JSA stopped

studentnurse

Wonder if anyone can offer any advice.....

My partner left his full time job in feb 2011. He was finding it increasingly difficult at work and was suffering from depression, along with a whole load of other problems.

We managed on my wage untill nov 2011 - as we were led to believe that he could not claim jsa for 6 months as he had left his job.
In nov 2011 he put a claim in for jsa and has been on cont based jsa since dec.

Recently recieved a letter asking why he left his jobs and asked to provide answers to questions about him terminating his employment.

Posted letter back and heard nothing more about it.

Signed on last week and jsa was due today.

Checked online bank and only one weeks jsa has been paid.

Have phoned the benefit distribution centre and they say the labour market decision makers have made a dissalowance ?

Now waiting for a telephone call from the labour market decision makers to explain the situation.

Is there anything we can do ?

Any advice would be welcome ! x

kingfisherblue

My understanding is that you can be sanctioned for up to six months if you leave your job voluntarily - but if a sanction is put into place, it only starts after you have applied for JSA. That may be what has happened here. All I can suggest is that yopu await the reasons for the disallowance and go from there.

karenx

AS he left he will be sanctioned. He should of signed on straight away and the sanction would of applied from then. And as he has just signed on now the sanction will start then

Loobysaver

As far as I'm aware you cannot receive a santion for a job that you left 6 months or more before you made a claim for jsa. Are you sure this is the reason you think the money has stopped?

studentnurse

Thanks guys.
If we'd known this we would of claimed earlier
Leaving his job was not a decision we came to lightly but rather a necessary action, losing a salary has not been easy and to have this now feels like a big kick in the teeth.

Does anyone know if we can appeal this and if so what is the process ?

studentnurse

Loobysaver wrote: »

As far as I'm aware you cannot receive a santion for a job that you left 6 months or more before you made a claim for jsa. Are you sure this is the reason you think the money has stopped?

We dont know why it has stopped, as have had no information at all - currently on a 3hr call back so should know more soon

studentnurse

Just had the call back from the payment distribution centre (not the decision makers who we were told would call us!) They say the reason jsa has been stopped is because partner left employment voluntarily, but did not mention a sanction.

Been told that it is the job centre who have stopped jsa, and need to speak to them so the person on the phone made an appointment for tomorow morning at the job centre.

Seems strange that no one mentioned anything at the job centre on friday, when my partner was signing on !

Loobysaver

studentnurse wrote: »

Just had the call back from the payment distribution centre (not the decision makers who we were told would call us!) They say the reason jsa has been stopped is because partner left employment voluntarily, but did not mention a sanction.

Been told that it is the job centre who have stopped jsa, and need to speak to them so the person on the phone made an appointment for tomorow morning at the job centre.

Seems strange that no one mentioned anything at the job centre on friday, when my partner was signing on !

The person at the job centre does not have the authority to stop the JSA for leaving employment voluntarily, that is the decision makers. They also cannot sanction/stop JSA for a job that ended 6 mths before the date of claim.

Glad your partner has got an appointment, if it is for leaving employment then get them to check they have the right dates for ending your partners last job.

busy_mom_2

When you partner made the claim they check back employment within 26 weeks. If it is one day less than a sanction can be imposed. One day over and it cannot. Check exactly how long it was between his leaving and applying. The maximum sanction is 26 weeks and they do take into account and period you have not claimed for. So if he claimed after 20 weeks but a 26 week sanction is imposed then ony 6 weeks will actually apply.

dookar

Agree with the above, self imposed sanction exceeds the maximum sanction possible so they can't apply one

studentnurse

busy_mom wrote: »

When you partner made the claim they check back employment within 26 weeks. If it is one day less than a sanction can be imposed. One day over and it cannot. Check exactly how long it was between his leaving and applying. The maximum sanction is 26 weeks and they do take into account and period you have not claimed for. So if he claimed after 20 weeks but a 26 week sanction is imposed then ony 6 weeks will actually apply.

He voluntarily left employment on 25/2/11 and claimed on 28/11/11.
The man on the phone today said his jsa had been marked as a disallowance, from what ive found searching the internet today a disallowance is imposed when people do not attend appointments etc.
I'm hoping the appointment in the morning will give us more information.

He will only get 6 months of contributions based jsa due to my salary, but kind of feel we should get what he is entitled to - as we have always worked and paid taxes !

Thank god I am no longer a student nurse !!