Job Seekers "Holidays"

activist3

Hi,
I was recently made redundant from a job but for the last year i have been planning a charity trip to South Africa working with street children and orphans with an organisation i hope to work for in the future and in a field i would like to work in the future. The trip has been totally funded by charity donations and fundraising. However i have just been made redundant and have to sign on job seekers (I am seeking a job!!) to make sure my payment protection policies pay out.

However i am going to miss a sign on date by going away.

any advice?

activist3

Just to claify i am going away for 2 weeks.

seven-day-weekend

They will stop your claim if you go abroad and you will have to restart it when you return.

However, you are allowed two weeks holiday in the UK.

activist3

Is there anywway around this? I am also going to be looking for a job out there so would this make a difference? Reason it is stressing me out is because i have got mortgage protection which still hasne even paid out yet and i started claiming months ago and the thought of starting from the beginning is really upsetting me. Obviously when i planned the trip i didnt expect to be made redundant

seven-day-weekend

Sorry you are feeling so stressed. I don;t know whether looking for a job there will make a difference. I think it may. Hopefully somone will be along soon who does know.

(edited to remove innappropriate link).

dmg24

You are allowed to continue claiming for JSA if you are looking for work within the EU, but I don't believe this applies to the rest of the world.

Sorry x

Louise1521

I've just had to sign off cos I'm going abroad for two weeks. Wonder why they pay you to have a two week holiday in the uk and not abroad. Either way, I wouldn't imagine many people would be looking for work.

ukdickie31

JSA doesn't pay anyone to 'have a holiday.'

The rules are different for holidays in UK and holidays abroad.

Holidays in the UK are generally allowed but there are specific questions that have to be completed at the Jobcentre before the holiday. To keep entitlement to JSA, the Jobseeker must be actively seeking work and available for the duration of the holiday. The holiday can last no longer than 14 days. In any calendar year, there can be no more than 2 separate holidays or 14 days in total (whichever is reached first).

Holidays abroad mean the claim for JSA will close.

Job interviews abroad are a different matter.

This is a link to a leaflet titled "Going abroad and getting your benefits"

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_012307.pdf

Oldernotwiser

If you say you're going on holiday in the UK there's no means of checking where you actually are; you don't have to sign on while you're away.

Read between the lines!

Hapless_2

activist3 wrote: »

Is there anywway around this? I am also going to be looking for a job out there so would this make a difference?

Good luck in finding work out there, there are big strikes out there at the moment. I take it you have had advice on getting a work visa? At the moment for most jobs you have to have residency.

seven-day-weekend

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

If you say you're going on holiday in the UK there's no means of checking where you actually are; you don't have to sign on while you're away.

Read between the lines!

I was trying to say that without saying it.