed....but "certain staff" can be in for "appointments".

I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

 

---------- Post added 08-05-2015 at 13:08 ----------

 

I concede defeat - seems to be the day for it!

I've just signed off.

I've struck a deal with the mortgage insurance people, who understood/agreed that the position that the Job Centre had put me in was totally ridiculous, and waived the need to 'sign on'.

Common sense has prevailed!

 

As an aside, you can cancel your JSA claim by phone : they give a choice of numbers, either 0345 or 0845...check with you supplier as to which is cheaper.

Decided on 0845 in my case...dialled...and heard a recorded message stating that I should redial using 0345.....

 

You couldn't make it up....

[poppet2]

So you were claiming absolutely nothing, yet the JC expected you to sign on and instructed you to come in every day, even at weekends to sign on and have a JC interview. Meanwhile it was costing you in fares to come in every day.

Sheer madness.

 

Thank goodness your mortgage insurance company saw sense. I bet you feel incredibly relived and can now search for a job without this additional pressure.

Good luck.

[onewheeldave]

As you say, strictly speaking closed....but "certain staff" can be in for "appointments".

I guess I'll find out tomorrow!

 

---------- Post added 08-05-2015 at 13:08 ----------

 

I concede defeat - seems to be the day for it!

I've just signed off.

I've struck a deal with the mortgage insurance people, who understood/agreed that the position that the Job Centre had put me in was totally ridiculous, and waived the need to 'sign on'.

Common sense has prevailed!

 

As an aside, you can cancel your JSA claim by phone : they give a choice of numbers, either 0345 or 0845...check with you supplier as to which is cheaper.

Decided on 0845 in my case...dialled...and heard a recorded message stating that I should redial using 0345.....

 

You couldn't make it up....

 

Glad you're out of it

 

I hope you'll remember your experience of the DWPs ineptitude, stupidity and how they routinely treat their 'clients' as if they are scum.

 

You're far from the only victim of this corrupt organisation, as I'm sure you're aware, your release was due to some sanity on the part of your mortgage company, that is increasingly rare these days.

 

Hopefully you'll visit the frequent benefit related threads on this forum in future, where you'll notice a large number of posters who are apologists for the DWP/benefits system, who insist that the misfortunes of it's 'clients' are self caused. Please do contribute to said threads, as, unlike those apologists, you have actual experience of the DWP as it now is.

[poppet2]

Glad you're out of it

 

I hope you'll remember your experience of the DWPs ineptitude, stupidity and how they routinely treat their 'clients' as if they are scum.

 

You're far from the only victim of this corrupt organisation, as I'm sure you're aware, your release was due to some sanity on the part of your mortgage company, that is increasingly rare these days.

 

Hopefully you'll visit the frequent benefit related threads on this forum in future, where you'll notice a large number of posters who are apologists for the DWP/benefits system, who insist that the misfortunes of it's 'clients' are self caused. Please do contribute to said threads, as, unlike those apologists, you have actual experience of the DWP as it now is.

 

Good post. I hope OP does contribute to future threads re. benefits. There's nothing like personal experience to humble the soul.

[Cyclone]

See, some people will just not accept that in the 6th richest country in the world, their fellow citizens can be left high and dry with nothing. Even when it comes from the horses mouth.

 

I can assure them it happens all the time. If it wasn't for the good will of friends and family the shop doorways of this fair city would be packed with people in sleeping bags.

 

Nothing except for the income his wife earns...

 

Edit - was the closest Job Centre the one in the city centre then?

Edited May 9, 2015 by Cyclone

[Anna B]

Nothing except for the income his wife earns...

 

Edit - was the closest Job Centre the one in the city centre then?

 

So should his wife pay his National Insurance contributions as well?

 

One of the problems these days is that as more and more family members are not entitled to help (and often this can cross three of four generations in one house/family; unemployed children, elderly relative etc,) how far is one income supposed to stretch?

[RiffRaff]

So you were claiming absolutely nothing, yet the JC expected you to sign on and instructed you to come in every day, even at weekends to sign on and have a JC interview. Meanwhile it was costing you in fares to come in every day.

Sheer madness.

 

Thank goodness your mortgage insurance company saw sense. I bet you feel incredibly relived and can now search for a job without this additional pressure.

Good luck.

 

Thank you for your good wishes, poppet2.

 

After speaking to the mortgage insurers, I realised that I can't have been the only soul who they've come across with this problem : after all, there are thousands of individuals who've been unable to find a job for above six months and who don't qualify for 'income based' support courtesy of their spouse's income...and for those who assume that the claimant's partner must be earning mega-bucks for the 'income based' threshold to be exceeded, it's simply not the case.

[poppet2]

Thank you for your good wishes, poppet2.

 

After speaking to the mortgage insurers, I realised that I can't have been the only soul who they've come across with this problem : after all, there are thousands of individuals who've been unable to find a job for above six months and who don't qualify for 'income based' support courtesy of their spouse's income...and for those who assume that the claimant's partner must be earning mega-bucks for the 'income based' threshold to be exceeded, it's simply not the case.

 

Unfortunately, by signing off, you are still unemployed, which is a crafty way for the government to manipulate the figures and claim that by signing off people in your position have found work.

[RiffRaff]

So should his wife pay his National Insurance contributions as well?

 

One of the problems these days is that as more and more family members are not entitled to help (and often this can cross three of four generations in one house/family; unemployed children, elderly relative etc,) how far is one income supposed to stretch?

 

By pure coincidence, she has just reached the age where she no longer has to pay NI : with her birthday falling in October, in her case it's 62 and a half!

And wouldn't you have thought that, with all the officialdom/red tape/NI records and

God-knows-what else over the years, some DWP department would advise your employer?

No.

The onus is on you to 'apply'.

It's strange how you're reminded to pay your dues by certain dates - car tax, for example - but not when it's a reduction in something.....

 

---------- Post added 09-05-2015 at 13:26 ----------

 

Unfortunately, by signing off, you are still unemployed, which is a crafty way for the government to manipulate the figures and claim that by signing off people in your position have found work.

 

Spot on....

 

---------- Post added 09-05-2015 at 13:31 ----------

 

Nothing except for the income his wife earns...

 

Edit - was the closest Job Centre the one in the city centre then?

 

Chesterfield JC in my case.

You can't pick and choose.

11 mile round trip.

 

You've mentioned my wife's income before.

She earns a tad over the 'income based' threshold.

It's not hard to do so.

Edited May 9, 2015 by RiffRaff

[Anna B]

Please keep us updated. This is a very interesting thread.

 

Good luck with your independent job search.