New Link for ESA with JSA

dmg24

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Couples rate JSA £102 pw - Pension Credit couples rate £202pw. Are you sure you used to be an accountant because your choice seems utter madness to me?

Now now ONW, is utter madness an acceptable word to use on the forum?

SingleSue

I'm confuzzled.....

Andyandflo, surely it is your choice to claim JSA and not ESA as you say you want to work. So if they suggest ESA, just tell them no, you feel able to work albeit at reduced hours/hours you could cope with.

With regards pension credit thingy whatsit (not that I know anything about it), is there a reason why you do not claim that instead as going by the above posts, it would give you the flexibility and the money.

cassieB57

andyandflo wrote: »

uh!!! what is this 'SPC'?

I spoke to HMRC and they said that I had to work over 30hrs pw!!

Whereabouts on the HMRC website does it say this? That I can get WTC if I work for only 16 hours pw?

I am 62 and my wife is 66

Claimed ESA (contribution based) - Oct 09 - Aug 10 - (but since Feb 10 at the appeal assessment rate)
Then claimed JSA (contribution based) - from Aug 10.

sorry-Pension Credit
this link:
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCreditsandChildBenefit/TaxCredits/Gettingstarted/whoqualifies/WorkingTaxCreditthebasics/DG_172728

andyandflo

dreamylittledream wrote: »

Am I just being dense here.

Why don't you just claim Pension Credit and then look for whatever work that you feel up to?

More money and no restrictions on what you choose to do - what exactly is the downside?

Put it quite simply - you are parked on Pension Credit and get no help whatsoever from DWP/JC in finding work that will suit.

Yes it does sound ideal, doesn't it? But what help will I get to help myself into work.

At the moment I am seeing the RBL pathways advisor who is very keen to see me doing some work. That help will disappear if I go on Pension Credit.

You might as well tell me to vegitate!! I'm too young to give up on the thought of work.

Where do you get the notion that being on Pension Credit will give me more money?

cassieB57

andyandflo wrote: »

It seems that you have not read the entire thread.

If I told them everything like I did in Jan 2010, I would be kicked off JSA and told to claim ESA. Been there and done that. It's the type of illnesses and seriousness of them that to them (JSA) would make me unemployable!

I don't want to claim ESA it is one crazy benefit.

If I have the choice of telling all and ending up on that again or staying where I am - well here I stay!!

It is worth a chance to see if they would wear it just with Diabetes
though. If not - nothing lost.

I'll just have to hope they don't come up with a manual job of 30hrs pw - I will cross that bridge when I have to.

Plenty of people with disabilities claim JSA-I know of a wheelchair-user and several people with Down's who claim-their JSAgs are tailored to their personal circumstances and no-one would dream of 'kicking them off' JSA-as long as you are able willing and capable of work, you can still claim ,and ask for your JSAg to take any illness or disability you have to be taken into account when your JSAg is drawn up, including the type of work you are capable of and the number of hours you can work.
Knowing all the circumstances helps them to help you back into work. If they don't know they cant help.

Indie_Kid

andyandflo wrote: »

Where do you get the notion that being on Pension Credit will give me more money?

JSA - £64.45 pw
PC - £132.60 pw

for a single person.

andyandflo

sh1305 wrote: »

He mentioned before it because if you claim ESA, you can keep more money if working.

I don't get it either.

On dear!! Yes when I was on ESA I could work under the Permitted Work rules. The intention was to try and start off a small business. The rules for keeping more of what I earned were better under ESA than Pension Credit.

However as I have now come off ESA, cancelled my appeal and claimed JSA that has all gone out of the window. So now I am looking for a job with the help of RBL. It will have to be less than 16hrs pw to keep the JSA or over 30hrs pw to get WTC.
It does however appear that I have to have a job of over 16 hrs pw to keep on getting my JSA now until I start work.

There is only a £5 limit on what I can keep on JSA. ESA was a much better proposition to get me back into work.

andyandflo

SingleSue wrote: »

I'm confuzzled.....

Andyandflo, surely it is your choice to claim JSA and not ESA as you say you want to work. So if they suggest ESA, just tell them no, you feel able to work albeit at reduced hours/hours you could cope with.

