Jobseeker's and pay in arrears

superwizon

Hi all, I'm gonna have a little rant about the Jobcentre and I am hoping to find some people that agree with me to back me up on this.

My work has come to and end, and my last wage was on the 11th of October covering the 4th-10th. I started my JSA claim on the 12th. I have now been told that I am not entitled to any money for the first week of my claim because I had just been paid and that money needs to last the following week, even though I was paid in arrears.
So basically:
Period 4th-10th October: my employer paid me as I was in work.
Period 11th-17th October: apparently I am not entitled to any money.
Period 18th-24th October: the Jobcentre will pay me.

On their theory that pay in arrears actually has to last you the following week, then when I do get a two week payment in arrears from the Jobcentre, I should not be entitled to any more money for the next two weeks. It's ridiculous.

I have complained to the Jobcentre and written to the Prime Minister's office, but I would just like to know I am not the only person who sees it this way, as it is impossible to get through to anyone at the Jobcentre.

My bf also went through this when his temp contract came to an end, because he was paid monthly he was not entitled to any benefits for one month, even though they stopped his jobseeker's the moment he started work, so he has already gone one month without any money at the start.

nannytone_2

if you hadnt have lost your job, then the pay you received on 10th would have needed to last you until 17th.
you are not entitled to JSA for the first 3 days after you claim

the job centre then pay you in arrears as they cant pre pay you for days when you might find a job.

when you started work you did a week in hand ... so dont you have that week to come back? aby hokiday pay accrued?

sammyjammy

You can rant all you like, the Jobcentre staff are just doing their job. As long as what they have told you is correct then of course you won't "get through" to anyone there.

Are you in a Universal Credit area?

von

If you were working full time, that's 16 hours or more per week for JSA purposes then your final wage is disregarded and you would be entitled to JSA from the 4th day of your claim. So when you sign on for the first time you would be entitled to JSA from the 4th day up to your signing day, then fortnightly after that.
If you were working less then 16 hours per week they will take your final wage into account.

missapril75

superwizon wrote: »

My work has come to and end, and my last wage was on the 11th of October covering the 4th-10th.
On their theory that pay in arrears actually has to last you the following week

It's not their theory, it's what happens isn't it?
If still working what money would you get before the 18th?

nannytone wrote: »

if you hadnt have lost your job, then the pay you received on 10th would have needed to last you until 17th.
you are not entitled to JSA for the first 3 days after you claim the job centre then pay you in arrears

Look on the bright side. With JSA being paid in arrears it helps with the period returning to work - especially if one bothers to read the material provided and applies for outstanding payment.

superwizon

nannytone wrote: »

if you hadnt have lost your job, then the pay you received on 10th would have needed to last you until 17th.
you are not entitled to JSA for the first 3 days after you claim

Yes but then I would have been paid again on the 18th, what the jobcentre is saying that i am not entitled to be paid for that period, so in effect my money has to last me until the 25th!

i know there's the 3 waiting days but that's not my issue.

and the same to missapril75, i'm not asking to receive money before i would from my pay, but money to COVER the period i am out of work, even if i receive it in arrears, but they have told me i am not entitled to money to COVER that period.

Is this seriously how the rules work? I was hoping the Jobcentre were wrong. Like I said, if I was paid monthly, they would make me go one month without any money, then start my jobseeker's entitlement from a month after my job finished. How does that even work???

RAS

superwizon wrote: »

Yes but then I would have been paid again on the 18th, what the jobcentre is saying that i am not entitled to be paid for that period, so in effect my money has to last me until the 25th!

That is not what you said in your previous post.

superwizon wrote: »

So basically:
Period 4th-10th October: my employer paid me as I was in work.
Period 11th-17th October: apparently I am not entitled to any money.
Period 18th-24th October: the Jobcentre will pay me.

superwizon

RAS wrote: »

That is not what you said in your previous post.

yes, that is exactly what i said in my previous post.
i am not talking about the date i am paid, i am talking about the period that the pay covers. the jobcentre is saying that i am not entitled to any money covering the period 11th-17th october, so if i were to be paid on the 25th, it would not be 2 weeks pay, it would only be one.
its not that they're going to pay it two weeks in arrears, it's that they're not going to pay it at all!!!

Poppie68

They are'nt paying you because regardless of the monies being paid on the 11th for the previous week you for the week 11th-17th have money coming in from your previous job and will not pay jobseekers on top of the income.

superwizon

Poppie68 wrote: »

They are'nt paying you because regardless of the monies being paid on the 11th for the previous week you for the week 11th-17th have money coming in from your previous job and will not pay jobseekers on top of the income.

but that covers the previous week. like i said, jobseeker's is paid in arrears but they dont make you go two weeks without any money because you've just received a two week payment!
there's no way i can make £134 cover two weeks rent and bills, it's only just enought to pay one week's!

sulkisu

superwizon wrote: »

Hi all, I'm gonna have a little rant about the Jobcentre and I am hoping to find some people that agree with me to back me up on this.

My work has come to and end, and my last wage was on the 11th of October covering the 4th-10th. I started my JSA claim on the 12th. I have now been told that I am not entitled to any money for the first week of my claim because I had just been paid and that money needs to last the following week, even though I was paid in arrears.
So basically:
Period 4th-10th October: my employer paid me as I was in work.
Period 11th-17th October: apparently I am not entitled to any money.
Period 18th-24th October: the Jobcentre will pay me.

On their theory that pay in arrears actually has to last you the following week, then when I do get a two week payment in arrears from the Jobcentre, I should not be entitled to any more money for the next two weeks. It's ridiculous.

I have complained to the Jobcentre and written to the Prime Minister's office, but I would just like to know I am not the only person who sees it this way, as it is impossible to get through to anyone at the Jobcentre.

My bf also went through this when his temp contract came to an end, because he was paid monthly he was not entitled to any benefits for one month, even though they stopped his jobseeker's the moment he started work, so he has already gone one month without any money at the start.

It doesn't really matter what a load of stranger on a forum think, so I'm not sure in what way you would like people to 'back you up'. As far as I know, none of us have the authority to overturn the decision.

Speaking for myself, I understand the way that it works (I suspect that many do), and accept it. If money is tight, you would be better off asking for advice on how to make it stretch than asking us to tell you that we agree with you, which is pointless and serves no real purpose.