JSA Contributions Base to JSA Income Based

chrisb1357

Hi everyone,

Well myself and my partner went to the job centre the other week to speak to someone and also fill out some forms due to my Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance running out last week. My partner is on ESA at the minute so they advised us down there for her to be added to my claim as a joint and to stop her ESA.

We then phoned up this week to see if all the paper work had been sorted and we was told that my partners ESA had stopped due to putting in the forms that we filled in at the job centre. We then get told that i would have to be put on a joint claim with my partners ESA as i am not allowed to claim for income based and that my partner would have to fill in the forms again to be put back onto ESA with myself added to the claim to make it joint.

They advised that i might have to sign off on Monday to be able to be accepted for a Joint Claim. Can anyone confirm if this is correct for me to sign myself off from Job Seekers and does this mean i dont need to visit the job centre every 2 weeks or do i keep signed on and get no payment from them but still go down every 2 weeks

Another question is if i was to do self emplyod would my partner still get her ESA

Chris

chrisb1357

Can anyone advise on the above?

meggymoo311

Hi Chrisb1357

Sounds a lot like our situation,it's a bloody nightmare keep getting told different things when you ring them up keep getting told you can't do this, you'll have to do that.

I have a thread going on here titled benefits office baffled.
If it wasn't for the great advise on here (things nobody tell you when you ring them up) you would just keep going around in circles.

All I know is when they suggested me claiming ESA income based and my husband going on mine, we were told he wouldn't get his stamp paid. Whether this is right though who knows. We just have to believe what they tell us because we know no different. Good luck.

dookar

meggymoo311 wrote: »

All I know is when they suggested me claiming ESA income based and my husband going on mine, we were told he wouldn't get his stamp paid. Whether this is right though who knows.

If he isn't claiming something in his own right then, yes, it is.

chrisb1357

Sorry to ask but what Stamp are we talking about.

Also do i need to tell the JC on monday that i need to sign off as we was told by ESA that the application for me to get on my partners ESA might be rejected if i am signed on still even if they are not paying me anything.

Chris

meggymoo311

Thanks again dookar

You gave me advise on my thread as well,but like I keep saying ever time you speak to someone in the benefits office you keep getting different answers. Why do they not seem to be able to answer them as clearly as the people on here, or is it that those that write on here are just more dedicated?

Sorry Chrisb for for using your thread.

dookar

chrisb1357 wrote: »

Sorry to ask but what Stamp are we talking about.

Also do i need to tell the JC on monday that i need to sign off as we was told by ESA that the application for me to get on my partners ESA might be rejected if i am signed on still even if they are not paying me anything.

Chris

'stamp' refers to your national insurance contributions. Certain benefits will credit your 'stamp' for you.

I would tell them, there should be a section on your ES40 card to fill in to sign off.

I think the complication between ESA/JSA arises because they use the same payment system so problems are not unknown.

chrisb1357

OK so on Monday when i last sign on i am going to tell them i want to sign off. Then we will post the new ESA application form with myself on it and fingers crossed all is well LOL touch wood. Is that card the liitle booklet i have from the JC that i got 6 months ago.

So if i dont pay stamp does that cause any problems then

Chris

dookar

meggymoo311 wrote: »

Thanks again dookar

You gave me advise on my thread as well,but like I keep saying ever time you speak to someone in the benefits office you keep getting different answers. Why do they not seem to be able to answer them as clearly as the people on here, or is it that those that write on here are just more dedicated?

Sorry Chrisb for for using your thread.

You're welcome. I hope I have been helpful that is, after all, the reason I am here. The benefit system is huge and unwieldy and unnecessarily complicated and I feel for those who are faced by it with no knowledge. My own knowledge is very limited, but if I can use it to help people I will do so.

I think the reason you get different answers is the complexity of the system and the lack of training given, it seems everything is on a "need to know" basis and I guess it's pot luck whether you get somebody who has had the need to know the answer to your query

dookar

chrisb1357 wrote: »

OK so on Monday when i last sign on i am going to tell them i want to sign off. Then we will post the new ESA application form with myself on it and fingers crossed all is well LOL touch wood. Is that card the liitle booklet i have from the JC that i got 6 months ago.

So if i dont pay stamp does that cause any problems then

Chris

Your ES40 is the one you would have been given with your signing details - where, when etc.

Not paying stamp can impact on your retirement pension.