Redundancy and benefits

twinkle1981_2

I have just been made redundant, but havent recieved my redundancy payment yet. I have an appointment with the DSS this week to register as unemployed. I was just wondering how benefits work with redundancy payments. What I am getting will roughly equate to about 2 months wages. Is there any point in me claiming until the money runs out? Obviously I will still have to pay rent and bills etc off this payment. Or will the DSS just start my benefit from a given date when they deem that the money has run out ?

Pigletto

Contribution based JSA can be claimed by anyone who has paid enough NI in the last 2 financial years. So if you were employed full time in 08/09 and 09/10 (I think those are the correct years) then you would be eligible for this. It is not means tested so no limit to the amount of savings you can have, etc. Although you can only get this for 6 months maximum.

If the cont based JSA runs out or you don't qualify for it then they will assess you for income based JSA. This is means tested - if you have over £6,000 in savings then the amount of money you get is affected and if you have over £16,000 then you wouldn't get anything. Also if you live with a partner and they are working then this will affect whether you are eligible for income based.

Local Housing Allowance (Housing Benefit for private rentals) and Council Tax Benefit are also means tested and so the above rules for income based JSA apply.

cassieB57

I would add to pigletto's post that any pay in lieu of notice or untaken holiday will not stop you getting JSA as it once did. Statutory redundancy pay is treated as capital