Jobseekers Allowance + Relationships

B-N-F

Hi there;

Can anyone help or point me in the direction where I can get some info please

Does anyone know if you can still claim JSA if in a relationship and living with the partner?

My girlfriend and I live in a shared house (us two in one room and 3 others in the house). I am working 20 hours per week and also full time university student. My lovely girlfriend having just moved in with me from her local area is still in the process of looking for work, but has been signing on to JSA for the last couple of months.

Recently we moved house (into our current residence) and when she changed the address details with the Job Centre they stopped her claim. They said that she hadn't given them enough information and she would have to re-fill out the form.
So we both went down to the Job Centre and did the form; against my recommendation (of being straight and honest about our circumstances); she didn't put that we're in a relationship at first because it was the early stages, and didn't put the information about the other house-mates (didn't know their details). So now they are saying they want to pop round to our house and evaluate our circumstance. That's fine as far as I'm concerned; but is us being and living together going to affect the £££ she gets? I know it does with housing benefits; but I didn't think it affected JSA.

Huge thanks in advanced

princessdon

Depends on her JSA claim. Eg if contribution based (ie she has worked previously and satisfies their criteria) - then it won't matter.

If she is on income based it will (your income - loans and wages) of over £111 per week will affect it.

B-N-F

Thank you for your reply PrincessD.
I think it's income based however I'm not 100% sure, it'll have to be checked on Monday.
Do you know if my student loan/grant would be taken into consideration with this if it is income based? I've no other finance (try to keep a blank slate wherever possible) other than my wages which come in at around £150 per week.

Torry_Quine

B-N-F wrote: »

Thank you for your reply PrincessD.
I think it's income based however I'm not 100% sure, it'll have to be checked on Monday.
Do you know if my student loan/grant would be taken into consideration with this if it is income based? I've no other finance (try to keep a blank slate wherever possible) other than my wages which come in at around £150 per week.

It won't matter whether your student loan is taken into account or not, although I think it is, as your wages are over the £111 a week for couples JSA.

B-N-F

Thank you both; I wish I had a better understanding of this stuff. So if it is income based, and I earn £40 a week over the threshold; am I then expected to give her that £40 a week in place of her job seekers? Or would there be a percentage removed from her job seekers based on the £40 extra I earn?

I'm guessing that if she tells them that she's single and it's quite evident that she's not (from impending house visit or me joining her at the job centre); that's counted as benefit fraud is it not?

princessdon

Loans are counted as income - not your fees loan but your "living loan". some are classed as grants and not counted. It's not a black and white, but it's irrelevant with your income.

the fraud is hers alone (nothing to do with you). She will have to repay the money she owes - they will inform her.

It's best not to try and hide it (say you weren't sure as you are a student) to avoid criminal charges, but don't try to wrangle and say you are not a couple.

She will get ZERO job seekers - she can still sign on to get her NI credits if she wishes.

BigAunty

Put your details into the Turn2us online benefit calculator - this will show you the impact of your income on her income based JSA, housing benefit and council tax discount. Your income may impact them quite a lot (loss of JSA, reduction in the others). Come back to the forum and let us know what the calculator says.

And don't go out with someone who is determined to be dishonest and won't take advice!

McKneff

And the NI credits are important so she must get one every week, they go towards any benefits she needs to claim and also count towards her state pension (haha, if there is one by the time she gets to her 70s)

Dont lie, it is truly the worst thing you can do, it is so easy to be tripped up by the professionals if you do.