Which law is this?

GMbabies

I fequently read a quote 'JSA is based on how much the law says you need to live on.' e.g £71 currently

Does anyone know which law this is?

Come April, JSA claimers will have to pay 20-25% of their council tax out of £71. Basically, this amount the law says is all of a sudden allowed to go down. Shouldn't the law need to reflect this new change to recalculate new JSA amount?

ILW

There is no such law.

rogerblack

The applicable amount.
This is laid down in JSA regulations.
However.
This is the amount the law says a JSA claimant gets to live on.
It does not take into account expenses, taxes, charges, or anything else.
Additional benefits in some cases may help to pay those charges, but this is entirely unrelated to JSA.

The JSA rules most definitely do not say 'JSA claimants should get 71 pounds after a list of allowable expenses is deducted'.

GMbabies

ILW wrote: »

There is no such law.

No wonder, that's why it's like chinese whisper, everybody just keep on repeating the phrase but nobody knows what it is LOL

Cate1976

This question is similar to one I've been wondering about which is whether any 'protection' clauses ahve been put in which mean that regardless of the % of the council tax bill has to be paid that people won't have to contribute so much that they can't then afford food or other essential bills? For example a clause saying that the amount you have to pay can't be more than 10% of whatever benefits are received for living expenses. When UC comes in it shouldn't be more than 10% of the living expenses elements (housing, childcare & disability elements disregarded) that is paid for council tax.

For example single person currently on JSA of £71 week pays maximum of £7.10 towards their council tax even if the council says they have to pay 25% and in an expensive area of the country that's £30 week.

real1314

The Social Security Act - there are numerous acts, for various benefits. I'd guess at 1992 for JSA, subject to annual adjustment when the uprating goes through parliament.

Essentially the "law of JSA" says that "a single person under 25 shall receive £xx.xx; a single person over 25 shall receive £yy.yy; a couple shall receive £zz.zz" etc etc

The law defines how much you should be paid, but not what that payment is intended to cover, although I was once told it was originally based on a set basket of goods/clothes/spending based on a set of "reasonable" assumptions. :cool:

rogerblack

Cate1976 wrote: »

This question is similar to one I've been wondering about which is whether any 'protection' clauses ahve been put in .

There is no such protection.
This sort of measure was debated at the time of the passing of the bill about the localisation of council tax through the lords.
It did not make it into the bill.

GMbabies

Cate1976 wrote: »

This question is similar to one I've been wondering about which is whether any 'protection' clauses ahve been put in which mean that regardless of the % of the council tax bill has to be paid that people won't have to contribute so much that they can't then afford food or other essential bills? For example a clause saying that the amount you have to pay can't be more than 10% of whatever benefits are received for living expenses. When UC comes in it shouldn't be more than 10% of the living expenses elements (housing, childcare & disability elements disregarded) that is paid for council tax.

For example single person currently on JSA of £71 week pays maximum of £7.10 towards their council tax even if the council says they have to pay 25% and in an expensive area of the country that's £30 week.

I think it's really important for JSA claimers to get clarification on this. Because based on your 10% thingy and if a person is to pay e.g. £35 per month for gas/electric/water, they will have just £28.90 per week (daily amount of £4.12) to buy food. I haven't even deducted any public transport cost, internet or telephone costs which I'm sure JSA claimers will need to spend. How will they be able to afford a basic living... I don't know.
All I know is that there will be a lot of people end up homeless or more trouble on the rise.

paddedjohn

£4.12 is plenty enough for food for a day but not if you also need to pay for other things out of this amount.

missapril75

It's quite a useful expression to absolve the poor sods who work in benefit offices from any blame for what you get paid.

Cate1976

A single person on £71 week. I reckon

Food £20
Gas/Electric/Oil £15
Tv licence £5.75
Phone/internet £5 (basic package)
Transport £10
Clothes £5
Council Tax £7.10

Leaves £4 'emergency fund'

Reason I include phone/internet is due to rules that you have be contactable by JCP and internet is pretty much essential for jobhunting, libraries not always suitable.