Graduate Claiming JSA

ncfcstar

Hi guys,

I have just graduated with a 2.1 in History from the University of Leicester, but I am finding it next to impossible to find a job, and obviously don't want the skills that I gained doing my degree go to waste.

I am living at home with my parents, and while I am searching for a job I was wondering if it is possible for me to claim JSA? I have done my research and know I can not get the contributions based version, but does the fact that I am living with my parents mean I can't get the income based one as well?

Thanks for your help, this is turning into a nightmare for me!

ferien_uk

You might be able to get income based, although it will be affected if you have savings over £6000.

Why can't you get contributions based? Is it because you have never worked before? To be honest, I don't really know how it works.

Probably the best thing to do is just make a claim anyway, then you'll know for sure.

HGLTsuperstar

your living arrangements will have no bearing - you can get income-based JSA as long as you don't have more than £6000 savings.

Jomo

Can you not get a job (any old job) until you find a job that would match your skills?

Personally I think it is better to be in a job than not when applying for work. And to be honest I know loads of people who have had to do this, not everything comes to you straight away.

What kind of work are you hoping to get?

Naykon

Yeah you'll get £100 every 2 weeks,

just ring them and you'll answer a lot of "yes, no" questions for 40mins, then you go down to the job centre a few days later with some ID and details and that's it.

You need to have a good idea in your mind the types of jobs you'd want to do (graduate and non-graduate based) and the general search area. They'll ask you to apply for 3 jobs a week *GASP*

you have an interview after 13 weeks where they generally don't really care if you've found work or not.

Try volunteering places related to your degree (library's, law courts, solicitors maybe)

whilst your still getting money for job searching your not going to be getting experience or learning new skills, and that's why graduates including myself are struggling at the moment.

Why bother to train a graduate when there's a mass pool of unemployed skilled people and 50+ applications for every job?

Louise22

I graduated in History and Law and don't have a job related to it - thats just life matey. Don't think that a real justification for not working at all cos you cant have a job that matches your skills.

barnaby-bear

Louise22 wrote: »

I graduated in History and Law and don't have a job related to it - thats just life matey. Don't think that a real justification for not working at all cos you cant have a job that matches your skills.

In some areas any job/every job is being flooded with applicants - and a lot of even low-paid minimum wage stuff has more candidates than applicants, some managers reluctant to take on graduates for such posts because they'll be the first to leave when things pick up.... plus you don't know if the OP lives in a rural area with few/no jobs and no/little transport.... I do know people considering *any* job who are having problems at the moment.

Admittedly the demand for arts graduates was never high to start with and perhaps the OP should consider widening what they consider.

Jomo

barnaby-bear wrote: »

In some areas any job/every job is being flooded with applicants - and a lot of even low-paid minimum wage stuff has more candidates than applicants, some managers reluctant to take on graduates for such posts because they'll be the first to leave when things pick up.... plus you don't know if the OP lives in a rural area with few/no jobs and no/little transport.... I do know people considering *any* job who are having problems at the moment.

Admittedly the demand for arts graduates was never high to start with and perhaps the OP should consider widening what they consider.

Some of this maybe true but the OP stated in his/her post that he/she didn't want his/her skills to be wasted which would imply that he/she wouldn't consider other jobs out there. Also, there are so so many people out there with degrees, it isn't out of the ordinary anymore so surely this would count alot out!

diable

Don't want to worry you but my son graduated last year then went travelling for a few months and came back to find the UK in recession. He signed on to JSA but got bored/tired of applying for non existent jobs so did an intensive English course and is now teaching in Lima, Peru for a few months. He was going to do his Masters but somehow I don't think he'll be coming back too soon or too quickly.

Louise22

Jomo wrote: »

Some of this maybe true but the OP stated in his/her post that he/she didn't want his/her skills to be wasted which would imply that he/she wouldn't consider other jobs out there. Also, there are so so many people out there with degrees, it isn't out of the ordinary anymore so surely this would count alot out!

yip, agreed.

ncfcstar

Jomo wrote: »

Some of this maybe true but the OP stated in his/her post that he/she didn't want his/her skills to be wasted which would imply that he/she wouldn't consider other jobs out there. Also, there are so so many people out there with degrees, it isn't out of the ordinary anymore so surely this would count alot out!

I do actually live in a rural area, and I have been applying for pretty much anything, but I'm sure you can understand that I do not want my skills to go to waste, it makes my 3 years hard work pretty pointless doesn't it...

Yes plenty of people out there with degrees, but it's not like my degree is in hair colouring or something, it took a lot of work, and like I said I don't want it to go to waste.

Thanks to everyone who helped.