With regards pension credit thingy whatsit (not that I know anything about it), is there a reason why you do not claim that instead as going by the above posts, it would give you the flexibility and the money.

Thanks for your comments.

Yes it is my choice that I wish to claim JSA. However from past experience (Jan 10) the JC will come to the conclusion, if they are made aware of them, that due to the type and severity of my disabilities, they will refuse to continue with my claim for JSA, It has, as I have said, happened before. They took one look at the details (evidence and sick note) and refused to allow me to sign on. They said that I was unemployable. They put me back on ESA. I had no choice in the matter. Therefore I cannot disclose them. I am however hoping that if I just disclose that I am a Type 1 Insulin Diabetic, they may allow me to change my agreement with them that I can look for work with less hours than the 30 + per week which I am currently contracted to.

I would not get any more money being on Pension Credit or claiming what I claim now. There is a maximum income that they will pay me of £202.40pw irrespective of where it comes from.

I would get '0' help from Pension Credit to help me find work.

dreamylittledream

andyandflo wrote: »

Put it quite simply - you are parked on Pension Credit and get no help whatsoever from DWP/JC in finding work that will suit.

Yes it does sound ideal, doesn't it? But what help will I get to help myself into work.

At the moment I am seeing the RBL pathways advisor who is very keen to see me doing some work. That help will disappear if I go on Pension Credit.

You might as well tell me to vegitate!! I'm too young to give up on the thought of work.

Where do you get the notion that being on Pension Credit will give me more money?

Eh? You mean as opposed to the extensive help you were getting whilst you were on ESA which you would still be claiming had you not been kicked off due to failing the WCA you mean?

You are putting some very serious limitations in what you are happy to work under - JSA is geared towards gettting you a full time job that remove you from state help - not about finding you the best employment solution for your needs - that I'm afraid is up to you.

Pension Credit will give you a much higher income than JSA(IB) as a single person or a couple. For you to be worse off your or your partner must have an income that is in excess of this and thus you must be claiming contributions based - in which case this will run out in a few months anyway.

In which case railing against the system is not going to help you - you are not on the poverty line and its up to you to pull yourself out of this one - there's only so much the state can or will help you with I'm afraid.

andyandflo

cassieB57 wrote: »

Plenty of people with disabilities claim JSA-I know of a wheelchair-user and several people with Down's who claim-their JSAgs are tailored to their personal circumstances and no-one would dream of 'kicking them off' JSA-as long as you are able willing and capable of work, you can still claim ,and ask for your JSAg to take any illness or disability you have to be taken into account when your JSAg is drawn up, including the type of work you are capable of and the number of hours you can work.
Knowing all the circumstances helps them to help you back into work. If they don't know they cant help.

Hi, I don't disbelieve that you know of these people, and that the JC does allow them to claim.

What I can tell you is what happened to me when I cancelled my claim for ESA straight after failing the medical in January 2010 and made a telephone claim for JSA.

As agreed I went down to my local office a few days later (Tuesday), saw a young lady and we went through a whole load of forms including the Agreement. When she started talking about working hours and type of work I told her that I had some health difficulties. I went through each one with her and showed her a copy of the latest current Sick Note from my GP and some letters from my consultants.

I was given the signing on book etc and was told to come on Thursday to sign on for the first time.

I went down on the Thursday morning and instead of being allowed to sign on, was told that the yound lady had spoken to her manager about me and it had been decided that I, due to my health conditions, could not be said to be able and capable of work. They did however accept that I was willing!

They then produced an ESA 'Fast Tracked' application form, which they completed for me and they sent it off.
That was probably the shortest JSA benefit claim in history.

I stuck it out on ESA until August 2010 when I cancelled it and the ESA appeal and claimed JSA again.
This time I kept my mouth shut about having any form of illness or disability.

I do not want to go back onto ESA for three reasons.

1. It will cause a problem with getting my money. It takes about two months for benefit payments to catch up with you.

2. there is no help given to help me back into some sort of employment.

3. I could not face another medical and the preparation of a defence for a court hearing for the appeal. Gathering evidence, preparing the arguments, preparing submissions etc etc.

And here we are today!!