Claiming tax credits and JSA possible?

Glass_Half_Empty??

Hi, asking for a friend at college as we were discussing things today and one lad who's mrs works gets working tax credits for her and her kids and he wondered if he can claim JSA. They live together but not officially i.e not as a couple he doesnt work much which is why he thinks he needs to sign on but hasnt claimed any benefits in his life so doesnt know how it all works. Would his mrs who claims from his house come up on JC computers if he tries to claim JSA and then leave them in a big mess? They never did a joint claim for WTC as she already had them when they started going out and never got round to doing it together.
Other thing is we are on a full time course so I said I didnt think he could claim anything but we are only 1 day a week now not two and so is available to work but cant get a job.
Disclaimer....I am just asking for a friend please dont abuse me :rotfl:

Caz3121

His partner may be committing benefit fraud currently if she is claiming as a single person and they are living together.
The single claim should be shut down and a joint claim opened.
As far as JSA goes, if he has paid enough NI contributions in the relevant years he may be entitled to CB JSA. If not it would be income based and if she works (you mention Working Tax Credits) and earns over £105 per week there would be no payment.
They would be better getting the joint claim sorted before someone catches up with them and they end up with a huge benefits overpayment and potentially a criminal record. (note if he is not entitled to any JSA, the chances are the tax credits will increase as would be more for a couple than a single person)

rogerblack

Glass_Half_Empty?? wrote: »

Hi, asking for a friend at college as we were discussing things today and one lad who's mrs works gets working tax credits for her and her kids and he wondered if he can claim JSA. They live together but not officially i.e not as a couple

Your official status as a couple matters - if you live with someone as a couple - you have to claim all income-related benefits as a couple.

If you're living with someone in a relationship, and do not report this, or claim you're not, you may be committing benefit fraud.

I assume he has not been employed most of the last two years, paying NI, in which he may be entitled to contributory JSA for 6 months, based on his contributions, which will ignore her income.

Cornish_piskie

Can you clarify what 'live together but not officially i.e not as a couple' means? Only because you refer to them as him and his 'mrs'.

If they are living together then they must make a joint claim for WTC and CTC.

Glass_Half_Empty??

He lives with his mrs as in lives with his mrs sorry if is not clear it is what it is. Lol I guess they are living together.
He was working until August yes and started college in September but work has died off in his field and now he is not working. I will tell him to scrap that claim and tell his mrs to ring the tax credit people. She is only part time as she works between the hours the kids are school but it is more then £105 a week I think more like £200 a week.
Thanks for the advise anyway I hope he takes it and uses it well.

Caz3121

If she currently works 16 hours, they need to be aware that for working tax credits from April a couple need to work 24 hours between them with one person working 16+ (so one can do 24 and the other zero)