Claiming JSA without fixed address

Kitchen

Hi, I've just split up with my partner and currently sleeping on a couple of friends sofas/beds whichever is convenient at the time. I have no fixed address at the moment and would like to know if I can still claim JSA as I currently have no money at and no where to claim from.

Thanks

brightonman123

will friends let you use their address, on a temp basis? or parents?

Kitchen

My parents live far away from where I am and don't get one and don't want to go back there, my friends already claim benefits and I don't want to get them in trouble or mess up their claims by using their addresses.

BrettMorganxD

You could try explaining the situation to the job centre until you get a fixed address. Or could you use a working friends address just for the sake of JSA?

epitome

This is no problem at all. You phone 08000 556688 Free from landlines phone boxes or major mobiles like Orange, Vodafone, T mobile, O2, 3, etc Don't go to a jobcentre you will be wasting your time until you have been given an appointment over the phone.

You tell them -over the phone- you want a new claim. They ask your name and where you live....You say "Name and I have No Fixed Address"

1 minute later they will ask you where you want your post to go to, you can have your post go to the jobcentre or to ANY address you choose, doesn't have to be the address where you are sofa surfing, can be anywhere in the UK - your parents for example, and you can have your parents phone you if you get a letter and they can open it and tell you what it says. Or a friend or a local business address that you know the owner of etc etc etc

At the end of your claim they will give you an appointment at your LOCAL jobcentre, not local to your postal address. They should ask you which jobcentre you want to attend. However some jobcentres do not do interviews, so you will have to go to the jobcentre nearest that does interviews.

The jobcentre may have a few more questions for you at your appointment (I don't know).
It won't affect your friends benefits unless you become permanent, inwhich case you/they should report change of circumstances.

The idea is that you will be able to get JSA now while you are temporarily moving around "sofa surfing" once you have your JSA then you can get easier help from the council to get Housing Benefit in your name, to find a place for yourself.

Phone today, so your claim is valid from today, phone as soon as possible so you have more time to then phone crisis loans. Your second phone call should be to crisis loans 0800 032 7952 (also free) who will give you emergency money (interest free) for food over the weekend. You pick up your crisis loan at the jobcentre (which closes at 5pm) so you must claim a crisis loan as early as possible.

If you get an interview at the jobcentre today for your JSA claim then the crisis loans may tell you to phone again for a crisis loan AFTER you have had your interview.

Dunroamin

Even rough sleepers can claim benefits.

If your friends already claim benefits I would be careful about staying with them for more than a couple of days, even if you don't use their address.

Kitchen

Thanks for your replies, and thanks epitome. I rang them up and they accepted my claim and I have an interview on monday. I rang crisis loans too and I can go and pick up £60 today which should see me ok for a while.

Thanks