Job seekers allowance - been told I'm not entitled - advice needed

chickadee83

Hello,

I'm a teacher but I am currently unemployed. I've applied to claim contributions based Job seekers allowance but have just found out that I'm not entitled to it because, in their words, I don't have enough National Insurance contributions for the past 3 years.

I'm finding this really hard to accept and to be honest i'm angry at this decision as I have always worked - either full time or part time.

I think there has been some kind of mistake - out of the past 3 years I have been employed full time for 2 years as a teacher and the remaining year I worked full time for part of that year and then part time for the rest( was completing a PGDE that year)

I have contacted the NI enquiry helpline and been told that my NI contributions are as follows:

April 2011-2012 - £1,655
2010 - 2011 -£1, 158
2009 - 2010 -£ 81( was studying and working pt this year)

I am looking for advice from people who have experience of this. How much NI would I have had to have paid to be entitled?
I am entitled and have they made a mistake?

I am waiting on an official letter to tell me I am not entitled and then I will be asking for a review. To be honest it's not even about the money so much anymore it's more the principle. I am a hardworking person and I have no doubt that I will have employment in the very near future but I feel like I am getting a rough deal here.

Any advice or views welcome.

Caz3121

not sure of the exact amounts but the only years they will currently look at is 2009/10 and 2010/11 (from Jan 2013 they will use 2010/11 and 2011/12) so it looks like it is your 2009/10 earnings that could be the issue. Would you qualify for income based JSA or do you have a partner or savings?

chickadee83

Thanks for the reply Caz, apologies for the slow response but this job seeking is a full time job in itself!

I live with my bf and have done for the past 2 years. He works full time also as a teacher, he earns a decent salary( above £25,000) so not sure if I would be entitled to Income based JSA if they were taking his earnings into consideration. I don't have any savings. This is something I may have to look into.

I have calmed down slightly since my first post! I just find it unfair that they won't take the NI I paid in 2011/2012 into account, is there a reason for this? I have asked for it to be reviewed anyways but I'm not holding out much hope.

Thanks again.

rogerblack

chickadee83 wrote: »

T if I would be entitled to Income based JSA if they were taking his earnings into consideration. I don't have any savings. This is something I may have to look into.

I just find it unfair that they won't take the NI I paid in 2011/2012 into account, is there a reason for this?

The law gives specific times you must have worked in order to be eligible for contributions based. An appeal on this basis is doomed to fail, they cannot pay you if you don't meet the relevant contribution conditions. (assuming their calculations are correct)

The most recent months of employment may not count at all.
So, you may not be eligible for C-JSA now, but might be in several months.

There is no way you would be entitled to IR-JSA with a partner earning 25K.

wiccanlou

Apply for I R JSA so that you NI contributions are still paid you won't get any money though, at least this is what i was told once.

p00hsticks

chickadee83 wrote: »

I have calmed down slightly since my first post! I just find it unfair that they won't take the NI I paid in 2011/2012 into account, is there a reason for this? I have asked for it to be reviewed anyways but I'm not holding out much hope.

It's just logistics I think - they need to have complete NI records for the full tax year available before they can take them into consideration, and it can take a while until all the relevant information is submitted from employers. So they don't take notice of the last tax year immediately it is over, but rather wait until January each year.

There has to be a cut off point somewhere, and that's where it just happens to be. Unfortunately, in this case it hasn't worked in your favour.