JSA on a work placement

fortunefaded

Hi there

I need to know, can I apply for job seekers allowance whilst on a work placement?

The work placement has nothing to do with job seekers as I'm currently in full time employment, I've found the placement myself and I'm 25 years old.

The work placement is for six months with free accommodation but unpaid. I'd be working 4 days a week thus have 8-12 days a month to work to earn the £250 I need to support myself.

skintandscared_2

Why would you work for six months with no pay? Even with free accommodation, that makes no sense? What sort of work placement is it?

miduck

skintandscared wrote: »

Why would you work for six months with no pay? Even with free accommodation, that makes no sense? What sort of work placement is it?

Many placements/ internships are unpaid, probably more than those that are paid.

OP, no, you would not be eligible for JSA whilst on a work placement.

fortunefaded

skintandscared wrote: »

Why would you work for six months with no pay? Even with free accommodation, that makes no sense? What sort of work placement is it?

A work placement that procides not only training and certification but actual experience with the certs. If I funded the training myself it would be around £2000 and then I still have no experience with the certs.

skintandscared wrote: »

Why would you work for six months with no pay? Even with free accommodation, that makes no sense? What sort of work placement is it?

I'm trying to get a career I want, not a job but my career is in in a very crowed job sector (conservation management). Through weekend volunteering experience I've found 2/3 of the leaders, rangers, managers got their start by doing work placements of 3-12 months.

6 months of on job experience and free training (chainsaw licence, 4x4 driving skills, tractor tickets, brushcutter and spraying licences) are included .

miduck wrote: »

Many placements/ internships are unpaid, probably more than those that are paid.

OP, no, you would not be eligible for JSA whilst on a work placement.

What are the reasons for not getting JSA? It seems so very vague - The stipulatiions for JSA are that I'm looking for work and can immediately start work- which I can do whilst on the placement.

Other issues included having to explain why I left FT work!

BigAunty

If you’re on benefits

You can volunteer and claim benefits if:

• the only money you get from volunteering is to cover expenses, like travel costs
• you continue to meet the conditions of the benefit you get

https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/when-you-can-volunteer



The basic rules
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
The basic rules are that if you get Jobseeker’s Allowance, you will still need to be looking for paid work. You must be free to go to an interview if we give you 48 hours' notice. You must be able to start work within one week of us giving you notice.

You must not be paid money or anything else for volunteering. It’s OK to be paid your expenses but you must tell us what you get.
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miduck

BigAunty wrote: »

If you’re on benefits

You can volunteer and claim benefits if:

• the only money you get from volunteering is to cover expenses, like travel costs
• you continue to meet the conditions of the benefit you get

https://www.gov.uk/volunteering/when-you-can-volunteer



The basic rules
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
The basic rules are that if you get Jobseeker’s Allowance, you will still need to be looking for paid work. You must be free to go to an interview if we give you 48 hours' notice. You must be able to start work within one week of us giving you notice.

You must not be paid money or anything else for volunteering. It’s OK to be paid your expenses but you must tell us what you get.
[/FONT][/FONT]

The OP is not asking about voluntary work, he is undertaking an unpaid work placement. Voluntary work covers "work" that you would not otherwise expect payment for, what the OP has described is the equivalent of an internship or work experience, which is doing a job that you would normally receive payment for (and which others do receive payment for).

BigAunty

miduck wrote: »

The OP is not asking about voluntary work, he is undertaking an unpaid work placement. Voluntary work covers "work" that you would not otherwise expect payment for, what the OP has described is the equivalent of an internship or work experience, which is doing a job that you would normally receive payment for (and which others do receive payment for).

Doesn't seem to be breaching the terms as set out by the DWP paper, as far as I can see - some volunteering positions are virtually indistinguishable from internships or unpaid work experience anyhow, so long as he's not under contract for it, and like you say, someone would normally be paid to do it (a grey area at the best of times since most volunteers could be switched to a paid role if the charity had the fund, anyhow).

Read the pdf document. It has clear info about what the DWP look for to determine if it's a true volunteer role rather than employment they should be paid for



What is volunteering?
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
This is when you choose to give your time and energy to benefit other people without being paid for it. You could do voluntary work with any kind of organisation, including:

• a charity, voluntary organisation or community group
• a public-sector organisation, like your local council
• a social enterprise supporting your local community, or
• a local business.

It’s not volunteering if you:

• help out a family member
• are given money apart from your expenses, or
• are under contract to do it (this does not include any ‘volunteer agreement’ you may have).

If you’re getting State benefits, you can be a volunteer and, in nearly all cases, your benefits will not be affected. However, there are some cases where your benefits can be affected } for example, if you get a subsistence allowance or if you’re doing what someone else would normally be paid for.



What if I choose not to get paid for my work?
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
Choosing not to be paid is not the same as volunteering. If you’re doing what someone would normally be paid for } for example, if you’re working in a business or for a member of your family where they would usually pay someone to do the work } we will class this as unpaid work, not volunteering.



We decide by looking at whether:

• someone would normally be paid to do the same kind of work
• your work helps society or your community in some way, and
• you work for a charity or similar group.

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

miduck

BigAunty wrote: »

Doesn't seem to be breaching the terms as set out by the DWP paper, as far as I can see - some volunteering positions are virtually indistinguishable from internships or unpaid work experience anyhow, so long as he's not under contract for it, and like you say, someone would normally be paid to do it (a grey area at the best of times since most volunteers could be switched to a paid role if the charity had the fund, anyhow).

Read the pdf document. It has clear info about what the DWP look for to determine if it's a true volunteer role rather than employment they should be paid for



What is volunteering?
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
This is when you choose to give your time and energy to benefit other people without being paid for it. You could do voluntary work with any kind of organisation, including:

• a charity, voluntary organisation or community group
• a public-sector organisation, like your local council
• a social enterprise supporting your local community, or
• a local business.

It’s not volunteering if you:

• help out a family member
• are given money apart from your expenses, or
• are under contract to do it (this does not include any ‘volunteer agreement’ you may have).

If you’re getting State benefits, you can be a volunteer and, in nearly all cases, your benefits will not be affected. However, there are some cases where your benefits can be affected } for example, if you get a subsistence allowance or if you’re doing what someone else would normally be paid for.



What if I choose not to get paid for my work?
[FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue][FONT=KMOFVZ+HelveticaNeue-Light,Helvetica Neue]
Choosing not to be paid is not the same as volunteering. If you’re doing what someone would normally be paid for } for example, if you’re working in a business or for a member of your family where they would usually pay someone to do the work } we will class this as unpaid work, not volunteering.



We decide by looking at whether:

• someone would normally be paid to do the same kind of work
• your work helps society or your community in some way, and
• you work for a charity or similar group.

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

I have seen several cases like this (my information is not just from reading a pdf!), in particular with graduates, and none have been granted JSA. The OP is doing this for his own career progression, not to help society.

[Deleted User]

OP could you arrange an overdraft for the cash you need?or have you family that could help?would p.time work be an option whilst on the placement?

BigAunty

miduck wrote: »

... The OP is doing this for his own career progression, not to help society.

The DWP document is explicit that it supports voluntary work as a means to helping someone's employability. The field the OP is interested in is conservation, clearly this falls within the remit.

However, until the OP applies, they won't know if the DWP will allow it - depends what shade of grey in a continuum of grey in this grey area between volunteering and actually working unpaid in a role that should be paid.

Tottyshouse

"Other issues included having to explain why I left FT work!"


Isn't it a moot point anyway as the OP is currently in full time employment? I would imagine if he voluntarily gave up his job to do this unpaid work placement, any benefits he would ordinarily be entitled to would be sanctioned.