Income based & contributions based JSA

alwaysonthego_2

Henrietta_Carrot wrote: »

The local authority pay the rent & council tax

It is the Local Housing Allowance (thanks Real) that pays your rent.

If you have declared your income then don't worry, I am not at all surprised they are paying your full rent.

Henrietta_Carrot

alwaysonthego wrote: »

It is the Local Housing Authority grant that pays your rent.

Sorry to sound thick but I don't really know! We just went to the council offices, told them our circumstances and they gave us a couple of forms to complete. The money gets paid directly into our bank account from the district council. Does that make a difference:think:

Hx

alwaysonthego_2

Henrietta_Carrot wrote: »

Sorry to sound thick but I don't really know! We just went to the council offices, told them our circumstances and they gave us a couple of forms to complete. The money gets paid directly into our bank account from the district council. Does that make a difference:think:

Hx

Makes no difference what so ever, but you may read the term LHA on this board, so now you know what it means

Henrietta_Carrot

alwaysonthego wrote: »

Makes no difference what so ever, but you may read the term LHA on this board, so now you know what it means

OK - ta!!:D

real1314

alwaysonthego wrote: »

Makes no difference what so ever, but you may read the term LHA on this board, so now you know what it means

Oh no you don't.

LHA stands for Local Housing Allowance. LHA is part of the Housing Benefit system. LHA is a method of calculating entitlement to HB, replacing the Rent Officer system.
Housing Benefit is paid by Local Authorities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

alwaysonthego_2

real1314 wrote: »

Oh no you don't.

LHA stands for Local Housing Allowance. LHA is part of the Housing Benefit system. LHA is a method of calculating entitlement to HB, replacing the Rent Officer system.
Housing Benefit is paid by Local Authorities on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.

Whoops so it does I have mixed it up with something else, thanks for correcting me!

clordy79

From working with HB and CTBenefit, there is a difference between the types of JSA, your hubby won't have had a choice which one. JSA contributions based is for those of us who have paid NI contributions through working and JSA income based which is paid either when you conts have run out or if you've never paid any. Contributions based means that when your benefits are assessed for HB & CTB, any other income and savings is taken into account as income, however, if you are entitled to JSA(IB), you are 'passported' to full HB & CTB. In laymans terms, you get less for having worked!!!!!!!

Hope it makes sense & i've not garbled it!!!!!

Claire:eek:

Henrietta_Carrot

clordy79 wrote: »

From working with HB and CTBenefit, there is a difference between the types of JSA, your hubby won't have had a choice which one. JSA contributions based is for those of us who have paid NI contributions through working and JSA income based which is paid either when you conts have run out or if you've never paid any. Contributions based means that when your benefits are assessed for HB & CTB, any other income and savings is taken into account as income, however, if you are entitled to JSA(IB), you are 'passported' to full HB & CTB. In laymans terms, you get less for having worked!!!!!!!

Hope it makes sense & i've not garbled it!!!!!

Claire:eek:

Many thanks Claire (you make perfect sense!!)............but how unfair is that?
They say that they just base it on your contributions and don't take any notice of the savings you have....................what about the millions of people that don't have ANY savings? :mad:

Hx (grumpy insomniac!)

deb0020

Henrietta_Carrot wrote: »

BUT it seems as though we are now not entitled to free school meals for our 11 year old, free prescriptions, free eye tests etc (I don't know if there is anything else but this is all that seems applicable).
Hx

You can claim help with prescriptions, eye test and dental charges seperately on form HC1 see link

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_008049.xml.html

''You can get claim form HC1 from Jobcentre Plus or social security offices.

• For information about help with health costs, phone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 ''

You may also be entitled to free school meals see
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089

'' Parents do not have to pay for school lunches if they receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £15,575 ''

Hope this helps

OrkneyStar

Henrietta_Carrot wrote: »

Many thanks Claire (you make perfect sense!!)............but how unfair is that?
They say that they just base it on your contributions and don't take any notice of the savings you have....................what about the millions of people that don't have ANY savings? :mad:

Hx (grumpy insomniac!)

What this means is that some benefits (eg income-based JSA, income support etc) will be reduced by savings over a certain amount, but contribution-based JSA is not affected by having savings. (i.e. is paid even if you have lots of savings). It does not mean you would/should get any more if you have no savings.
I know this does not help now :rolleyes:, but I would advise anyone who is in work to put away something every week/month (even £1-5 or so) as over a year this will add up to something to help you, yet would not be enough to stop you getting benefits if you hit dire straights!
In your case I would say there is likely to be light at the end of the tunnel, in regard to tax credits increasing come the new financial year (~April time).
In the meantime have you tried to reduce every outgoing as much as you can ?

deb0020 wrote: »

You may also be entitled to free school meals see
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/SchoolLife/DG_4016089
'' Parents do not have to pay for school lunches if they receive any of the following:

• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit *** and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue & Customs) that does not exceed £15,575 ''

Hope this helps

Thanks for that.
I doubt this will apply though, come the new financial year at least (perhaps before ?), as they are likely to get WTC- and any payment of WTC means that they are exempt from entitlement to free school meals. Not saying this is right or fair but someone somewhere decided this was how it worked :rolleyes:.