Sign off job seekers allowance

rsdntbplr · 29 March 2013 at 5:26PM

I made a rapid reclaim for my job seekers and went in for for preliminary interview last Friday. My first sign on date for this claim is on the 4th April.

I got an apprenticeship offer on Saturday and started working on Monday. Normally I would sign off as soon as possible but I won't be getting paid for the first time until the 28th April.

So therefore I have a question: when do I sign off? As I won't be getting paid until the 28th April and haven't had any income whatsoever since about 3 weeks ago, I was wondering whether or not the job center will allow me to receive allowance until after my first sign on, as I am in desperate need for some income until I first get paid.

The pharmacy where I'm working hasn't had my sign any contracts of any sort thus far, and I've only signed the apprenticeship paperwork (for the qualification and training). Not my contract for the job or anything.

Any advice on what I should be doing? Normally I get £86 a week from Job Seekers as I receive disability allowance for Bipolar, and I'm actually getting paid £6 a week less now I'm employed as the minimum wage for apprenticeships if £2.65 an hour.

paulineb_2 · 29 March 2013 at 5:33PM

Personally, I would sign off the day you start work although I appreciate that you are saying you wont be paid until the end of the month, but you cant claim JSA for days when you are actually working.

Depending on how long youve been claiming it might be possible to claim for a 4 week housing benefit extension so that rent and council tax gets paid for the first 4 weeks. Its been a long time since I worked in supported housing so Im sure someone else might know better.

When you sign off you'll be paid what they owe you in JSA to the day you started work. Which looks like it would be 2-3 days money.

I know its a pain in the backside having to wait 4 weeks for wages, but if you are working, you cant sign on at the same time.

DCFC79 · 29 March 2013 at 5:44PM

As previous poster says, you need to sign off the next day the JC is open which is tuesday.

paulineb_2 · 29 March 2013 at 7:44PM

You could possibly claim for a crisis or a budgeting loan to tide you over till your first payday

Robbie64 · 29 March 2013 at 8:03PM

paulineb wrote: »

You could possibly claim for a crisis or a budgeting loan to tide you over till your first payday

Crisis Loans to cover living expenses in this situation have now effectively been abolished. Although abolition isn't effective until 1 April no claim is going to be possible until 2 April when the DWP re-opens to accept a claim and by then Crisis Loans will have ceased to exist. The OP would have to make a claim through the local authority and each LA has its own qualifying rules for what it will pay.

Budgeting Loans won't be possible either as the OP has already ceased to be entitled to a qualifying benefit and in any case would have had to be in receipt for 26 continuous weeks which isn't likely.

Sign off job seekers allowance

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