NI Contributions - Contribution JSA just ended

DollyDee_2

My 6 months contribtion JSA has just finished.

When I spoke to my Advisor 2 weeks ago, I asked if I keep signing on to get my NI Contributions credited, will they count towards if I have to claim Contribtion JSA in the future? She said Yes, however, I signed on yesterday and the lady I saw said she didn't think they would.

I've got my 30+ years contributions for State Pension purposes so I am not going to keep signing unless they count for JSA in future years (although I hope not to be unemployed forever).

Could anybody clarify this for me please?

I have looked on internet but couldn't really find the answer.

Thank you.

CCFC_80

I am sure you are right. I was in the same boat had 30 years worth of NI contributions and couldn't see the point in continuing signing on. They still want to make you jump through hoops just to get your NI contributions credited.

DollyDee_2

Thank you for your reply but I don't know the answer to the question I asked.

I have been told 2 different things by 2 different JSA staff & I don't know which one is correct.

If I continue to sign on even though my JSA has run out (and I will still have to do the blessed job search) will the NI Credits count towards me claiming Contribution JSA in the future or are they "reduced" NI credits which would only count towards my State Pension (which I don't need as I've already got 30+ years).

:):)

sammyjammy

The NI contributions may count towards future entitlement to JSA C however this would be only for a future claim not the existing claim you have now. That will be based on the same tax years it was when you initially claimed until you stop claiming. I probably haven't explained it very well.

If you made a future claim with a gap of at least 13 weeks (I think) that looked at different tax years the nyou might qualify based on one of those years containing credited NI, you will have had to have worked for the other tax year enough to qualify as well.

Its fairly complicated and at the end of the day your choice. Voluntarily paid NI does not count towards JSA qualification so not worth it if you have your 30 years.

DollyDee_2

Thanks for your reply Sammy.

I'm still not clear though - sorry if I'm being thick.

I know I will only ever be able to claim 6 months Contribution JSA due to my husband's pension and I have now used this year's Allowance based on a previous year's Class 1 NI contributions (2010 or 2011 - I don't know which). I know I can only claim once per year.

Say I was unemployed in 2014 & needed to claim JSA C which would be based on 2012 or 2013 Class 1 NIC's (I don't know which year), if I continue to sign on now, will Class 1 NIC's be credited or will they be a lower NIC which would not cover a JSA C claim?

The JSA lady that I saw yesterday said I was on RITSY or something - she twisted the screen round and showed me but I may not have remembered the term correctly (but it wasn't small round cheese biscuits).:)

scooby088

You only get contributions based JSA for 6 months anyway, it then reverts to income based JSA if you get job in the next few months and keep it for 12 months or more then you would get contributions based JSA if you need to sign on again.

Hope I have made it clearer for you.

jobseeking_help

DollyDee wrote: »

My 6 months contribtion JSA has just finished.

When I spoke to my Advisor 2 weeks ago, I asked if I keep signing on to get my NI Contributions credited, will they count towards if I have to claim Contribtion JSA in the future? She said Yes, however, I signed on yesterday and the lady I saw said she didn't think they would.

I've got my 30+ years contributions for State Pension purposes so I am not going to keep signing unless they count for JSA in future years (although I hope not to be unemployed forever).

Could anybody clarify this for me please?

I have looked on internet but couldn't really find the answer.

Thank you.

Dolly Dee

JSA C is based on the last 2 financial years NI contribs. So you will have to sign on for another 2 financial years before eligible for another 6 mths JSA C

Hope this answers your question.

sammyjammy

scooby088 wrote: »

You only get contributions based JSA for 6 months anyway, it then reverts to income based JSA if you get job in the next few months and keep it for 12 months or more then you would get contributions based JSA if you need to sign on again.

Hope I have made it clearer for you.

Its not as simple as that I'm afraid.

sammyjammy

jobseeking_help wrote: »

Dolly Dee

JSA C is based on the last 2 financial years NI contribs. So you will have to sign on for another 2 financial years before eligible for another 6 mths JSA C

Hope this answers your question.

This isn't necessarily correct either.

sammyjammy

See next post cant get it to format correctly on this one

sammyjammy

OK, lets start again. The adviser was talking about RITYs, (Relevant Income Tax years)

If you’ve just run out of JSA C then presumably you made your claim to benefit in 2012.
The tax years used are dependant on which Benefit year your claim is made in. A Benefit Year begins on the first Sunday in January in any calendar year and ends on the Saturday immediately before the first Sunday in January in the following year. So for 2012 it started on 1st January.
If you make a claim after that date then your claim uses the latest two complete tax years. For benefit year 2012 it uses 09/10 and 10/11. For Benefit year 2011 it used 08/09 and 09/10.
There are two conditions to claim JSA C both of which must be met.
To satisfy the First Contribution Condition, the claimant must have:

• paid, or be treated as paid, Class One contributions for one of the last two Relevant Income Tax Years; and
• must have paid, or have been treated as having paid, national insurance contributions of at least 26 x the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) for that tax year; and
• paid the contributions before the week for which the JSA is claimed, this is relevant to late paid contributions.

To satisfy the Second Contribution Condition, the claimant must have:

• paid or been credited with Class One Contributions or
• paid Share Fisherman’s or Volunteer Development Workers’Class Two contributions in the last two Relevant Income Tax Years (RITYs); and
• have an Earnings Factor (EF) of at least 50 x the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) for each of those RITYs.

So if you made a new claim to benefit and you satisfied the first condition for one of the tax years then the contributions you would have credited whilst unemployed might mean you would be entitled to six months JSA C again.