Getting all my ducks in a row in case I get made redundant - any JSA(C) experts?

missbunbury

I am a public sector worker and am obvously a bit twitchy about whether my job is safe at the moment. I am trying to work out what would happen if the worst were to happen, if you see what I mean. Tried entitled to but due to my slightly complicated circumstances I struggled with it a bit. I'm trying to work out whther I could get contribution-based JSA if I were made redundant? Here is the situation:

Currently earning about fifteen grand which is take-home of £1079 after pension and union deductions and student loan. Been in this job since 27/4/09 (I think this date is important!) If I do get made redundant, I'll get 3 months notice, and depending whether that takes me past April 27th next year I'll get either 1 or 2 months wages as redundancy pay (it's one month for every year of service, better than statutory!)

Partner works, earning £28000 so we are not breadline-strugglers or anything, our total bills are £1100pcm (obviously I'd be looking at ways of reducing these if at all possible, for example £200 is payments for loan and credit card which I know could possibly be reduced to token payments for a while.) Bills include £650 mortgage which isn't alterable in that we can no longer get a different deal since they tightened up lending.

I was previously made redundant from a private sector job in November 2008, then out of work until I started my current job. At that time, I was not entitled to JSA(C) due to having worked only 23 months out of the 24 months in the 2 tax years they looked at which were 06/07 and 07/08. I want to know if I were now made redundant, would the 5 months out of work beween November 08 and April 09 would mean the same thing would happen again? What if I were made redundant after April next year, when I would have 2 years in this job, but wasn't working for the first 3 weeks of the 09/10 tax year?

Long and complicated I know, but if any experts can advise me I would be grateful as I am currently trying to do a budget planner to save as much money as possible just in case, and whether or not I could get the sixty-odd quid a week to tide me over makes a difference to how much I need to cut back on now, if you see what I mean.

jfdi

I'll try - but I'm sure the experts'll be along......

The relevant date for JSA (if no JSA/ESA/SSP in previous 13 weeks) is the date of initial claim, so if you start your claim off on or before 1/1/11 the Tax Years the JCP will be looking at are 2007/08 and 2008/09, on or after 2/1/11 it'll be 2008/09 and 2009/10.

You need to've (roughly) paid NI on £4900 worth of Class 1 earnings, and have a NI credit for the weeks you weren't earning in each of the Tax Years to qualify - say £5000 earnings for ease.

ish - & I say 'ish' coz they've just changed the FCC (First Contribution Credit) qualifying rules & I've not got my head round it yet!

Looking at your years - 2007/08 - Yes

2008/09 - maybe - you probably paid enough NI up to Nov 2008 when your last job ended, but did you keep signing for your NI credits even though you got no JSA??? (it might not matter - I've forgotten, sorry!)

2009/10 - looks like a Yes here too.

It's unfortunate your 'wonky' year is the one that affects your claim in both the 2010 Benefit Year & the 2011 Benefit Year. You'll probably be OK - but until your claim to JSA is made & your NI records are accessed no-one'll be able to say for sure........


Until the proper experts get here........

xx

concerned43

You must have two years continuous NI contributions to qualify

NASA_2

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch21.pdf

This is the relevant section of the DMG - starting with 21051 (I think) it will tell you the conditions.

The only point I will add to what was said above is that the benefit year starts on the first Sunday which means that 02.01.11 is when the new tax years will be applied and not the 01.01.11.

jfdi

jfdi wrote: »

if you start your claim off on or before 1/1/11 the Tax Years the JCP will be looking at are 2007/08 and 2008/09, on or after 2/1/11 it'll be 2008/09 and 2009/10.

NASA wrote: »

The only point I will add to what was said above is that the benefit year starts on the first Sunday which means that 02.01.11 is when the new tax years will be applied and not the 01.01.11.

?? Surely that's what I said.

Sorry, OP, if I didn't make it clear.

missbunbury

Thanks to everyone, looks like I should have signed for NICs for those 5 months in 08/09 eh?! On the plus side, I have just opened a letter from HMRC (that was hiding under some junk mail) and discovered I am getting a tax rebate of £400 for that same year, so that's something to go in the rainy day fund!