Income based JSA confusion

FunWithFlags · 14 July 2012 at 5:50PM

Hi everyone!

First time poster, long time lurker needing advice if possible

My partner has just been told his hours have been cut down from nearly full time hours to 11 a week at NMW so we'll only have £66 ish a week coming in from his job. He has a zero hour contract so this could be cut even further in the near future.

We are going to apply for income based JSA while he looks for a new job with more hours but I'm a little confused how it will work. I know we have to apply as a couple, but if we do this, does this mean I have to be looking for work too? At the moment I look after our baby so don't work but have been casually looking for jobs for a while since we knew his hours being cut was a possibility.

My main questions are:

To qualify for income based JSA, do we both have to be actively looking for work?
If we do both have to be looking, do they take into account the fact that we won't be as flexible as people with no children in terms of taking jobs where the shifts change each week? Or will they expect us to apply for every single job even if we couldn't do the hours it asks for? (Atm, a lot of the jobs in our area advertise for flexible people with different shifts each week. If both of us work and have different shifts each week, they could clash and we have noone, family or otherwise, to look after our baby if this happens).
Is there a way to apply for income based JSA for just my partner if I continue to stay at home with my baby?

Any answers would be really appreciated as I really can't find the right information when I've looked it up online and we are panicking big time!

Thanks

ETA: Also, when I was single, I was on JSA while in between jobs and if I worked, the amount of JSA would be cut down in relation to the number of hours. If my partner works 11 hours, does this mean the income based JSA is reduced accordingly? Thanks

HappyMJ · 14 July 2012 at 5:57PM

You have to choose who looks for work. As long as one of you looks for full time work then it'll be fine.

NickyBat · 14 July 2012 at 6:00PM

Couple rate is £111, your husband can claim for you both but you can be exempt from looking for work due to your child.
You should also be claiming child tax credit and child benefit.

FunWithFlags · 14 July 2012 at 6:07PM

Thank you both for replying, really appreciate it!

We are already claiming child tax credit and child benefit atm

When I was single, I was on JSA while in between jobs and if I worked, it would be cut down. If he works 11 hours, does this mean the income based JSA is reduced? That part is confusing me too and I forgot to put it in my original post

HappyMJ · 14 July 2012 at 6:32PM

FunWithFlags wrote: »

Thank you both for replying, really appreciate it! We are already claiming child tax credit and child benefit atm

When I was single, I was on JSA while in between jobs and if I worked, it would be cut down. If he works 11 hours, does this mean the income based JSA is reduced? That part is confusing me too and I forgot to put it in my original post

Every 2 weeks he will have to declare the household income when he signs on. If it's in excess of £20 then every pound earnt in excess of that is taken from JSA pound for pound. I would highly recommend he find something/anything to do maybe self employment to total 24 hours per week so that you can claim working tax credits instead of JSA.

NickyBat · 14 July 2012 at 6:40PM

FunWithFlags wrote: »

Thank you both for replying, really appreciate it! We are already claiming child tax credit and child benefit atm

When I was single, I was on JSA while in between jobs and if I worked, it would be cut down. If he works 11 hours, does this mean the income based JSA is reduced? That part is confusing me too and I forgot to put it in my original post

Yes, at his fortnightly signing he can complete B7if there are any changes in his wages or if he does different hours, his wages will be taken into account minus the disregard which i think is £20

FunWithFlags · 14 July 2012 at 6:40PM

Thank you so much, that's a huge weight off my mind!

NickyBat · 14 July 2012 at 6:41PM

In simple terms the rate £111, he earns £66, disregard £20 so £46 is taken from the £111 which leaves £55.

FunWithFlags · 14 July 2012 at 6:53PM

Thank you again! We were just getting confused by it again when we were trying to work it out lol so that has helped a lot

NickyBat · 14 July 2012 at 6:54PM

Your welcome

mrschaucer · 14 July 2012 at 7:08PM

I'm sure I saw a thread on here somewhere (can't find it now) which came at the problem from the other direction - the wife claimed Income Support (had a young baby) and the husband was classed as a "dependant" on HER claim. But please check as I may have remembered it entirely wrongly ...