Does contributions based JSA exist anymore?

[maomao]

Mrs maomao has very recently been made redundant. During her last period of unemployment six years ago she did the whole job centre thing and got contributions based JSA for a while. She got a job around about the point it became more hassle than it was worth (daily signing on ffs, wasn't like that in my day). She's been trying to start an online application but it seems to be all universal credit now. Is there any actual point pursuing it? We've had to take the little one out of nursery (he's still doing one day a week for the moment) so she's not going to be able to jump through all the hoops all the time anyway. The money would be a massive help but we're not bankrupt yet and the current situation is a lot less stressful than working five days a week and spending 80+% of her wages on childcare. She doesn't really want to go back to that situation and is looking for something that works for her rather than any old shite the job centre chuck at her.

So is there still such a thing as contributions based JSA anymore? And is it actually worth going through with it or is the whole rigmarole just too hostile now?

Also, she's a permanent resident but not a British citizen and currently has no plans to be one.

 

[B.I.G]

Mrs maomao has very recently been made redundant. During her last period of unemployment six years ago she did the whole job centre thing and got contributions based JSA for a while. She got a job around about the point it became more hassle than it was worth (daily signing on ffs, wasn't like that in my day). She's been trying to start an online application but it seems to be all universal credit now. Is there any actual point pursuing it? We've had to take the little one out of nursery (he's still doing one day a week for the moment) so she's not going to be able to jump through all the hoops all the time anyway. The money would be a massive help but we're not bankrupt yet and the current situation is a lot less stressful than working five days a week and spending 80+% of her wages on childcare. She doesn't really want to go back to that situation and is looking for something that works for her rather than any old shite the job centre chuck at her.

So is there still such a thing as contributions based JSA anymore? And is it actually worth going through with it or is the whole rigmarole just too hostile now?

Also, she's a permanent resident but not a British citizen and currently has no plans to be one.

Yes and its definitely worth it, you need to call them and sign on weekly.

 

[B.I.G]

You can try online but call if it kicks you onto UC. Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

 

[scifisam]

Yep, it still exists. It's now called new-style JSA. This is the application page https://www.dwpe-services.direct.gov.uk/portal/page/portal/jsaol/lp

 

[StoneRoad]

(as above) it is now "new-style JSA"

 

[Puddy_Tat]

she's not going to be able to jump through all the hoops all the time anyway.

She doesn't really want to go back to that situation and is looking for something that works for her rather than any old shite the job centre chuck at her.

it's almost certainly worth not telling the joke centre any of this. i'm too long out of the game to know just quite what the hoops are for 'available for and actively seeking work' these days, but i'd guess it's not sensible to give them any ideas in this direction.

Also, she's a permanent resident but not a British citizen and currently has no plans to be one.

i don't think you need to be a british citizen, and think she's probably OK as long as she doesn't have "no recourse to public funds" on passport / visa, but again, i'm out of touch. CAB has this about if you're from EU / EEA but doesn't say about anyone else, and this (from entitledto) is all a bit vague. Ultimately, claiming might not get anything, bit not claiming certainly won't.

possibly stating the bleeding obvious, and i'm putting this as a suggestion rather than asking you a question about your financial circumstances, but it may be worth considering whether you (as a household) might be entitled to anything income related based on your income. gut feeling is if you're working full time on a reasonable wage you probably won't, although tax credits baffle me.

'entitled to' has a benefits calculator that might be worth a play with - obviously it only works if you enter real numbers (or 'what if i took a job on this wage'? figures) but it's anonymous and not linked to government or councils, and will give you an idea if it's worth claiming.

 

[purenarcotic]

I presume by permanent resident you mean she has indefinite leave to remain. Currently this gives her the exact same rights as British Citizens so there seems little point (for now at least) to spend a huge amount of time and money to get a British passport.

She absolutely should sign on to Contributions based. It adds to her national insurance contributions which may have pension implications.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

She absolutely should sign on to Contributions based. It adds to her national insurance contributions which may have pension implications.

that's a thought. i think there are some circumstances where you don't qualify for the dole (or whatever it's called this year) but you can still sign on to get your NI contributions. Think my dad did that when he got early retirement.

 

[maomao]

Looks like we'll have to go through it together when I'm off work on Wednesday. She was trying to do it on her own last night and kept texting me questions after I'd gone to bed Thanks for the benefits calculator Puddy_Tat , she's definitely eligible for contributions based jsa.

