Job seekers allowance query

lyzzys

book12 wrote: »

Ok, I will fill in the form when they send it to me. As for the payment, I could wait no matter how long it takes. Is this paid monthly or weekly? I still got some money left to spend if I need anyway. Also, I got parents to fal back on if I need money.

I understand that they are getting a lot of claims a week, due to the recession.

Do I need to bring anything in for the interview?

They won't send you the form when you ring the 0800 number they complete the form over the phone with you, then they give an appointment at your local jobcentre & they should tell you exactly what to take to the interview. The form is printed at the jobcentre during your appointment.

atomicsheep

if you haven't phoned yet then there's a very good chance you will NOT be doing a full gather of info over the phone as they are probably running a contingency plan for Monday onwards, whereby they will send you a claim form for you to fill out.
Normally they would gather the details over the phone but they are expecting so many calls this month they simply cant handle the volumes, so instead will be sending out the claim packs

Nichelette

LittleVoice wrote: »

The most important qualification that you haven't mentioned is that you are seeking a job.

I think you overlooked this:

"-graduated from university and actively seeking a job"

LittleVoice

Nichelette wrote: »

I think you overlooked this:

"-graduated from university and actively seeking a job"

My apologies. I did.

book12

atomicsheep wrote: »

if you haven't phoned yet then there's a very good chance you will NOT be doing a full gather of info over the phone as they are probably running a contingency plan for Monday onwards, whereby they will send you a claim form for you to fill out.
Normally they would gather the details over the phone but they are expecting so many calls this month they simply cant handle the volumes, so instead will be sending out the claim packs

Ok. I assume the sending of claim packs will happen for the 'unseeable future', since recession is getting worse and people are claiming.

How long is the allowance last for? 1 year?

As or rejection letters, most employers don't send you one. They either call you and tell you that you are unsuccessful, or they don't tell you at all. I assume they want proof of that, to proove that you are looking for work. If I don't have those letters, what should I do?

LittleVoice

Though the gathering of basic data may not be done over the phone, you will still have to go to the Jobcentre and see an adviser. They will assess your jobsearch - and you can show advertisements, your letters/emails and a note of any phone rejections.

book12

Sorry to bump this thread again.

I still haven't applied for JSA yet, as I decided to give it another few months to find a job.

My friend applied online for it, and in 2-3 days there was a phone from the advisor asking questions and gathering information. I will be applying online instead. The phone call lasted almost 40 minutes for my him! He told me that it's that long, as it said so on the online form.

What questions do they ask anyway (besides my past income and work history, amount of savings) since it takes so long? Do they ask anything about my parents, or is it only about me?

What documents do I need to bring along for the face-to-face interview after the phone call (besides passport, NI number, and bank statement)? I know these will be told by the advisor, but want to know now/beforehand.

Taking into my first post, is my JSA an income based or contribution based?

Also, I am looking to close my savings account at my current bank, due to low interest rates. Then at the other bank I would like to open a new savings account and a basic bank account (for my JSA) (will be opening my first bank account). Do you think the bank will allow me to open those accounts when I haven't applied for JSA yet (or even get accepted yet), or should I wait until my JSA is accepted first?

piggeh

I applied online. You fill in the details and then within 2 days you receive a phone call which goes over your current situation, accomodation situation, savings, work history etc. After going through it they book you an appointment at your local job centre to finish things off. You need to take a P45/recent wage slip, 2 forms of ID (birth certificate, drivers license, passport etc), NI number, and correspondence from employer about that's relevant (eg if they've made you redundant etc).

In the job centre they'll go over your details again, what work you're looking for, how you're looking for it, etc, and will set a maximum number of weeks to look for work in your profession (I think max of 13 weeks).

If you're lucky like me the phone interview will miss some details and you get to go through it all again in the job centre anyway.

The people in the job centre were quite pleasant though, which was nice.

The bank should let you open a current account regardless of your JSA, as long as your credit record is ok.

By the way I dont know why you don't apply for it now, if you've been working and intend to work then you have every right to claim it.

book12

piggeh wrote: »

I applied online. You fill in the details and then within 2 days you receive a phone call which goes over your current situation, accomodation situation, savings, work history etc. After going through it they book you an appointment at your local job centre to finish things off. You need to take a P45/recent wage slip, 2 forms of ID (birth certificate, drivers license, passport etc), NI number, and correspondence from employer about that's relevant (eg if they've made you redundant etc).

In the job centre they'll go over your details again, what work you're looking for, how you're looking for it, etc, and will set a maximum number of weeks to look for work in your profession (I think max of 13 weeks).

If you're lucky like me the phone interview will miss some details and you get to go through it all again in the job centre anyway.

The people in the job centre were quite pleasant though, which was nice.

The bank should let you open a current account regardless of your JSA, as long as your credit record is ok.

By the way I dont know why you don't apply for it now, if you've been working and intend to work then you have every right to claim it.

Thanks for your reply.

My recent P45/wage slip is from the tax year 2005/2006. This was my gap year job. This is my only P45/wage slip, as this is my only job I've taken during my teenage years. I assume I would still be eligible for JSA then. Would it be contribution or income based?

I assume the phone call took 40 minutes just like my friend. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

You are telling me that I should have applied straight after finishing uni, instead of applying now.? If I did that, I didn't even start to find a job yet, I was relaxing...

That means JSA payment is for 13 weeks only. After that, I could claim again, if I can't find a job? Is the £47.95 paid weekly (i.e. £191.80 per month) or £47.95 every two weeks (i.e. £95.90 per month - £47.95 paid in week 1 and £47.95 paid in week 2 of a certain month)?

I want a basic bank account because I have no credit history and never had a bank account before (only savings, so this is my first bank account). That means I could have a bank account before applying or being accepted for JSA then.

I've heard that I need to go into the job centre every 2 weeks to see an advisor about my situation and could help, etc....

piggeh

My phonecall was less than 40 minutes, maybe 20, but then he did miss a section out, which is why I had to go through it again in the job centre.

Fair enough if you were relaxing, what I mean is you said you were going to leave it another few months? Why leave it if you're actively searching now?

Also the 13 week thing is just a time period during which you can be more exclusive as to what you apply for, after which you need to broaden your search. I'm not sure on the effects regarding payments after this date but should continue to be the same. Also the 13 week is a maximum, they set mine at 6 weeks then I think after this I have to consider a wider range of jobs..

JSA shouldnt really make a difference, but the best way to ask is to go into a bank and ask the staff when would be best. You will need to give bank details however, for payment of JSA.

Yes you will need to go in every 2 weeks to go through job searching activity etc, they give you a log to fill in with what you've applied for etc.