Got a job! Start next month. Can I still claim?

Max_Headroom_3

Odd question perhaps, but I'm on Job Seekers Allowance and I have to trot over to the Job Centre once a week to get my homework marked, I have to show I'm searching for employment.

Two days ago I was offered a job at last, hurrah! But I'm not starting till October, which is about three weeks away.

Clearly I'm no longer "job seeking", so what do I do? Carry on as before till October, phone them up and tell them? If I do will they keep paying me?

Just wanted to get the lowdown before I ring them really, see whether i should.

healy

If you want/need to carry on claiming until the job starts you just have to carry on looking for work and you will continue to be paid.

Meepster

I had this exact situation. You will be paid job seekers until the day before your new job starts...

Max_Headroom_3

But at what point did you tell them? When the job started or earlier?

Meepster

Max_Headroom wrote: »

But at what point did you tell them? When the job started or earlier?

I told them about a month before my job started. I phioned them first, a few days before my next signing on date. They told me to speak to my advisor when I went in to sign on.

When I went to sign on, the advisor said I could keep claiming until the day before I started working. He left my claim open as I had another sign on date before I was due to start work.

On the final sign on (10 days before I actually started work) they filled in all the relevent forms and arranged for my payment claim to finish on the Sunday, as I started work on the Monday...

Max_Headroom_3

Brilliant, thank you for that.

So clearly no ridiculous requirement that you should keep looking for work despite having work then. Good stuff.

You can never really tell what nonsense these government organisations are going to come out with.

Bamber19

Max_Headroom wrote: »

Brilliant, thank you for that.

So clearly no ridiculous requirement that you should keep looking for work despite having work then. Good stuff.

You can never really tell what nonsense these government organisations are going to come out with.

The advice you've just been given is wrong, there is a requirement that you are still looking for work. Depending what the member of the signing team you see is like then they may just record a few generic details of what you do to look for work, but if you get someone who does their job properly then they will still expect details of what you are doing to look for work.

Although it seems silly to do this, the reality is that job offers get pulled all the time, it actually makes sense to continue looking for work up until you actually start. Before there was a requirement to continue to seek work (or at least not a requirement that was adhered to) you'd get people claiming to have a job start in 2 months time, then a week before "that job fell through" all the while they've been paid JSA for absolutely nothing.

trevormax

I'm in the same position, recently got a letter from DWP to say I have a job with them once pre-recruitment checks are complete. According to many people on here, this can take months to do or could take a couple days.

I told my guy in job centre and he said I should just continue to look for work *wink wink* until I start. But then he may have gone through the same thing before he started working there so understood.

Although you are not actually looking for work, I think it is quite acceptable to continue to claim JSA until you start work, kind of like an inbetween "looking for work" and "starting work" benefit.

dookar

trevormax wrote: »

Although you are not actually looking for work, I think it is quite acceptable to continue to claim JSA until you start work, kind of like an inbetween "looking for work" and "starting work" benefit.

I couldn't disagree more. Neither can I see any reaosn somebody in the OP's position shouldn't still be looking for work.

If you're not looking for work you shouldn't get the allowance.

kelloggs36

He has got a job and he starts next month; it would be extremely cruel to make him use up valuable resources in looking for a job, attending an interview etc just to turn down a job because he already has one to start just to please a govt agency - he has no need to do so unless the job is withdrawn; at which point he would then start to look again! Not to pay him in the interim would be ridiculous. Well done OP - when you next sign on, you can then advise that you have a start date and will be able to sign off!!!

dookar

kelloggs36 wrote: »

He has got a job and he starts next month; it would be extremely cruel to make him use up valuable resources in looking for a job, attending an interview etc just to turn down a job because he already has one to start just to please a govt agency - he has no need to do so unless the job is withdrawn; at which point he would then start to look again! Not to pay him in the interim would be ridiculous.

No it wouldn't those are the rules. why can he not work for the next three week? In what way does the prospective job stop that?