You can try online but call if it kicks you onto UC. Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

She's tried a few different ways online and it constantly redirects to UC. I think she probably has to establish we're not entitled to UC before it'll go back to the JSA bit. I hope. We'll find out tomorrow anyway.

 

[B.I.G]

Looks like we'll have to go through it together when I'm off work on Wednesday. She was trying to do it on her own last night and kept texting me questions after I'd gone to bed Thanks for the benefits calculator Puddy_Tat , she's definitely eligible for contributions based jsa.

She's tried a few different ways online and it constantly redirects to UC. I think she probably has to establish we're not entitled to UC before it'll go back to the JSA bit. I hope. We'll find out tomorrow anyway.

I just got off contributions based (new style) JSA and I don’t think they can stop anyone claiming. Because the eligibility is 2 years NI.

I claimed it because it was easier than dealing with UC. With your family UC may offer more, howeverI know nothing about UC.

 

[maomao]

I just got off contributions based (new style) JSA and I don’t think they can stop anyone claiming. Because the eligibility is 2 years NI.

I claimed it because it was easier than dealing with UC. With your family UC may offer more, howeverI know nothing about UC.

Apparently I earn too much for us to get any help from UC. The bar can't be very high. In fact we'd be slightly better off with her claiming JSA and cutting right back in childcare than we were with her working and handing most of her wages over to the nursery and half the rest to TFL. I'm worried about the jumping through hoops stuff though. She was very depressed and frustrated at the way she was treated by the job centre last time.

 

[cyril_smear]

Yes and its definitely worth it, you need to call them and sign on weekly.

6 weeks between signing on for me. And they don't seem to be dead keen on getting you sanctioned like is often made out if you at least pay lip service to(pretending) to find a job.

However I'm at a job centre where there is a lot of unemployment which might explain why they don't scrutinise the claims so much i.e they don't have the time.

 

[B.I.G]

Apparently I earn too much for us to get any help from UC. The bar can't be very high. In fact we'd be slightly better off with her claiming JSA and cutting right back in childcare than we were with her working and handing most of her wages over to the nursery and half the rest to TFL. I'm worried about the jumping through hoops stuff though. She was very depressed and frustrated at the way she was treated by the job centre last time.

You get 12 weeks grace maybe where you can be looking for “similar roles” to held before.

I spent first month polishing my CV then dealing with agencies seemed to be enough to keep the job centre off my back.

Key is for your wife to not care too much about the job centre and just keep a straight bat with their stupid requests and insight.

I get treated special at the job centre due to the privileges. But don’t let anyone grind her down.

 

[maomao]

The way to get from UC to JSA when you know you're not entitled to the former is just to lie on the second or third question in and say you have been told not eligible for UC by someone at the DWP and it goes straight through to the other application.

Thanks again to the anonymous poster who told me this by PM

 

[cyril_smear]

The way to get from UC to JSA when you know you're not entitled to the former is just to lie on the second or third question in and say you have been told not eligible for UC by someone at the DWP and it goes straight through to the other application.

Thanks again to the anonymous poster who told me this by PM

and this works?

 

[maomao]

and this works?

Yes. Or I wouldn't have posted it.

 

[ddraig]

Sorry to jump on this thread, couldn't find a better more recent one
Anyone know what the delays for JSA are currently? Someone I know applied back in April, a whole 4 months ago! Thought i'd heard there was a 3 month delay a while ago
Thanks

 

[maomao]

Sorry to jump on this thread, couldn't find a better more recent one
Anyone know what the delays for JSA are currently? Someone I know applied back in April, a whole 4 months ago! Thought i'd heard there was a 3 month delay a while ago
Thanks

Dunno about JSA but it's 6 weeks for UC and DLA

 

[belboid]

I got mine in under a fortnight, signing back in at the end of may

 

[cyril_smear]

Dunno about JSA but it's 6 weeks for UC and DLA

you can get an advance of the(I belive) full award, and pay it back over twelve months

 

[josef1878 2.0]

you can get an advance of the(I belive) full award, and pay it back over twelve months

24 now

 

[cyril_smear]

24 now

There's an emptor caveat on the 24 month thing, but i cant remember what it is. Last time I got one the lady said I wasnt eleigible for 24 months repayment.

Edit: its because it was a budgeting advance(akin to the old times ''crisis loan'') that I got.