JSA and ESA experts please... + crisis loan

93123

I'm on ESA but am due a medical on 4th July. I don't want to go to it now that I've very recently started to feel more ready to take on work. I'm 18 and have never had a job before. I'm due payment the day after the medical, will I still get it if I don't go as it's just the day after?

It can take weeks to get JSA so will I be eligible for a crisis loan? I haven't had money for a week and aren't due until 5th July... that's if they don't stop it quickly enough!

Some JSA questions

1. I'm on low DLA both components, do I quality for the disability premium?

2. I'm attending college part-time in September, will I get JSA and will they find me a job to work around it? I'm doing it for the skills I will receive while there so don't want to be forced to leave the course!

3. Will they make me do any job even if it means not being able to afford rent? I'd probably need to be on £80 a week... is this likely with a part-time job? I'm planning on moving out September latest...

dookar

93123 wrote: »

2. I'm attending college part-time in September, will I get JSA and will they find me a job to work around it? I'm doing it for the skills I will receive while there so don't want to be forced to leave the course!

Depends, if the hours of your course fall within your pattern of availability you would be required to either give up the course or rearrange the hours of attendance should you be offered employment

93123 wrote: »

3. Will they make me do any job even if it means not being able to afford rent? I'd probably need to be on £80 a week... is this likely with a part-time job? I'm planning on moving out September latest...

Depending on your disability, you will be required to be available for full time work, not part time.

If you have a pattern of availability of 24 hours or more they cannot insist on you taking a job of fewer than 24 hours, if you have a pattern of availibility of less than 24 hours they cannot insist on you taking a job of fewer than 16 hours

93123

Thanks. So what's the point in me going to college to get the skills for a job I want to do at the end of all this if they will make me leave it?

dookar

Sorry I wasn't clear - the solution is to have your course outside of your pattern of availability

epitome

dookar wrote: »

Sorry I wasn't clear - the solution is to have your course outside of your pattern of availability

Which means, correct me if I'm wrong, If you are in college Monday 9am till 5pm......
When they ask you to say what 40 hours per week you are available to work you give 8am - 5pm Tuesday to Saturday as your answer.

But if you do college 2 hours per day and you say you are available for 40 hours outside those college hours perhaps being available for work for evenings and nights......would the DWP be able to disallow the claim because for example an "unrealistic pattern of work availability"? Do they get to have any say in what your pattern "should be" or is it entirely down to the jobseeker to come up with a 40 hour pattern whatever the pattern?

Thanks

epitome

93123 wrote: »

I'm on ESA but am due a medical on 4th July. I don't want to go to it now that I've very recently started to feel more ready to take on work. I'm 18 and have never had a job before. I'm due payment the day after the medical, will I still get it if I don't go as it's just the day after?

If you miss the medical and you can give good reason they might offer you another medical appointment - or they may not accept your reason and close your claim from the 4th July.

Or you could phone and give a reason why you cannot attend on the 4th and ask them to rearrange it. If they accept your reason they will rearrange it and your problem is solved.

Irrespective of this, your payment will arrive on the 5th July as normal, but if they close the claim you may have to pay 2 days back to them.

Dunroamin

If you still live at home, you could come off ESA, not claim JSA and let your parents claim CB and CTC for you if you were on a full time course, bearing in mind that this is likely to be around 16 hours per week. Your DLA would be unaffected.

dookar

epitome wrote: »

Which means, correct me if I'm wrong, If you are in college Monday 9am till 5pm......
When they ask you to say what 40 hours per week you are available to work you give 8am - 5pm Tuesday to Saturday as your answer.

But if you do college 2 hours per day and you say you are available for 40 hours outside those college hours perhaps being available for work for evenings and nights......would the DWP be able to disallow the claim because for example an "unrealistic pattern of work availability"? Do they get to have any say in what your pattern "should be" or is it entirely down to the jobseeker to come up with a 40 hour pattern whatever the pattern?

Thanks

You must show reasonable prospects of finding employment within your pattern of availability - no matter what restrictions you place on them
In you first example, you've left out Sunday and the hours between 5pm and 8am, depending on the local labour market and the types of work the claimant is looking for, this may not offer reasonable prospects and so they would lose entitlement.

In you second example evenings and nights are fine if you want to, for example, be a bar man. Not so fine if you want to be a primary school teacher

dookar

Oh, I should add as it may be relevant to the OP - if you have a disability you are able to restrict your availability in anyway at all providing it is because of the disability and you do not need to show reasonable prospects of finding employment