Jobseeker allowance and working less than 16 hours a week

bestmummy

Im about to start working, 4 hours a week, £10 per hour, how will this affect my jobseeker allowance?

~Beanie~

You will get £35 knocked off your JSA, the first £5 earned is ignored.

Pound

So really you're only £5 better off for doing 4 hours work.

AutumnMcMaster

Is there a cap on how much you can earn per hour before you loose benefits?

GotToChange

AutumnMcMaster wrote: »

Is there a cap on how much you can earn per hour before you loose benefits?

You may have had it clarified by now but anyaway:

The important thing is the number of hours - cut-off being 16. HowEVER, if you work less than 16 but earn more than your amount of JSA plus £5 disregards (£10 for single parent), you will remain in the system and be required to sign on but will receive no benefit for that time period. If tou wok over 16 hours no matter what you earn, you are required to sign off for that time period.

It sucks and of course there is little incentive to work (even more so if your work expenses - fares/fuel etc) come to more than £5/£10); the job sure has to have a hell of a lot going for it as it is so very hard not to think that you're "no better off".

I was recently misinformed by the Jobcentre and was told that I would have to sign off if I earnt more than JSA but worked less than 16 hours- it would have made life so difficult to keep signing on and off and I couldn't take the risk of no income (albeit benefits) so turned down a job that would have worked beautifully with my College/University plans.

CCFC_80

Pound wrote: »

So really you're only £5 better off for doing 4 hours work.

Wow ! So a huge incentive to take part time work when you are on JSA.
When are the powers that be going to change this ridiculous £5 rule which appears to have been in existance for ever !!

fatbelly

I think this info is still current:

For those people who work part-time, the first £5.00, £10.00, or £20.00 of their earnings are ignored.

The standard disregard is £5.00 a week for single people £10 weekly for couples, but a higher £20 disregard is available to the following groups:

Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based):-

* Lone parents entitled to the Family Premium (Lone Parent);
* Disabled people entitled to the disability premium;
* Certain people aged over 60;
* Carers entitled to the carer premium.

Jobseeker's Allowance (Contribution based):-

* Share fishermen.

Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based & Contribution based):-

* Members of certain specialist groups e.g. part-time fire fighters and reservists.

In Jobseeker's Allowance (Income based) couples have the first £10.00 of their earnings disregarded.

When working out benefit entitlement earnings in excess of the above disregarded amounts are taken into account on a £1 for £1 basis.

Giulliana

You continue to sign on to get your national insurance contributions, under 16 hours your employer will not be paying these, however the downside is you progress through the system as unemployed, and at some point may be obliged to attend a course which will mean either giving up your job or giving up your national insurance credits

Madness

Giulliana

GotToChange wrote: »

You may have had it clarified by now but anyaway:

The important thing is the number of hours - cut-off being 16. HowEVER, if you work less than 16 but earn more than your amount of JSA plus £5 disregards (£10 for single parent), you will remain in the system and be required to sign on but will receive no benefit for that time period. If tou wok over 16 hours no matter what you earn, you are required to sign off for that time period.

It sucks and of course there is little incentive to work (even more so if your work expenses - fares/fuel etc) come to more than £5/£10); the job sure has to have a hell of a lot going for it as it is so very hard not to think that you're "no better off".

I was recently misinformed by the Jobcentre and was told that I would have to sign off if I earnt more than JSA but worked less than 16 hours- it would have made life so difficult to keep signing on and off and I couldn't take the risk of no income (albeit benefits) so turned down a job that would have worked beautifully with my College/University plans.

Happy to be corrected but does this not equate to turning down the offer of a job, and then telling the job centre you have done this which is risky to say the least.