Not entitled to JSA - I was a carer

Brewman

I have been told by the JC that I am not entitled to JSA contributions based benefit because I have not made enough class 1 Nat Ins contributions.

I have been a carer for the last 5 years and have been recieving carers allowance for the last 2 years.

If I was to pay the class 1 NI conributions myself would I then be entitled to JSA ?

Anyone know ?

[Deleted User]

if you have been getting CA for just the last 2 years you may not have made 2 full years contr.in the correct years,do you have a partner who works?

Caz3121

I don't think you can make voluntary class 1 contributions

You can pay voluntary contributions (usually Class 3 National Insurance contributions) at a flat rate of £12.60 a week.
Class 3 voluntary contributions are paid either monthly by Direct Debit or by quarterly bill. But if you have gaps in your National Insurance contributions record you can make one-off payments of voluntary contributions to fill these.


Looks like this could be a waste as this only really helps with credits towards your pension which you will already be getting as a carer



Class 3 will not help you with JSA, only class 1 which is paid by employees

dmliverpool

The JCP see things as black and white and as for caring the government and DWP don't really acknowledge it as working through the lack of support they give to such demanding and essential work. So I don't think they would be much help. Have you thought of being a carer for a care home etc?

tottybum

I don't understand this at all. Caring for someone close and dear is all about love and doing the right thing. It is not a form of employment that you should be paid a wage for, never mind national insurance contributions.

My wife has cared for me for years through all of my illnesses, but never expected the government to pay her to do it!

What a sorry state this country is in when people want financial compensation for just being a decent human being. In most other countries in Europe people do it as their duty!

p00hsticks

tottybum wrote: »

I don't understand this at all. Caring for someone close and dear is all about love and doing the right thing. It is not a form of employment that you should be paid a wage for, never mind national insurance contributions.

My wife has cared for me for years through all of my illnesses, but never expected the government to pay her to do it!

What a sorry state this country is in when people want financial compensation for just being a decent human being. In most other countries in Europe people do it as their duty!

How would you cope if your wife was not there ?
And how wil your wife cope if you pre-decease her ?

Whilst I take your point that caring is 'all about love and doing the right thing', carers often put their own lives, hopes and ambitions on hold to look after loved ones, only to be left in complete limbo when the person being cared for dies or has to go into a home. The role that they fulfil would cost the taxpayers a great deal more money if they were not there and the same care had to be provided by social services, hospital etc.

Carers Allowance is a small recognition of the work that carers do that would otherwise have to be funded directly by the state, and the associated NI credit means that the Carer will at least be entitled to JSA or a pension in their old age, rather than being completely left high and dry once their caring days are over.

[Deleted User]

tottybum wrote: »

I don't understand this at all. Caring for someone close and dear is all about love and doing the right thing. It is not a form of employment that you should be paid a wage for, never mind national insurance contributions.

My wife has cared for me for years through all of my illnesses, but never expected the government to pay her to do it!

What a sorry state this country is in when people want financial compensation for just being a decent human being. In most other countries in Europe people do it as their duty!

sorry but thats very very unfair to the many many people who save the country £££billions by caring for others,the very same people who might end up in residential care at a cost of £700+ per week,personally i think that a "wage"of £55 per week is a bloody good deal for the govt !!!

FBaby

woodbine wrote: »

sorry but thats very very unfair to the many many people who save the country £££billions by caring for others,the vary same people who might end up in residential care at a cost of £700+ per week,personally i think that a "wage"of £55 per week is a bloody good deal for the govt !!!

It depends on what you consider normality when it comes to caring for a relative. If the norm is that they should all be put into care costing a fortune so that the government saves ££ when relatives looks after them only getting £55 a week, then yes. If normality is that relatives SHOULD be looked after by relatives, so that only those who have no relatives at all to do so end up in care, then no, the governement is not saving £££ by paying carers allowance.

AsknAnswer2

tottybum wrote: »

I don't understand this at all. Caring for someone close and dear is all about love and doing the right thing. It is not a form of employment that you should be paid a wage for, never mind national insurance contributions.

My wife has cared for me for years through all of my illnesses, but never expected the government to pay her to do it!

She'll be in an awkward position if you (god forbid) die before her as she won't be in a position to claim any bereavement benefit if she isn't paying contributions and isn't claiming carers allowance - nor will she have enough conts for state pension.

tottybum

AsknAnswer2 wrote: »

She'll be in an awkward position if you (god forbid) die before her as she won't be in a position to claim any bereavement benefit if she isn't paying contributions and isn't claiming carers allowance - nor will she have enough conts for state pension.

If that did happen, our daughter and son would look after her. We have already discussed this with them. Our son will have the double garage attached to his home fitted out as living accomodation with a bedroom above.


She could claim Pension Credit which would guarantee her an amount in excess of what the single/widow OAP would give her.
No one in this country of pension age will get less than the OAP. You don't need to have paid any contributions to get Pension Credit

QuackQuackOops

tottybum wrote: »

I don't understand this at all. Caring for someone close and dear is all about love and doing the right thing. It is not a form of employment that you should be paid a wage for, never mind national insurance contributions.

My wife has cared for me for years through all of my illnesses, but never expected the government to pay her to do it!

What a sorry state this country is in when people want financial compensation for just being a decent human being. In most other countries in Europe people do it as their duty!

Your wife probably did care for you and very well too. I do believe that the majority of people within the confines of a marriage or lpng term relationship would care for their partner if needed.
However, some carers are doing so full time and are unable to work as well.
People have to pay bills and how do they do that if they are full time carers for someone who is ill? OK, they can go to work. Then the government would have to pay 10 times as much in order to pay for a full time nurse.
Most full time carers manage on peanuts or savings. The government could, at least, pay their stamp for them too.