Starting work and benefits

mp3lover

I am about to start a full time job (a week Monday) after being unemployed for sometime. Can anybody help me with regards to my benefits as I will not be getting my first wage until the start of January. Will I still receive housing benefit and job seekers allowance until I get my first wage or will it stop as soon as I start work.
Thanks Mp3lover

Fiver29

You should get a 4 week run of for HB and CTB. But you won't get and JSA as you're no longer jobseeking. You might be able to apply for in work credit (or a similar name).

alluring29

In Work Credit

In Work Credit is a fixed tax-free payment of £40 per week (£60 per week in London) for parents bringing up children alone. It is payable for up to 52 weeks on top of your earnings, when you start work of at least 16 hours per week. You need to claim it before you start work.

You may get In Work Credit if you:

are bringing up children on your own
have at least one child living with you who is under the age of 16
are starting work of at least 16 hours a week
expect that work to last five weeks or more

You must also have been claiming one or a combination of the following benefits for at least 52 weeks. Short breaks of no more than five days are allowed:
Income Support
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Employment and Support Allowance - if you lost entitlement to Income Support due to the age of your youngest child and were not able to claim Jobseeker's Allowance because you were ill.

alluring29

Job Grant - who can get it
You may be able to get a Job Grant if you are moving directly from benefit into work of at least 16 hours a week. This could be starting a new job, increasing the hours you work in an existing job or having a combination of jobs.
You may also get a Job Grant if your partner starts working at least 24 hours a week and as a result your benefit stops.
The work must be expected to last for at least five weeks, and you must notify Jobcentre Plus within 21 days of starting work.
You must also have been claiming one or a combination of the following benefits for at least 26 weeks immediately before moving into work:
Jobseeker's Allowance
Income Support
Employment and Support Allowance
Incapacity Benefit
Severe Disablement Allowance
Jobcentre Plus/New Deal Allowance payments where the allowance is based on Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Employment Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance
Employment Zone payments where the allowance is based on Jobseeker's Allowance
Any period where you are not entitled to one of the above benefits does not count towards the 26 week qualifying period.
You will not get a Job Grant if:
you have been signing as unemployed to receive your National Insurance contributions only
you have been sending in medical evidence to receive your National Insurance contributions only.

All dependent on you being on one of the above benefits for six months prior to gaining employment.

mp3lover

Thank you for your replies.
Don't think I would be entitled to job credit as I did 8 weeks agency work in Sept-Oct (earning £1789.52) so only started back on job seekers on the 7th October. Could I claim tax credits? I have been unemployed since the end of 2009 apart from the agency work I did last month.
Thank you
Mp3lover

karenx

Depends on your age and wage as to whether you can claim. Are you over 25 and earning less than 12k?

mp3lover

Yes I am 37 and will be earning 11k.
Thank you

alluring29

How is someone meant to live for a month then, if they are not entitled to JSA or anything else - pay for travel to their new job and buy food etc?

I would hope the Government would provide some financial assistance to people who have managed to get a job in this economic climate to survive on for the first month before they receive their wage.

Vincent_Buenisedes

alluring29 wrote: »

How is someone meant to live for a month then, if they are not entitled to JSA or anything else - pay for travel to their new job and buy food etc?

I would hope the Government would provide some financial assistance to people who have managed to get a job in this economic climate to survive on for the first month before they receive their wage.

It's one of the reasons why many are fearful of moving from benefits into work, especially monthly paid, as every thing is shut off immediately, and if you have no family or friends to rely on or a sympathetic landlord you can be screwed. The government has recognized the problem and plans to address it with Universal Creditbut thats a long way off yet.

OP, if you're being paid monthly I take it is not agency work, so it maybe possible to ask for an advance payment maybe after two weeks or so. Speak to your manager or HR department and if they're a good employer, they'll help you out.

Good luck.

alluring29

Vincent_Buenisedes wrote: »

It's one of the reasons why many are fearful of moving from benefits into work, especially monthly paid, as every thing is shut off immediately, and if you have no family or friends to rely on or a sympathetic landlord you can be screwed. The government has recognized the problem and plans to address it with Universal Creditbut thats a long way off yet.

OP, if you're being paid monthly I take it is not agency work, so it maybe possible to ask for an advance payment maybe after two weeks or so. Speak to your manager or HR department and if they're a good employer, they'll help you out.

Good luck.

I would be petrified too - no chance of saving on JSA etc. need to push the Universal Credit through, thanks Vincent.