NIC Limits for JSA

GOLFER

My wife currently earns £103.85 per week part time.

She is possibley looking at redundancy.

I think she can't claim JSA as she doesn't earn enough to pay NIC.

Is this correct and is there any other benefits she can claim.

Many thanks in advance

NASA_2

GOLFER wrote: »

My wife currently earns £103.85 per week part time.

She is possibley looking at redundancy.

I think she can't claim JSA as she doesn't earn enough to pay NIC.

Is this correct and is there any other benefits she can claim.

Many thanks in advance

I think that may be enough.

Could be wrong though.

GOLFER

As far as i can see the lower limits are £90 - £105 and you dont pay till your above £105 ie Ers 12.8% Ees 11.0%

GOLFER

bump


anyone know anything about this or how you find out if you have paid any NIC over the past few years

Pepzofio

She can check with her tax office about NIC contributions - tax office code should be on her payslip. Jobcentre should also be able to advise her on potential eligibility.

chrisbur

To qualify for Job Seekers allowance you need earnings at or above the lower earnings limit, you do not need to have actually paid NI as this is payable from the Earnings Threshold. If i remember correctly it is not this year's earnings that decide if you qualify but something like the last two years'.

From http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/employers/rates_and_limits.htm#15

Lower Earnings Limit (LEL)

This is the minimum level of earnings that an employee needs to qualify for benefits, such as Retirement Pension and Jobseekers Allowance. If an employee’s earnings reach or exceed this level, but do not exceed the Earnings Threshold, they will not pay National Insurance contributions but will be treated as having paid them when claiming benefit. For this reason, you must keep details of an employee’s earnings at or above the LEL on a form P11 or equivalent record and report them at the end of the year on a form P14.

GOLFER

when you say its over the last 2 years is that complete tax years.

ie 06/07 and 07/08 if she claimed now ?

so if she could hang on till after 5/4/09 then would that mean it would be 07/08 and 08/09.

thanks

alwaysonthego_2

yes it is complete tax years.

oldmotherreilly

The tax years are 06/07 and 07/08 at the moment so she would not need to hang on til April. The tax years wouldn't change to 07/08 and 08/09 until January next year (2010)

Broome2001

So in simple terms do you have to have 2 years of credits to be able to claim contribution based jobseekers allowance?

alwaysonthego_2

No you need to have paid enough NI conts in the previous 2 tax years.