JSA with a child under 5 at home

Krasnoludek

Hi there

I have just been made redundant from my job but I am paid till end April

I phoned Tax credits for advice and they said I wont get help with childcare as I am no longer working so I am taking my daughter out of nursery and she will lose her place.

I have been gettting £164 tax credit per week, I have two children 1 age 6 and 1 age 2 who was in full time nursery costing about £128 per week.

Tax credit says I will get £90 per week child tax credit and about £15 per week working tax credit but no childcare element as obviously I wont be using nursery. Does this sound correct ?

At the end of April I intend to try and claim Cont based JSA as I have worked for years and I hope i will be entitled to this.

Regarding the JSA how does it work because I will have a child under 5 at home who I will be caring for but I will still be seeking a job, but part time in school hours.

My previous jobs hours allowed me to drop off and pick up from school and nursery so this is what I will be looking for. I know jobs like this are out there but there arent many jobs at the moment.

Question is will I be forced to be interviewed for jobs etc which wouldnt suit school hours ? Plus I believe a requirement for JSA is that you have to be able to start work within 48 hours, because I have lost my job and taken my daughter out of nursery I dont have any childcare set up and if I want to start using a private nursery I will have to pay a massive deposit which I dont have, how does this work if you have a child under 5, I cant just take a job the next day find a nursery the day after and dump her in it, but I will genuinely be looking for a job but are they going to see it like that Help

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ukdickie31

JSA will require you to be available for work for at least 16 hours per week if you have caring responsibilities.

The work you want to do and the hours you want to work must be realistic and available in the Local Labour Market.

If you can do that, then all will be OK... and yes, you will have to take the jobs that are found to fit with what you have asked for. You are claiming Jobseekers Allowance.

If you can't, or the work / hours you want is not available in the Local Labour Market, a referral to Decision Makers may be needed to determine if you can contibue to receive JSA.

crockpot

I have 2 primary school aged chidren and clain CB JSA.

In my last job I worked school hours and 24 hours a week, when I had my interview at the job center they agreed that I could look for a similar sort of job for the 1st 13 weeks-it lasts 26 weeks in total, also I would be given a week to sort out childcare,normally you have to be ready to start work straight away.

After the first 13 weeks, i would be expected to widen my search

Krasnoludek

I dont understand. How if you havent found a job after 13 weeks do they suddenly expect your childcare issues to dissapear and you will suddenly be available for full time work ???

I want to work, this is the first time I have been out of work since I was 18. Also how can you be given a week to sort out childcare, I am having to take my daughter out of her nursery because I cant pay it because I dont have a job. Unfortunately her nursery is closing so I would have to pay a private nursery which would want a months fees up front but I have no money to pay them

anyone offer any advice

K x

chocdonuty

Are you a single mum? If so then you should be entitled to Income Support, which means you do not have to work til the youngest child turns 7. Though of course you can work and if it is under 16 hours, they take the value of earnings off the IS. If you are with a partner then it all depends on what they earn. Try https://www.entitledto.co.uk (If it's not that exact address it's pretty similar! Should be able to find it elsewhere on this board )

Krasnoludek

No I am married, hubby earns 15.5k full time, so not much really

K x

Voyager2002

I suggest you make an appointment to see the New Deal adviser at your local job centre. Do this ASAP, certainly before you give up the nursery place.

While the New Deal is mainly for single parents, the adviser should know the system well and offer solutions to the nursery issue.

amersall

Krasnoludek wrote: »

No I am married, hubby earns 15.5k full time, so not much really

K x

your husband can still get wtc and the child care element surely? your post made it sound that you had to take your child out of nursery because you lose the child care element, then you said that the nursery was closing anyway, so if your husband claims wtc and child care i would have thiught you would have been better off? this is not a criticism of you and i really dont know much about the benefit system but that is how i would look at it

ukdickie31

Would it not be reasonable to work when your husband is at home, hence no childcare to consider.

The reason I ask this is that you are claiming JSA and this benefit expects you to work.

There are jobs now that are 24/7 (retail, hospital work - not just nursing) etc and people do manage to do these shifts even with families.

crockpot

when you have your interview at the job center they will go through your personal situation, I was telling you what they said to me.

I was pleased that I was not expected to take the 1st min wage job that came along, as min wage is £5.73 and childcare is atleast £3 an hour for each child, so £6 for me.

They may give you more than 13 weeks and allow you more time to find childcare.

If you make some enquires now you may be able to use a childminder at short notice until you can find a nursery you like with a spare place. i know it is not ideal.

I worked out that before and after school care,plus school hols would cost me £5500 a year, becoming a childminder may now be an option for me,have you thought of it?

applecharlotte

ukdickie31 wrote: »

JSA will require you to be available for work for at least 16 hours per week if you have caring responsibilities.

The work you want to do and the hours you want to work must be realistic and available in the Local Labour Market.

If you can do that, then all will be OK... and yes, you will have to take the jobs that are found to fit with what you have asked for. You are claiming Jobseekers Allowance.

If you can't, or the work / hours you want is not available in the Local Labour Market, a referral to Decision Makers may be needed to determine if you can contibue to receive JSA.

These conditions only apply if you are a single parent. If not and you still want to claim JSA you have to look for and be prepared to take work up to 40 hours per week.