Joint bank account and claiming JSA

gibraeel

I recently opened a joint savings account with my mother and has a balance of over £20,000. All the money in the account belongs to my mother. My mum spends most of the year abroad in India and this way I can operate the account pay her bills etc and also send her money abroad.

Problem now is that I have recently been made unemployed and I am about to claim jobseekers allowance. I have an ISA with £5,300 on my name only and a current acc. on my name only with £323.

I know that I have to submit my savings statements as part of the process of getting JSA. How will having a joint account with my mum effect by JSA application.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

rogerblack

It may delay it - however this is explicitly permitted.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch29.pdf is the official guidance.
Search for 'Pradeep'.

If you have been only paying her bills, and never ever have touched the money for yourself, this will be simpler to argue.
You will need a letter from your mother, explaining that the money is hers, and confirmation of where the money is going.

Caz3121

If you have paid sufficient NI contributions then you can claim contribution based JSA for 26 weeks which savings has no effect on.
I suspect if you need to claim income based JSA you will hit problems as the money may be seen as yours and over £16k would mean no payment.

dseventy

removed......

pmlindyloo

rogerblack wrote: »

It may delay it - however this is explicitly permitted.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/dmgch29.pdf is the official guidance.
Search for 'Pradeep'.

If you have been only paying her bills, and never ever have touched the money for yourself, this will be simpler to argue.
You will need a letter from your mother, explaining that the money is hers, and confirmation of where the money is going.

You need to look for 29099 (such a long document - thought this might be useful ) Also from reading it seems that the joint account was not 'touched' by the claimant so was easy to prove she was only a 'trustee') Mmmmmm

Agree that OP might be entitled to contribution based JSA which is not means tested)

Because of the complexity of what you are doing with the account - paying bills/sending money - proving you are not a beneficiary of the joint account could prove onerous particularly if you also need to apply for HB/CTB. (Seems from what you say you would also have an underlying entitlement to income based JSA)

Is the bank account internet based? Wonder if it would be easier to get it put in your mother's name and bills etc paid with DDs and money transferred to an account where she is. Internet banking really is the answer to this set of circumstances.

Having said all that even if you set this up now there would be a chance when your contribution based JSA ends/apply for HB/CTB you would have to explain the joint account.

Fingers crossed you get a job soon Do think about internet banking for the future though - would save a lot of bother.

anonx_2

why not just open your own bank account ?

you can still deal with your mothers affairs without having a joint account with her

this post doesnt make sense

missapril75

anonx wrote: »

this post doesnt make sense

To be fair, it appears to make perfect sense for those involved for whom it works well enough.

It's only now that there is an issue and that may still involve no problems.

you can still deal with your mothers affairs without having a joint account with her

But you are correct. The internet run account would help...as would the OP having power of attorney - which could even be limited to what they've already agreed.

Mojisola

You could also just be a signatory on the account. I did this with my parents' account - I could deal with the account but none of the money was counted as mine.

As you have a joint account, 50% will be counted as yours and you will have to prove it isn't.