Urgent Help! JSA Conflicting information re. Savings

letthemeatcake

As you haven't received any payments yet and are at the start of a claim now is the time to be honest. It won't matter that you were mistaken about how much you had in savings at this point.

missapril75

HappyMJ wrote: »

There is no need to live on £71 a week which for anyone used to living on £500 a week would be very hard.

I wasn't suggesting they should cut back to living on £71 a week.
But spending £500 a week when you have an income that enables you to do that is one thing. (not that £12k a year does enable that )

To lose that source of income and hope to continue spending £500 a week is pretty silly. Of more relevance though, is when you have been officially informed of the effect of savings on benefits (as the OP has been) to get through those savings at that rate and then claim means tested benefits is likely to be seen as doing so in order to qualify for benefit.

missapril75

jancollins wrote: »

Now... lets say for whatever reason the second person I dealt with a the JC was correct - it is income based, and my savings will be taken into account. How bad is it that I have said my savings are £11k when it is nearer £16k which my statements when handed in this week will show? The 'fraud' word mentioned above has really scared me

Assuming you don't get a disallowance for leaving the job voluntarily or misconduct, you'll likely get contributions based for 6 months, then income based which would then be reduced because of the capital.
Unless things have changed, benefit fraud exists only when monies not due have been obtained. So even if they decide it was deliberate, an attempt is not the same as actual fraud and just a warning at most. But the earlier advice is likely to stop it even getting that far.

iammumtoone

have you taken your bank statements in yet? If not no need to worry, just simply give them a call and say you miss calculated your savings and have now only realised the correct amount once you have had time to get the paperwork together. I can't see this being classed as fraud as you have declared the correct amount before you have been given any payment.

jancollins

Who exactly would I call? I would rather not speak to my local JC+, as it stands now they have most of my info I provided them with earlier in the week, and I am advised to hand in my bank statements as soon as possible to be sent to the central JC+ I guess, whom will decide my claim.

On a separate note, I left my job as I had thought I had another which fell through (I have proof), do you still think however they will contact my former employer (I would rather they not)? They asked would my former employer take me back, which they would not with my role now filled, however I would hate for them to take it on themselves to contact them to discuss why they understood I to leave, and is there any possibility down the line of getting my old job back. Although maybe this is al their right to if I am claiming job seekers.

rogerblack

jancollins wrote: »

On a separate note, I left my job as I had thought I had another which fell through (I have proof), do you still think however they will contact my former employer (I would rather they not)? They asked would my former employer take me back, which they would not with my role now filled, however I would hate for them to take it on themselves to contact them to discuss why they understood I to leave, and is there any possibility down the line of getting my old job back. Although maybe this is al their right to if I am claiming job seekers.

If you leave a job without good reason, you are not eligible to be paid JSA.
It is possible they will view anything less than a firm job offer as 'not good reason' - though the actual decision depends on how lenient the decisionmaker is feeling.

It is possible they will contact your previous employer - as clearly it's relevant - if you've asked if there is a possibility of your old job back - then clearly you've made that effort.
If you haven't, and there are not clear reasons why not, then this is good evidence from their point of view that you resigned voluntarily.
If there is obviously no possibility of your job being still open due to industry conditions or practice, this isn't so relevant.

dookar

If you had a firm offer of employment to start immediately then you will have Just Cause for leaving your job.

If the offer was not to start immediately then the maximum sanction will be the period between leaving your job and the start date of the new job had it not fallen through.

You can tell them you do not want them to contact your former employer and they must comply with this, but if they require evidence from the employer and are not able to request it this is likely not to be in your favour

jancollins

It was a firm offer to start in a few weeks time. As far as I can tell, the JC+ did not seem too interested in that. I have a form to complete where I outline why I left my job etc. to which Ill also provide the proof.

dookar

l Imagine a Sanction would be appropriate then

rogerblack

dookar wrote: »

l Imagine a Sanction would be appropriate then

Quite - resigning from a secure job before you had to in order to take up an even firm job offer is extremely likely to lead to a sanction.