JSA - joint claim back to single?

mannaroth

My partner and I are on a joint claim JSA. She has recently started an 8 hour per week job, which means our total weekly JSA is about £60.

Right now, she still has to go to the weekly sign in, but we're only earning about £6 per week extra from having her on the claim. Can she just sign off and have me go onto a solo claim and me just claim the standard £55 per week?

sniggings

no as you are a couple so JSA is based on both of your income, I think though if you have just left work and have paid enough NI etc then your JSA will not be based on income, so you would get JSA for the first 6 months, after that, your income level as a couple would come into play.

JSA only allows a single person to earn £5, after £5 your benefits are reduced pound for pound, for a couple I guess the amont you can earn is around £7.

mannaroth

Yes, I understand that our joint income is considered. That is not what I asked. I wanted to know if my partner signs off JSA, what would happen to my benefit? So we earn £110 per week now, can she just sign off, earn her £50 herself and I collect my £55 jsa?

sniggings

mannaroth wrote: »

Yes, I understand that our joint income is considered. That is not what I asked. I wanted to know if my partner signs off JSA, what would happen to my benefit? So we earn £110 per week now, can she just sign off, earn her £50 herself and I collect my £55 jsa?

Clearly you didn't understand my answer as I have answered your point, but I will say it again, if you live together ALL your income as a pair will be taken into account if either one of you claim JSA, so if your joint income is £100 before claiming JSA and JSA is £111.45 for a couple, you would get around £7 JSA

The thing to remember is neither one of you can claim JSA as a single person if living together, it will be a joint claim.