Job Seekers Allowance and starting uni - when to stop claim?

When-the-sun-goes-down

Hi there, I need a bit of help/information if anyone has been in a similar situation...
I applied for university to start in September 2009 however i missed my grades for entry, so i decided to take a gap year, earn some cash and retake a few exams.
I managed to find a temporary job for 3 months and saved up some money and re-took my exams in January/February 2010.
After my exams I thought I could easily find another job, as I now had a bit of experience, but it was really hard
I lived off my savings (which I intended to save for university) for a few months until about May.
I didn't really sign-on for the money, it was really the help I needed to find a new job. It was absolutely BS! I would apply for at least 10 jobs a day, call up places and always go on the internet to look for new jobs and ask around for vacancies. It was really disheartening when i didn't even get a reply! That was made worse by the fact that I was treated like scum whenever I walked into the JobCentre, but they didn't even help me find a job, just gave me cash!
(Where's the incentive to find a job?)


Anyway sorry, my question is when I first put in my claim I mentioned that I was going to start university, when the lady saw my a-levels and asked, "don't you want to go to uni?" to which i replied "Yes, in September"
Now the thing is, I only have a conditional offer from two universities but not a guaranteed place. I'm going to find out in August if my grades are good enough.
So when do I tell them that I'm going to start uni? And when will they stop me from signing-on? I am still looking for a full time job in the mean time before uni although it would have to be temporary, which i'm aware of. I had a three month review a couple of weeks ago and I didn't mention the whole uni thing...

Sorry if this is a long read... if anyone can help.
I'm just scared if I tell my advisor about it, they'll make me pay back all the JSA I don't even care if they stop my JSA but i can't afford to pay them back.

Thanks

GEEGEE8

I've read elsewhere that you can legitimately claim JSA between uni years (summertime), so I don't see why you will have broken any rules.

I'm starting uni in Sept and currently on JSA, altho they don't pay me as I get an insurance income. But still, I'm not doing anything wrong by claiming as I am looking for a job, and so are you

When-the-sun-goes-down

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

I've read elsewhere that you can legitimately claim JSA between uni years (summertime), so I don't see why you will have broken any rules.

I'm starting uni in Sept and currently on JSA, altho they don't pay me as I get an insurance income. But still, I'm not doing anything wrong by claiming as I am looking for a job, and so are you

Thanks for reading!
That's what I thought too, I mean we are still looking for work. But i'm just a bit confused because, for example, if we start uni on let's say the 27th of September, when do we stop our JSA a week before? A month?
Also when they were interviewing you, did you mention that you were applying for university?

Thanks

T800

As far as I know, having been in the same situation, the JSA simply stops the day before the start date of your course.

GEEGEE8

I personally haven't said anything to the Job Centre about starting uni. I have a conditional offer which I know I've got the grades for as I did a BTEC course that had assignments through the year, so I'm certain I'm in, but you never know,

Also, when I got made redundant in May I was finishing up my part time college course and it caused so many problems, I was interviewed about it and made to say that I would give up college.

When-the-sun-goes-down

T800 wrote: »

As far as I know, having been in the same situation, the JSA simply stops the day before the start date of your course.

Hi, did you let them know from the start that you were going to start university?
I'm thinking of telling my advisor again "oh by the way i'll be starting uni in a few months" but i'm scared they'll say why didn't you tell us before

When-the-sun-goes-down

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

I personally haven't said anything to the Job Centre about starting uni. I have a conditional offer which I know I've got the grades for as I did a BTEC course that had assignments through the year, so I'm certain I'm in, but you never know,

Also, when I got made redundant in May I was finishing up my part time college course and it caused so many problems, I was interviewed about it and made to say that I would give up college.

Thanks for the info, nice to know someone else is in the same boat!

GEEGEE8

I wouldn't say anything and give yourself an easy life, they might not be bothered about uni, but at the end of the day you are looking for work and that is all they want..

What you going to study? I'm doing Quantity Surveying at Leeds.

When-the-sun-goes-down

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

I wouldn't say anything and give yourself an easy life, they might not be bothered about uni, but at the end of the day you are looking for work and that is all they want..

What you going to study? I'm doing Quantity Surveying at Leeds.

That's what I keep telling myself, but I don't want to say to them a week before "Oh I don't need to be on JSA anymore" and then they find out I've applied for student loans and stuff

I'm hopefully going to be doing Geography at Royal Holloway or King's
Can't wait!

GEEGEE8

Can't you just not go back in? Then they will just stop paying you and cancel your claim.

Tell them you weren't sure if you could get in and were still looking for a job before confirming your place.

I doubt they will care to be honest, especially if they are happy for people to sign on in the summer holidays.

I love Geography!

Indie_Kid

GEEGEE8 wrote: »

I've read elsewhere that you can legitimately claim JSA between uni years (summertime), so I don't see why you will have broken any rules.

You can't.

OP - there should be no problem. All I did was ak "how do I sign off?" and that was it.