Contribution based JSA

Mrs_P_Pincher

Anyone know off the top of their head the affect of capital/savings on contribution based JSA? I have claimed it in the past and never been asked about savings - it's all been based on contributions, but a friend of mine who has recently been made redundant has been told by his Job Centre that he is not entitled to any benefit because he has 'too much money' and this doesn't sound right to me.

Had a google but I'm at work and finding it difficult to get anywhere with it without making it obvious.

Thanks in anticipation.

Mrs P P

Joan_Gracie

Contribution based JSA is based on your NI contributions only. IF you have been employed for the last 2 years you do automatically qualify.

However, if you don't secure a new position after 6 months the contribution based JSA will cease and you need to apply for income based JSA, unfortunately this is means tested and everything over £6000 is taken into account. I believe you loose £1 from the JSA for every £250 you have in savings. If your savings are over £16000 you get nothing !

lilac_lady

When I was made redundant I told the DWP person that as I was claiming JSA contribution based benefit only I didn't need to give her any information about my finances. She agreed. I was lucky enough to find another job before the contribution JSA ran out.

ALIBOBSY

It isn't as simple as if you worked for the last 2 years you qualify, but in most cases that is correct if you worked and earnt enough to pay NI.
A claim made now in 2009 would be based on ni in the tax years 07/08 and 06/07. You also can only claim one lot of 182 days (about 6 months) off each set of tax years used. EG a claim now and in dec 2009 would use the same tax years, but if the next claim was say feb 2010 a different set of tax years comes into play.
He may have been looked at for JSA conts and didn't qualify and had too much savings ( or in most cases now redundancy) for the income based version. You can apply and get a "nil" award where you still sign on to get credits for the future (think pensions here) but no actual benefit payment. Did he actually apply and get a decision or was just told?
It may be that the NI record is not up to date and he might need to provide P60's to prove his payments.

Good luck

ali x

zaksmum

Am I right in believing that if you have an occupational pension when you become redundant that is over £50 a week your entitlement to contribution based JSA is affected?

My O/H will shortly finish work through redundancy and will claim his occupational pension. He's 58 and has been told that for every £1 over £50 he gets in occupational pension, his JSA will be reduced by £1.

His pension will be more than £60 a week over the £50, so he can't claim ANY JSA despite having full contributions for over 40 years.

Can anyone confirm this is correct please?

p00hsticks

zaksmum wrote: »

Am I right in believing that if you have an occupational pension when you become redundant that is over £50 a week your entitlement to contribution based JSA is affected?

My O/H will shortly finish work through redundancy and will claim his occupational pension. He's 58 and has been told that for every £1 over £50 he gets in occupational pension, his JSA will be reduced by £1.

His pension will be more than £60 a week over the £50, so he can't claim ANY JSA despite having full contributions for over 40 years.

Can anyone confirm this is correct please?

Yes, I'm afraid it is.

http://www.tssa.org.uk/article-1.php3?id_article=2004

zaksmum

Thanks for that link.