Partners contract ended and trying to claim JSA

pumpkin25uk

Ok here goes, last Sunday the agency that my partner worked for, cut everyone's hours from 40 hours a week to 7 a week, through lack of work. My partner opted to leave and look for another job as financially after putting diesel in the car etc... It wouldn't be worth it. He's never been out of work before and is quite confident that he will find a job sooner rather than later. So off he trots to the job centre yesterday, to claim JSA. And is sent home, as they won't process his claim unless he provides evidence of my child maintenance agreement with my ex husband?? Firstly it's a private arrangement, secondly it's my 13 year old daughters money and thirdly !!!!!! has it got to do with them. To be honest I'm furious. Luckily my ex and I get on ok, so we jointly pay the mortgage, on the house we own together as its n investment for our daughter later on in life and my partner contributes to the bills. My ex said that if they are being difficult then he's entitled to charge my partner rent, and to put in a claim for HB. It's ridiculous all this for 71 quid a week. Any thoughts, advice would be greatly appreciated.

maginot

If he has being working and paying National Insurance he should get 6months contribution JSA without taking into consideration household income. So he should be able to claim this.

However, for income based your income would be taken into consideration and therefore you are expected to support him if this is too high. This woukd also be the same for housing benefit, so it is unlikely he would be able to claim if you were living in the same house as a couple.

missybay

Except maintenance is no longer assessed when you apply for anything, from IS to HB and WTC.
So why do they need to know how much it is? they can't include it in their calculations.

pumpkin25uk

Thank you missy bay that's exactly what I thought, and as far as I'm concerned it's child maintenance for my daughter not for me to support my partner whilst he's looking for work. Ridiculous.

dseventy

You partner needs (and has asked for) state intervention in his life as he cant provide for himself and wants the state to support him.

Part of that intervention comes questions about income, living arrangements and money. So if they are aware of the money coming into the house, its fair, proper and right for them to question it.

So where you say

pumpkin25uk wrote: »

Firstly it's a private arrangement, secondly it's my 13 year old daughters money and thirdly !!!!!! has it got to do with them.

Firstly, its not private anymore as state intervention has been sought so all such issues of cash, living arrangements need to be recorded.
Secondly, that fact just needs to be verified (as they have asked) and thirdly (the !!!!!! has it to do with them), well, everything.

pumpkin25uk wrote: »

My ex said that if they are being difficult then he's entitled to charge my partner rent, and to put in a claim for HB. .

Thats silly, he can't charge rent like that as its just contrived.

pumpkin25uk wrote: »

It's ridiculous all this for 71 quid a week. Any thoughts, advice would be greatly appreciated.

Well if you don't want state intervention, cancel the claim for JSA!

D70

Dunroamin

Paying half the mortgage may well not be considered as child maintenance.

Has your partner paid enough NICs to be eligible for contributions based JSA?

pumpkin25uk

HappyMJ wrote: »

What set you off....anyway they just want the details. If you want the £71 a week you have to answer the questions they ask.

That's why we have NI numbers and the tax office to verify what we say. That was the whole point of the Internet. Not for Facebook or !!!!!!. I don't have to answer anything but my personal info ie. my name address and NI number. How about they ask what my nan gets in her pension, not that much given the tax on pensions has gone up. I again refer you back to the whole point of my arguement. I pay tax and NI insurance that covers me if I ask for £71. And what my partner gets from her ex for her daughter should be irrelevant. The CSA ask couples to keep their arrangments private so they have more time to chase the deadbeats who don't pay for their kids.

princessdon

I don't see why it is anything to do with them if you are claiming for Contribtuion based JSA

I take it that it is contribution based you are applying for?

If so then I totally agree with you - I don't see why household income is necessary!

Anubis_2

pumpkin25uk wrote: »

That's why we have NI numbers and the tax office to verify what we say. That was the whole point of the Internet. Not for Facebook or !!!!!!. I don't have to answer anything but my personal info ie. my name address and NI number. How about they ask what my nan gets in her pension, not that much given the tax on pensions has gone up. I again refer you back to the whole point of my arguement. I pay tax and NI insurance that covers me if I ask for £71. And what my partner gets from her ex for her daughter should be irrelevant. The CSA ask couples to keep their arrangments private so they have more time to chase the deadbeats who don't pay for their kids.

It should be irrelevant for contribution based JSA.

However, income based benefits, everything is relevant and you have to declare every single penny etc and show bank statements if necessary.

So if you do decide to leave the house and the family goes on benefits, be prepared for a lot more intervention in your personal affairs than providing details of maintenance. All yours and your partners affairs will be checked over.

I would advise removing your real name on here.

Adereterial

My guess is your partner has made a claim to income based JSA, not contributions based JSA, or both at the same time. If he'd made a claim for just JSA(C) they would not be asking.

If he has made a claim on that basis DWP have every right to ask - you may class it as maintenance but it could legally fall into a very different category. Jointly paying the mortgage would not be viewed as maintenance.

He needs to check what he has applied for. If he has applied for the wrong thing he will need to provide the evidence or withdraw the claim if he wishes it to continue. End of story.

You may feel you have the right to ask for the £71 per week but there are conditions to getting that, you don't get to just turn up with your hand out and have cash put in it. If you want to claim it you will need to fulfil those conditions and drop your attitude of entitlement.

pumpkin25uk

As a first time claimer of any kind of benefits, I would rather hope that the "adviser" firstly on the telephone, and secondly in the job centre would provide the appropriate information regarding what he should be claiming. However the sad fact of life is, they probably haven't a clue, they tick the boxes on the form and pass it on. Surely it doesn't take a genius to work out that based on the fact hes never been unemployed before, you would like to think that they would come to the conclusion that he would be claiming contribution based jsa. So based on that theory Im giving the job centre staff the benefit of the doubt, and hoping that he has correctly done his job and the claim is for contribution jsa. As for the entitlement attitude I pay my taxes and NI so therefore yes I am entitled. I'm sure that there are plenty of people in this country that have never made a contribution to NI, yet have there hands out for the cash, and it's given them. And everyone wonders why this country is in financial crisis. Surely any government handout should based on contribution.