JSA finished, what now?

kevpc

after working for 7 years, my wife became unemployed. she has just come to the end of her JSA period and we have no idea where to go from here. how do we find out what benefit(s) she may be entitled to now? after working for almost 40 years, i have been on incapacity benefit through severe breathing difficulties since 2007. will that affect anything she can now get? will anything she can get/apply for affect what i get?
hope someone can point us in the direction to at least get more info, please.

many TIA

McKneff

She needs to speak to someone at the job centre. It depends on your household income as to whether she can claim income related JSA, they will also tell her what other benefit you may be able to claim.
Even if she cant claim anything, she must keep signing on for her NI credits which affect future benefits and state pension.

kevpc

hi McKneff. tnx for reply. our income is now restricted to my incapacity benefit (just shy of £400/month and is for myself only) plus a small ex employer pension (£300/calandar month) which is taxable. we get nothing else at all. the person at the job center has offered her no advice at all other than to say we have to try to apply for extra from my incapacity benefit to cover her as well now. my concern with that is, after a complete balls up made by the benefit agency when she was at work and we received working tax credit, we had to pay it all back! dont want to be in the same position again. any further advice please?

dandelionclock30

Go and make an appointment at the CAB they will be able to tell you exactly what you are entitled to benefit wize and how to claim it.

kevpc

tnx for the advice guys. will see what we can sort out.

Mojisola

kevpc wrote: »

after working for 7 years, my wife became unemployed. she has just come to the end of her JSA period and we have no idea where to go from here. how do we find out what benefit(s) she may be entitled to now? after working for almost 40 years, i have been on incapacity benefit through severe breathing difficulties since 2007. will that affect anything she can now get? will anything she can get/apply for affect what i get?
hope someone can point us in the direction to at least get more info, please.

Ask for a joint assessment of your benefits. Do you need regular care - could she claim Carer's Allowance for you? Are you old enough to look at claiming Pension Credit?

kevpc

we were turned down even for disability living allowance because i can open a tin of beans and toast some bread. learnt today that even though the incap i get is for me only, based on contribution based payments, if we try a joint claim, it becomes income based and any and all savings are then taken into account. i worked for the little i have ready for when i reach retirement age. to lose it now would mean no way of getting it back.
no, i cant yet (not too much longer) claim pension credits as yet. wife wanted to do some courses to enhance her chance of finding work. just learnt as well that she has to do less than 16 hrs/week or cant have NI payed. less for her then for pension. seems to me that the govt just wants to screw as many ordinary people as possible, regardless of circumstances, as much as possible.