JSA question.. Hypothetically speaking, if a man got a job...

Worcsman

The man being me, I am on JSA, I get Housing benefit too, I went bankrupt last October and have zero savings, zilch, nothing at all. I have accepted a job, it starts 1st of July, great news. But I will work through an agency, they pay 45 days after receiving my time sheet. So I submit a time sheet on the last day of July and will get my first pay-packet on the 15th of September.
When I tell the Job centre, I will have my JSA stopped and my housing benefit will stop (wont it?). My place of work is one and a half hours travel from my home with car and rail travel. I'm at a loss as to how I can do this without getting into trouble for not signing off. If I do sign off, I cant afford to take the job, I have no money to pay rent and no money to pay for petrol and train tickets. It's a crazy situation. I spoke already with the job centre about a similar situation a few months back, they told me I was in the benefits trap and couldnt afford to take a job like that. Well I have to this time, I'm sick of not working and dont want to carry on being on JSA. There must be some help out there for people like me that want to work but can only find agency work 40 miles from home.. Any advice anyone?

[Deleted User]

depending on how long you have been on jsa you may get the following,a £100 back to work bonus the week after you sign off AND 4 weeks run on of housing and council tax benefit,you should confirm this with the jc+.
Just a thought could the agency pay you on a fortnightly basis for a period?

tcr_3

Speak to your Job Centre advisor asap about help from the Advisor's Discretionary Fund ... it's a pot of money, up to £300 usually (but can sometimes go up to £500 if the office manager approves) and it can help with the situation you describe.

There's also the chance of Crisis Loans to cover living expenses until your work pays you.

I'd maybe speak to the agency too, see if they can pay any earlier, having to wait until September for your first wages is a bit ridiculous.

AnxiousMum

Is monthly the ONLY option that the agency offers? I have a friend who works in the medical field through an agency, and know that he submits his timesheets on a weekly basis - submits on a Friday and is paid the following Friday. Talk to the agency and see if there is any way around this, but also seek out help from JSA as above. Good luck in your job and congratulations!

Worcsman

I spoke with the agency about their payment terms and it is that or nothing, sitting between me and the agency is a management company, I will ask them if I can get an advance. I have been on JSA since last October I have read that I may be able to ask for a loan from the social fund but with my limited knowledge of benefits, I think it is unlikely that I will be allowed to borrow enough to see me through 2 and a half months of travel, food, rent etc. In any case, the people pulling the purse strings are going to want to keep as much cash as they can considering the last budget, so I'm afraid that if I fess up and ask, it may all come tumbling back down and I will end up back on the dole, I have a private landlord and he will have no sympathy at all if I miss a rent payment.
To make things worse, the contract I have signed is only for one month, the agency say it will extend but I have been contracting long enough to know that they havent yet had their contract renewed by their customer. So in 30 days I may need to sign back on anyway. I also think, as I only have a contract for 4 weeks, I wont be entitled to the "back to work cash". Life just aint simple sometimes is it!
I mean what happens if I dont tell them till I am in a financial position to tell them? I realise it is a criminal offence but what are we talking about as punishment.. Is it jail time or will I just be allowed to pay the money back? After all the benefits I will get in the comming 2 months will be less than the cost of a duck house for a pond!

Oldernotwiser

Worcsman wrote: »

I mean what happens if I dont tell them till I am in a financial position to tell them? I realise it is a criminal offence but what are we talking about as punishment.. Is it jail time or will I just be allowed to pay the money back? After all the benefits I will get in the comming 2 months will be less than the cost of a duck house for a pond!

Although a custodial sentence is unlikely a prosecution is not and a criminal record will not help you.

Will you be earning an amount where you won't be able to claim HB as it doesn't stop automatically and is also paid monthly in arrears, which may help you.

dmg24

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although a custodial sentence is unlikely a prosecution is not and a criminal record will not help you.

And probably get him back on JSA!

Hammyman

Worcsman wrote: »

I spoke with the agency about their payment terms and it is that or nothing, sitting between me and the agency is a management company,

Walk away. In fact, don't walk away, run. That agency is being dodgy in just about every way possible and there's a probability in the near future that you may end up with HMRC on your back for all the "expenses" you claimed through the management company.

Worcsman

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Although a custodial sentence is unlikely a prosecution is not and a criminal record will not help you.

Will you be earning an amount where you won't be able to claim HB as it doesn't stop automatically and is also paid monthly in arrears, which may help you.

Thanks, yes being paid in arrears is going to help out. My salary wil mean that I wont qualify for help at all. Although that would be my per annum salary, the job I am taking is currently only a one month contract. I wonder how or if that parameter would change things? I dont want a criminal record but I dont want to get kicked out of my home either, in fact given the choice, well lets not go there.

dmg24

Hammyman wrote: »

Walk away. In fact, don't walk away, run. That agency is being dodgy in just about every way possible and there's a probability in the near future that you may end up with HMRC on your back for all the "expenses" you claimed through the management company.

What information suggests that the agency is dodgy?

Worcsman

Hammyman wrote: »

Walk away. In fact, don't walk away, run. That agency is being dodgy in just about every way possible and there's a probability in the near future that you may end up with HMRC on your back for all the "expenses" you claimed through the management company.

Cheers for the advice, I have worked for the same agency several times before over the years. They have never been one of the best but they always pay, albeit after 2 and a half months. On the upside I get paid after the contract for 2 and a half months more. I know what you mean about HMRC but given the options, employee benefit trust, umbrella company, ltd company and straight PAYE, PAYE is the one that suits me best. The employee benefit trust is the most tax efficient but that will be like waving a red flag at a bull so far as HMRC are concerned, Ltd company is a no no, I cant be a director anymore as I am a bankrupt and in any case, paying an accountant is something I dont want to do, PAYE and tax deductions for my real and proper expenses is the best way forward for me.