Confused about JSA

Njal

Hi,
I was made redundant at christmas, my wife hasn't worked since we had children 8 years ago.
I have made a claim for Contribution Based JSA.
The Job Centre haven't been very helpful about what we are entitled to and what we aren't.
I had to provide all of my wife's (and children's) details when I completed the application form, including the information that she does not work and has no income.
It seems like they are going to pay me £71 a week, but a quick search on the internet mentioned an amount for couples and extra for dependant children.
I'm wondering if our claim should have been done as a joint claim.
At the Job Centre I saw on their screen it said "Joint Claim? No", but I don't remember seeing this as an option on the form.
Also, I think my wife might have to make her own claim, but am not sure.
I'll ring them next week, but they have been less than helpful so far, so wondered if anybody knows?

Caz3121

Is your wife looking for work?

Unless your wife would be entitled to contribution based (which she wouldn't if she has not worked for 8 years) she would be unable to make her own claim and it would be a joint claim which would pay £111 per week.

Any money for children comes from child tax credits and not from JSA

Njal

She is looking for work, yes, but hasn't paid any contributions in 8 years so it would be Income based I suppose.

benefitbaby

As a couple the law says you need £111.45 to live on, this is called your applicable amount. From this income is deducted, your income is contribution based JSA of £71. So you will receive £71 CJSA topped-up with £30.45 income-related JSA.

This is money for you and your wife.

As noted above benefits for children comes from child benefit and child tax credits (claimed from HMRC).

Benefits to cover rent (housing benefit) and council tax (council tax benefit) comes from the local council.

If you have a mortgage then the help with the interest element of your mortgage would be paid after 13 weeks via your JSA claim.

Hope this helps and for more info see http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e.htm

busy_mom_2

JCP staff are not benefit trained, yes this is madness but staff cannot advise customer what to claim if they have not been trained. Some JCP have ex-benefit staff working in them so they pass on knowledge but as a rule they earn what they pic up.

von

You say that you claimed Contribution based JSA which would entitle you to Cont-based JSA at £71 per week.
You cannot make a joint claim as this only applies to couples who don't have any children. What you should have done is also claim Income-based JSA which, if entitled would pay you £111.45 per week (that figure is based on you and your partner having no income, other than Child Benefit and Child Tax Credits and having joint savings of less than £6,000.00), although if they have asked you for information regarding your wife and children I would have thought that you did make an Income-based claim (otherwise they wouldn't have asked for this information.

I think you need to phone the number on your JSA award letter to check if you claimed Income-based and if so why aren't they paying you £111.45 per week.
If you haven't claimed Income-based, you will need to ask for a JSA 3 at the Jobcentre asap to complete and return it to the Jobcentre (timing is crucial as you could lose money if you delay doing this).

Also, a couple claim for Income-based JSA only pays for you and your wife, you are paid or need to claim Child Tax Credits for your children.

Njal

I don't think I'm entitled to Income based, as I have savings over £16k.

EDIT: And debts of over £40k (mortgage) but that doesn't seem to make a difference, unless I had used my savings to pay off some mortgage already.

benefitbaby

Ah, yes the savings change things so that no income related entitlement exist.