Job Centre Job Grant when Starting Work

chrisb1357

Hi There,

I have just started a fulltime 35+hrs a week job and when i was signing off on the phone on Monday the person was going though what other help i could get or may get from the job centre for starting back in work.

She said that i might get a £100 job grant for starting back work even that i have only been signed on from Dec last year until Monday this week on Contributions Based JSA. She said the computer works out the job grant so i said i have been sign on for less than 6 months so i should not get it but she said i might as i was signed on at the start of 2009 also on contributions based JSA and it sometimes takes into account others from the last 12 months.

Chris

beckham100

From what I know it is 26 weeks of JSA with no breaks in your claim to be able to claim your Job Grant and the 4 weeks Housing and Council Tax Benefit.

karenx

yes again its 26 consecutive weeks for the £100 job grant

jadziad

Call the main JC helpline. When I came off JC at just over 6 months, they forgot to give the grant to me. The person I spoke with on the 'phone checked eligibility there and then, and processed the payment. The conversation lasted less than just 5-10 minutes.

AnxiousMum

Interesting - my son was on JSA (means tested) for just three weeks and got a job, went in and signed off. About a week later he received a letter stating he had been given a £100 back to work payment and it was in his bank account. Will he end up owing this back to them then?

chrisb1357

Strange that is.

is means tested JSA Contributions.

chris

AnxiousMum

He had left University last summer, but has not been working but was living with girlfriend till money ran out and wasn't eligible for JSA while living with her due to her 'income' of student loans. He's moved back home to where there is more work available (not two universities and two major colleges in town with all those students competing for non existent jobs) - got a job within three weeks and was signed off and sent the £100 back to work grant. He wasn't eligible for contributions based JSA, but means tested only.

oldmotherreilly

No, he wasn't entitled to the Job Grant, as it is only for those in receipt of a qualifying benefit and who have been claiming for 26 weeks continuously, without any breaks at all (you cannot be claiming for National Insurance credits only). It was obviously a DWP error though, so I wouldn't worry.

hermum

oldmotherreilly wrote: »

No, he wasn't entitled to the Job Grant, as it is only for those in receipt of a qualifying benefit and who have been claiming for 26 weeks continuously, without any breaks at all (you cannot be claiming for National Insurance credits only). It was obviously a DWP error though, so I wouldn't worry.

If the DWP make a mistake can't they claim it back? Assuming that it is their error & you haven't made any kind of fraudulent claim.

dookar

hermum wrote: »

If the DWP make a mistake can't they claim it back? Assuming that it is their error & you haven't made any kind of fraudulent claim.

There is no legal right to a job grant, the refusal of one is non-appealable, it is entirely at the discretion of the SoS*. I guess she used her discretion to award it to you son


* Massive disclaimer: I think.

AnxiousMum

dookar wrote: »

There is no legal right to a job grant, the refusal of one is non-appealable, it is entirely at the discretion of the SoS*. I guess she used her discretion to award it to you son


* Massive disclaimer: I think.

Well if it's a payment of discretion, I wouldn't be surprised. The three weeks he went in there, he had oodles of evidence of jobs applied for, interviews etc. - he had comments made on his commitment to find employment each time - and had very positive comments from the staff member when he went in to sign off. Thanks for the info