JSA, CTC & Housing allowance question

Chrissien

Hi,

I quit my job a little over a week ago now as I had ended up on anti-depressants because of it/my manager being really nasty to me and I had to chase my pay each week which make me feel like I had to beg for money I was actually entitled to and after going back for 1 day I had a panic attack before going in so my husband called them and said I wasn't coming in. I then decided that if I have a panic attack for going back in I would not be able to go back in again as just the thought of it made me ill.

I know that I should probably just have kept getting a sick note from my doc rather than quitting but I thought that if I wanted a chance of a new job having loads of sick days would not help anything. I have put in a claim for ctc which have been approved and I have had a letter stating that they will be putting £7.21 into my council tax account each week (I presume that means with them as I haven't had any money paid out). My husband earns roughly £190 a week according to the CTC paperwork and on the council's website they have something called excess earnings which I do not understand but I am guessing it means I won't get the full Housing allowance amount.

I am currently waiting to see what is happening with my JSA as I was the one that resigned but I was just wondering if anyone knows what happens to my housing allowance (we rent privately) if I get quarantined/suspended by DWP? I know that DWP will look badly on my resignation but does anyone know how many weeks I risk being quarantined/suspended for?

When I went to start my claim the guy at the Jobcentre said that initally my case would go to some people at DWP but if weren't sure or if something else was the case it would go to an adjudiciary or something like it? Does that happen often???

I know that some people will think I made the wrong choice and if you think that way that is fine, that is your opinion but not sleeping, not eating or having panick attacks and crying most of the time made my life a living hell.

Thanks for reading my ramblings so far

dookar

Chrissien wrote: »

When I went to start my claim the guy at the Jobcentre said that initally my case would go to some people at DWP but if weren't sure or if something else was the case it would go to an adjudiciary or something like it? Does that happen often???

Adjudication, though that's quite an old fashioned name for it

With a couple of exceptions it will happen for every case where a claimant has left their job of their own volition. The length of the sanction (the quarantine/suspension to which you refer) if one is applicable is entirely at the discretion of the decision maker (adjudication officer) within a minimum of one week and a maximum of 26 weeks.

Before making a decision and deciding sanction length (if any) they will ask you to provide information and possibly write to you with further questions - the answers you provide will be used to decide iff a sanction is appropriate and, if so, what length

Chrissien

Thank you for taking the time to reply and thanks for letting me know what I can expect. The guy at the jobcentre said a lot of things when I was there but he wasn't so keen on explaining me anything about the actual suspension part other than the part about the adjudication. He just gave me a form to fill in about why I left my job and asked me to hand it back the next day which I did.

I know that I put myself in this situation but I hope that they will look at my case a bit favourably and not give me a 26 weeks suspension.

MSR11

Hello Chrissien,

I hope your problems get resolved.

I am in a similiar situation.

I left my job last month due to increasing problems at work.
Promises made by the management when I started work a year previously were not kept. The whole working environment was becoming very stressful to the point I had to hand in my notice.

Anyway, long story short.

I soon applied for JSA, Housing benefit and Council tax benefit.

JSA was approved after I filled out a form explaining why I felt I had to leave my job.
I received an award notice shortly and received my first payment after signing on.

Yesterday I signed on as usual no problems.
Today I received a call from the housing enquiring why I had stopped paying rent. I explained the situation but housing and the council both claim that they have not recieved an application for benefits, yet I submitted the application on 13th October. The jobcentre are adamant that they forwarded the claim to the council and housing on the 20th October at the same time that they awarded me the JSA.

I have now been told by the jobcentre that they have suspended my claim till 23rd December because I left my job voluntarily and that as a result I will not be receiving any further payments of JSA, or council tax benefit or housing benefit until that date.

Now I am in a situation where I have no money to pay council tax or my rent. In fact I have no money for anything.

I am dreading waking up tomorrow and not being able to provide the basic needs i.e food, water, electricity etc for myself, my wife and my three children aged 18 months to 11 years.

My question is can a decision about my award be made without asking my side of the story? Without taking into account any mitigating circumstances?

I have been told I can appeal with a GL 24 form but that it was unlikely that my appeal would be considered because the decision had been made.

I will appeal regardless.

Is there any other help I can get?

I am actively seeking work and am awaiting the outcome of a couple of first and a couple of second interviews. The Job center is aware of this.

Hope someone can advise and at the very least I have shared on this forum which has to a point, alleviated my stress slightly.

Thank you.

dookar

MSR11 wrote: »

My question is can a decision about my award be made without asking my side of the story? Without taking into account any mitigating circumstances?

No, but that didn't happen because you filled out a form explaining why you left

dseventy

MSR11 wrote: »

I left my job last month due to increasing problems at work.

....


I am dreading waking up tomorrow and not being able to provide the basic needs i.e food, water, electricity etc for myself, my wife and my three children aged 18 months to 11 years.

I can't help but think the feeling you will have in the morning can't be worse than the "problems" you had at work?

Did you look into the consequences and your income before quitting? Can your wife work and you stay home?

All I can suggest is going to the JC+ or CAB and explaining the issues, failing that contact social services for help with the children?

D70