JSA contributions based query

rogcal

My wife has just applied for contribution based JSA and has a small pension of £55 a week.

She was told that her JSA of £67.30 would be reduced by £24 due to her pension.

When she was on contribution based JSA a couple of years ago and had disclosed she was receiving the same pension, no reduction of of JSA was made. When she mentioned that no deductions were made last time she was told "she had been lucky".

I was under the impression that contribution based JSA was not means tested.

Do any of the experts out there now if I'm right and her pension should not be taken into account.

Thanks in advance for any advice given.

NASA_2

Her pension should be taken into account penny for penny after a disregard of £50.

Your wifes pension should reduce JSA by five pounds.

zagfles

It's not "means tested" but pensions and earned income (eg working less than 16 hours) can reduce it. Having a million in the bank won't...

Oldernotwiser

I'm pretty sure that this was something that changed a few years ago, which would explain the difference between your wife's earlier claim and the current situation.

NASA_2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that this was something that changed a few years ago, which would explain the difference between your wife's earlier claim and the current situation.

This has been in place for ages. Some processors (And possibly some entire offices) seem oblivious to it which is probably why the first claim had nothing reduced and this one is being reduced.

epitome

Is there any logical explanation which could be applied old rules, or new rules, which would explain how they arrived at a deduction of £24 however wrong they might be?

NASA_2

epitome wrote: »

Is there any logical explanation which could be applied old rules, or new rules, which would explain how they arrived at a deduction of £24 however wrong they might be?

None that I can see. Really strange figure to come to.

thor

epitome wrote: »

Is there any logical explanation which could be applied old rules, or new rules, which would explain how they arrived at a deduction of £24 however wrong they might be?

Is it possible that the op's wife was wrongly told that 'she was lucky' and that maybe they are clawing the money back that they should have taken in the first claim?

rogcal

Thanks for all the replies thus far and hopefully an answer will be given this week, when armed with the info you've supplied, the deduction is queried.

MrsManda

If it helps, The Jobseeker's Regulations 1996 regulation 81 gives details about the £50 disregard of pensions when claiming JSA(CB). As far as I can tell this has not since been amended.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/207/regulation/81/made

rogcal

Thanks for that Mrs M. I've read it through and it doesn't indicate whether the amount of pension monies paid is based on the net or gross figure. I suspect it has got to be the net figure.