JSA Help

scottishstudent91

Hi guys, was just wondering if anyone on here could help me?

I'm 21, and was in my 2nd year of uni but had to drop out for medical reasons. This was in March and I'm fast running out of money. My rent is £310 a month and I have no cash.

I'm now well enough to get a job but i've been looking everyday with no luck. So i've been advised to see about JSA.

I went to a meeting, signed loads of papers and went to sign on yesterday but I'm unsure if I did it right, yest I just turned up and signed a bit of paper, is that all I have to do? Also how long will it be until I start receiving JSA?

I understand I have to fill out my diary and apply for 7 jobs a week however I didn't this week as I was unsure that i'd started already. It wasn't very well explained to me what I actually have to do.

Also, they need a copy of my tenancy agreement handed it, however I only have the one that starts in July this year, even though I'm staying in the same flat. Will this matter or will i need a copy of the current agreement? It's only a month away? Sorry this post is so long and awkward, i'm just super confused about what I need to do. I'm only gonna be on JSA for a few months max til I get back to uni (if I don't get a job before then)

Oh, also. Should I be paying council tax? I'm unsure if i'm still classed as a student or not. I have a letter confirming my place to resume to course if i provide a medical letter saying I am fit to do so. Thanks in advance

HappyMJ

scottishstudent91 wrote: »

Hi guys, was just wondering if anyone on here could help me?

I'm 21, and was in my 2nd year of uni but had to drop out for medical reasons. This was in March and I'm fast running out of money. My rent is £310 a month and I have no cash.

I'm now well enough to get a job but i've been looking everyday with no luck. So i've been advised to see about JSA.

I went to a meeting, signed loads of papers and went to sign on yesterday but I'm unsure if I did it right, yest I just turned up and signed a bit of paper, is that all I have to do? Also when will I receive the money.

I understand I have to fill out my diary and apply for 7 jobs a week however I didn't this week as I was unsure that i'd started already. It wasn't very well explained to me what I actually have to do.

Also, they need a copy of my tenancy agreement handed it, however I only have the one that starts in July this year, even though I'm staying in the same flat. Will this matter or will i need a copy of the current agreement? It's only a month away? Sorry this post is so long and awkward, i'm just super confused about what I need to do. I'm only gonna be on JSA for a few months max til I get back to uni (if I don't get a job before then)

Oh, also. Should I be paying council tax? I'm unsure if i'm still classed as a student or not. I have a letter confirming my place to resume to course if i provide a medical letter saying I am fit to do so. Thanks in advance

To get JSA you must look for work. You should get the money in 3-4 days if you have done so. You should not have to pay council tax but you have to apply for council tax benefit through the council. If you want help paying the rent then apply for housing benefit with the council.

scottishstudent91

Thanks, so I need to get in touch with the council about Housing benefits and Council tax?

Also, will I still receive my JSA even though I haven't handed my tenancy agreement in yet? (Will they accept it even though it's next years' agreement? I don't have a copy of the current one)

I just wish I could get a job, this is so much hassle and I don't want to be on benefits but I doubt i'll be able to manage til my student loan in September without it

HappyMJ

scottishstudent91 wrote: »

Thanks, so I need to get in touch with the council about Housing benefits and Council tax?

Also, will I still receive my JSA even though I haven't handed my tenancy agreement in yet? (Will they accept it even though it's next years' agreement? I don't have a copy of the current one)

I just wish I could get a job, this is so much hassle and I don't want to be on benefits but I doubt i'll be able to manage til my student loan in September without it

Yes JSA is not reliant on having any sort of tenancy agreement in place. You could be homeless and still claim JSA. You will need a copy of your current tenancy agreement to get housing benefit so try and find it or get a new one written up. You can do that after applying for housing benefit.

epitome

AFAIK they pass on the tennancy agreement to the council. The tennancy agreement is only needed because you are claiming HB as part of your JSA claim.
Your JSA claim will take up to 14 working days (mon to Fri) nearly 3 weeks to get processed. You may be signing on, but you won't get any money until the claim has been processed.

You don't need to contact the council, theoretically the council should process your HB claim and contact you if they need any more info, however it won't hurt to phone the council 2 weeks after making your JSA claim just to see that they have received your HB claim from the jobcentre and when they expect to issue payments. Generally the HB would not issue payment until your JSA is processed and in payment. However, not providing the tennancy agreement may delay the JSA from passing your HB claim to the council

You don't have to apply for 7 jobs a week. You have to take "3 job seeking actions per week" that could be

Apply for 3 jobs a week
phone 3 potential employers per week
looking on the ineternet for jobs would be one action, per day looked.

The more you do, the more satisfied they will be that you are meeting their requirements to be actively seeking work. I just wanted to clarify that you don't have to panic about having to apply for 7 jobs per week.....if you want to do that and can do that then fine.

epitome

Forgot to say, The JSA will normally require proof that you have left Uni - a letter from the Uni. And they would want evidence of any student loan that you had for this academic year.

You should have declared on your claim form that you have been on a Uni course. and if you had a student loan for this year that should have been declared.

Dunroamin

Have you now officially left university and what student funding have you received for this academic year?

scottishstudent91

Thank you, I had to hand in a 'letter of abandonment' but they didn't ask about anything related to my loan.

I left my course at the end of March but am hopefully returning to continue my studies in September. SAAS paid my fees for the course and I get a loan too. They didn't stop my loan on the date I left uni though so i'm guessing i'll have to pay that back?

Also thanks for clarifying epitome, your post is really helpful!

epitome

So you got a SAAS loan for this academic year...

One of the questions on the form which should have been read out to you was

Have you recieved any financial assistance towards the cost of a course of education which ended in the last 3 months or is still current?

You should have said yes to that question.
If you said 'no' or if the person on the phone did not read you the question..... you signed a statement in the jobcentre probably saying that the answer to that questin is "no" If this is the case you should phone up and report that you think there might be an error on your claim form that you would like to clairfy.....

You should phone SAAS and ask what happens about the overpayment as you left the course.

scottishstudent91

I answered Yes to that question, I hope that's right. The only thing i'm worried about is that the Tenancy Agreement that I have to hand in. I only have the one that we signed a few months ago for the year 12/13 but I think they'll want the current one? Which I don't have, even though we're still in the same flat with the same people

dookar

Have you had notification of entitlement? I don;t see how you would be?