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Jury Service and Jobseeker's Allowance
seven-day-weekend
Posts: 36,755 Forumite
Hi there, thought this may be of use to someone.
Until recently, if a person on income-based JSA was called for Jury Service, they had to sign off, claim income support and then renew their JSA claim once the jury service had finished.
Now there is new legislation which says you can do Jury Service for up to eight weeks and still claim your JSA. (After eight weeks you have to go for income support).
Seeeing as most stints of Jury Service do not last eight weeks, I think this is a sensible decision which streamlines the system and benefits the jobseeker.
My son has just started his Jury Servce and the Jobcentre had to look up the new legislation and told him he was the first at that office to be under the new legislation....so it's obviously VERY new!
Until recently, if a person on income-based JSA was called for Jury Service, they had to sign off, claim income support and then renew their JSA claim once the jury service had finished.
Now there is new legislation which says you can do Jury Service for up to eight weeks and still claim your JSA. (After eight weeks you have to go for income support).
Seeeing as most stints of Jury Service do not last eight weeks, I think this is a sensible decision which streamlines the system and benefits the jobseeker.
My son has just started his Jury Servce and the Jobcentre had to look up the new legislation and told him he was the first at that office to be under the new legislation....so it's obviously VERY new!
(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton
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Comments
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Why bother endangering your JSA, your only income ??
Being able to do Jury Service while staying on JSA, should ALWAYS have been possible.
The most dangerous thing you can do in a Job Centre is to say anything, as they turn & use it against you.
Few months back I saw someone on JSA telling them he had been called up for Jury Service.
They helpfully told him he would have to sign off, stopping his JSA benefit & reapply for Income Support.
After Jury Service he would have to go through the whole JSA new claim procedure:
-booking appointments, filling in forms, being interviewed.
Even if the legislation has changed , why put your JSA benefit at risk when dealing with
untrained staff who may not know this
(particularly nowadays after jobcuts. My Job Centre is descending into chaos)
IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE RISK !!
If you're on JSA, I would ignore any Jury Service callup.0 -
peter999 wrote:Why bother endangering your JSA, your only income ??
Being able to do Jury Service while staying on JSA, should ALWAYS have been possible.
The most dangerous thing you can do in a Job Centre is to say anything, as they turn & use it against you.
Few months back I saw someone on JSA telling them he had been called up for Jury Service.
They helpfully told him he would have to sign off, stopping his JSA benefit & reapply for Income Support.
After Jury Service he would have to go through the whole JSA new claim procedure:
-booking appointments, filling in forms, being interviewed.
Even if the legislation has changed , why put your JSA benefit at risk when dealing with
untrained staff who may not know this
(particularly nowadays after jobcuts. My Job Centre is descending into chaos)
IT IS JUST NOT WORTH THE RISK !!
If you're on JSA, I would ignore any Jury Service callup.
Because you don't get a lot of choice about doing Jury Service! There are very few reasons they will allow for not doing it.(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton0 -
You just ignore / "never receive" the letter.
They soon start looking for someone else to do it.
Unfortunately on the old system, you performing your public duty of Jury Service while on JSA, meant your life would be turned upside down claiming Income Support, then reclaiming JSA & dealing with Job Centre staff who treat JSA claimants like criminals anyway,
I don't think you understand, it's not a game.
People in the system, Jury/Court selection, Job Centre couldn't give a monkey's what the consequences are for you.
It's probably not that big a deal for you & your son.0 -
My son has now finished his Jury Service (8 days) - remained on JSA throughout, just had to inform the Job Centre when Jury Service finished...no problem whatsoever.
I do understand it's not a game, I know what it has been like for him on JSA. However, he considers (rightly in my opinion) doing Jury Service to be his duty, so he found out before he replied to the court what it would entail benefit-wise; he was then told about the new rules. If they had been the old rules, he was going to ask the court if he could be excused due to financial hardship.
He would not have dreamed of just saying he never got the letter.(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton0 -
seven-day-weekend I totally agree with you that Jury service is a duty that no-one, bar essential people, should avoid. It is also great that the system has been modified to a more sensible process for those people on JSA. It also means less work for the staff in the jobcentres.
I do have to say though, Peter999, that the unemployed have more than enough time to complete jury service (unless they are on the fiddle) and I don't see how their life is turned upside down as you put it. The only problem I see is the possiblility of missing a job interview and I think the court service should take that into consideration.
Employees, however, are essential and generally either their work is left for them to catch up on their return to work or their colleagues have to cover for them. Employers have the problem/expense of paying someone who isn't there.
I don't think it is too much to ask all citizens to do their duty even if it is a little inconvenient.This is a system account and does not represent a real person. To contact the Forum Team email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com0 -
Well obviously, you don't quite understand THE SYSTEM.Pam17 wrote:I do have to say though, Peter999, that the unemployed have more than enough time to complete jury service (unless they are on the fiddle) and I don't see how their life is turned upside down as you put it. The only problem I see is the possiblility of missing a job interview and I think the court service should take that into consideration.
You assume anyone on meagre benefit trying desperately to stay afloat is on the fiddle.
The problem isn't about doing Jury Service/missing an interview, it's whether you still receive the benefit/ your only income.
==========================================================
1) You are working & called up for Jury Service.
You pop in to see your boss/personnel & tell them, it's sorted in 2 minutes (assuming your boss agrees).
There will be no effect on your income whatsoever.
You have 1-2 weeks break doing Jury Service, which you probably prefer as it's nice little break from work.
2) You are on JSA & called up from Jury Service.
On the old system you would have to stop your JSA, reclaim on Income Support, then reclaim on JSA.
If there's any problem/hiccup in that chain, your claim may not be processed, may be some other problem, you may not get the benefit / your only income.
You then may suffer "hardship"/severe hardship as a result
(no money for weeks).
If you're unemployed you don't have any float/extra money to cover problems like this.
You could even be evicted, once you start having financial problems.
==========================================================
-They probably changed the system because people on JSA weren't doing Jury Service on the old system.
I agree everyone should do Jury Service but they should not suffer "hardship" as a result.0 -
peter999 wrote:Well obviously, you don't quite understand THE SYSTEM.
==========================================================
1) You are working & called up for Jury Service.
You pop in to see your boss/personnel & tell them, it's sorted in 2 minutes (assuming your boss agrees).
.
Your bos has no choice but to agree AFAIK!(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton0 -
peter999 wrote:2) You are on JSA & called up from Jury Service.
On the old system you would have to stop your JSA, reclaim on Income Support, then reclaim on JSA.
If there's any problem/hiccup in that chain, your claim may not be processed, may be some other problem, you may not get the benefit / your only income.
You then may suffer "hardship"/severe hardship as a result
(no money for weeks).
I agree everyone should do Jury Service but they should not suffer "hardship" as a result.
But under the NEW system this doesn't happen! Suely that's a good step forward?
(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton0 -
peter999 wrote:1) You are working & called up for Jury Service.
You pop in to see your boss/personnel & tell them, it's sorted in 2 minutes (assuming your boss agrees).
There will be no effect on your income whatsoever.
I agree everyone should do Jury Service but they should not suffer "hardship" as a result.
I was working when I got called up for jury sevice but didn't get any wages for that period. My boss looked at it as "If you aren't here you don't get paid" To make any money I went into work if the courts didn't need us for a day or so (which happened) or if court finished early.:heart2: Love isn't finding someone you can live with. It's finding someone you can't live without :heart2:0 -
Are not the court supposed to give you Loss of Earnings?(AKA HRH_MUngo)
Member #10 of £2 savers club
Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds, and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology: Terry Eagleton0
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