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Benefits advice - please help!
Startinover
Posts: 27 Forumite
I would appreciate some help and advice re claiming benefits - JSA in particular.
My OH was made redundant in 2008 after almost 30 years employment, the firm went into receivership. He then tried to set up a small business but had to cease as he just could not earn enough to pay our bills and in Jan 2010 signed on but was told he did not have enough contributions to claim JSA but they paid his NIC. He found a job in June 2010 earning £25k pa but was finished in May 2011 and signed on taking his P45 but was again told he did not have enough contributions but on the letter says they have looked at his earnings up to tax year ending 2010.
I thought they took the two tax years prior to the date of the claim into account so why dont his earnings to April 2011 count? We are in tax year 2011/12 now, we rang them to ask why but they just said they were right and we were wrong. He paid tax & NIC in 2010/11 so why cant he claim JSA?
We ckecked using an online benefits checker and it said he was entitled and checked again on the directgov website giving my income etc and it still calculated that he should get JSA.
We are desperate as my income is just covering mortgage/rates/bills and we have to borrow money for food and petrol each month from family.
OH still signs on every 2 weeks and has applied for dozens of jobs but keeps getting knocked back. I am just so depressed by it all.We both worked all our lives and cant get any help, we have our house up for sale- I am selling all I can on ebay just to help pay for xmas- I know we are not as unfortunate as some people, at least I still have a job- but i could cry that we cant buy food, just basics and dont know what to do- please can anyone advise as I dont know where to turn. We cant claim Tax credits either as I earn too much ( I earn £20k) but our morgage/rates/gas/electric/insurance/ swallow £1100 per month without food.
My OH was made redundant in 2008 after almost 30 years employment, the firm went into receivership. He then tried to set up a small business but had to cease as he just could not earn enough to pay our bills and in Jan 2010 signed on but was told he did not have enough contributions to claim JSA but they paid his NIC. He found a job in June 2010 earning £25k pa but was finished in May 2011 and signed on taking his P45 but was again told he did not have enough contributions but on the letter says they have looked at his earnings up to tax year ending 2010.
I thought they took the two tax years prior to the date of the claim into account so why dont his earnings to April 2011 count? We are in tax year 2011/12 now, we rang them to ask why but they just said they were right and we were wrong. He paid tax & NIC in 2010/11 so why cant he claim JSA?
We ckecked using an online benefits checker and it said he was entitled and checked again on the directgov website giving my income etc and it still calculated that he should get JSA.
We are desperate as my income is just covering mortgage/rates/bills and we have to borrow money for food and petrol each month from family.
OH still signs on every 2 weeks and has applied for dozens of jobs but keeps getting knocked back. I am just so depressed by it all.We both worked all our lives and cant get any help, we have our house up for sale- I am selling all I can on ebay just to help pay for xmas- I know we are not as unfortunate as some people, at least I still have a job- but i could cry that we cant buy food, just basics and dont know what to do- please can anyone advise as I dont know where to turn. We cant claim Tax credits either as I earn too much ( I earn £20k) but our morgage/rates/gas/electric/insurance/ swallow £1100 per month without food.
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Comments
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The years that are looked at for NI contributions change each January. So for 2011 they look that the 2 last full tax years (apr 08-09 and apr 09-10) From Jan 2012 they will use apr 09-10 and apr 10-11 as the calculations.0
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Startinover wrote: »I would appreciate some help and advice re claiming benefits - JSA in particular.
Neglecting the actual questions asked - I'd post over on the 'debt free wannabe' board - with a statement of affairs - see the sticky on that board.
Reducing your outgoings can sometimes be possible, even when you think it isn't.0
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