Can you claim JSA if you leave your job voluntarily?

debtfreewannabe321

Hi I wonder if someone could offer me some advice. My mother works i think it is 15 hours a week. She can't up her hours and work full time as she has bad back & other health problems.

Basically she worked a few hours overtime before xmas to buy her grand kids presents and someone has called HB to tell them that she is working more hours than she tells them. SO cue her going down with recent wage slips, which of course had a day or so extra work on because of overtime.On the wage slips it says contracted hours XXX and then overtime XX but they have told her to pay back £400 in HB & CTB.

She is in an absolute mess and I don't know how to advise her? They have told her she is allowed £5 earnings a week over what you get on JSA. And then they have taken the rest off for paying rent etc. The thing is her bus pass each week is £19 odd so for the month she is spending nearly £80 on travel to and from work.


She doesn't want to quit, she enjoys working, but she can't up her hours and she is short each and every month. She spends around £25 a month on food for her & 2 cats. I can't help anymore as am on a budget with the cccs and don't know how to advise her

I told her to quit, and go on JSA whilst looking for a job near by but she says she will be penalised, is this true?

She now has to pay double the amount of rent & double the amount of council tax ....and as i said she was on a tight budget anyway so now she has nothing left and is in fact going to get herself into debt each month. She has a DRO already and is panicking about getting further in.

Sorry long post, but if someone could help, i'd really appreciate it

rogerblack

She's right.
If she leaves without 'good cause', she may be sanctioned for up to 26 weeks, and get sharply reduced hardship payments.

Reapply for HB and CTB, on the grounds of her income.

formidible

The best thing she can do is go to her nearest CAB before leaving her job. They should be able to sort out all of her finances, possibly with the help of Community Legal Advice if needed, and find out exactly what she is entitled to for working those hours. It is unfortunately true that a lot of extra help when going back to work does not kick-in untill you work a minimum of 16 hours a week. This is also the starting point for Working Tax Credit if you are 50+ (30 hours if under 50yrs).

The CAB will also be able to advise about what she would be entitled to if she voluntarily leaves her job. She might get Housing Benefit and Council Tax benefit straight away but her entitlement to JSA might be in doubt depending on the reasons she left her job. That would mean she would be left with no or a reduced amount of money to live on for a period.