Contribution JSA advice please

cattermole

I've been thinking about this thread and firstly I just like to say she is lucky to have such a supportive friend

The problem with claiming is it's either on line or via the call centre and yes I believe it is one form for both i.e. contributions/income.

That aside assuming she gets around this first hurdle and gets JSA contribution based and isn't able to find a job by the time it runs out. So this is a short term fix to her problems.

She needs to get a claim in asap because by the sounds of it her own NI contributions are very important to give her a pension in her own right. And this will be the case after JSA contributions runs out she could still have an underlying entitlement (regardless of income) for her NI contributions. If she hasn't claimed since September she isn't going to have this tax year probably counting towards her pension for starters.

You don't say what ages they are? Is he getting his state pension or private? Or both? If she is over 55 say I would recommend if she hasn't already done so request a pension statement so she can check how many years contributions she already has.

Long term something is going to have to be sorted.

pmlindyloo

Pickle_Pot wrote: »

Thanks LindyLoo - yes, the online form does seem to cover claims for both and I suspect that's fundamentally the problem.

He is adamant that he won't give away his private information to her or to the Job Centre staff - he supports her as far as household expenses/running the house is concerned, pays the bills, gives her money to buy food.

One thing has not been asked.

Why did your friend stop working? If she did so voluntarily/was dismissed for Gross Misconduct then it is possible that she would be sanctioned and not be eligible for JSA.

Plus, why has she waited for so long to apply?

xylophone

In view of her situation, would it be worth booking an appointment with a benefits adviser at CAB?

Pickle_Pot

Xylophone - yes, I know she has been to see the CAB but not about the benefits situation - will suggest that.
LindyLoo - she stopped working simply because her contract ran out. She didn't claim initially as she was sure she would quickly pick up another, then when she did claim she was told she was ineligible. It took her a couple of months then to discover that she was ineligible for income based, but not for contribution-based - no-one she had spoken to had told her there were two types.
Thank you Cattermole - yes, from the outside it seems clear that long term the situation needs to change, but with such a level of secrecy and control it's hard to see how this will happen fairly, and I think that's why it may not happen quickly. Her state pension situation is fine - she has worked long enough for that to be assured. Her husband's job was of the sort where you can retire early with a pension after 30 years of service.
Stormy Weather - yes, very controlling and it's very hard to stand by and do nothing, but hopefully things will eventually change.

cattermole

There are a lot of issues for her to deal with. Has she been nominated for the spouses pension should he die before her? Because it sounds like he has the kind of pension that would have a spouses pension. She could still be entitled to that even if they separated.

There must be some proviso I would have thought even with the DWP for this sort of situation. Married couples can be deemed to be living separately in the same house. What do the DWP say when she tells them he refuses to give her the information?

I think if she will (and that's another thing altogether) she needs to take Legal Advice.

princessdon

cattermole wrote: »

There are a lot of issues for her to deal with. Has she been nominated for the spouses pension should he die before her? Because it sounds like he has the kind of pension that would have a spouses pension. She could still be entitled to that even if they separated.

There must be some proviso I would have thought even with the DWP for this sort of situation. Married couples can be deemed to be living separately in the same house. What do the DWP say when she tells them he refuses to give her the information?

I think if she will (and that's another thing altogether) she needs to take Legal Advice.

Very large assumption there that could cause her to end up in sticky water.

cattermole

That's true re sticky water but either way she is in sticky water with no access to any money of her own at the current time.

sniggings

if the OP's friend chooses to live with such a man then that is up to her, I'm guessing she is of an age where she knows her own mind.

All we know is what a friend of this woman has said, the guy in question could not be what some are making out here.

If this were me, I would just give a best guess on the figure, if as she says she will not get income based, then just give a figure higher than the JSA couple allowance, that will make sure after 6 months no overpayment is make.

Pickle_Pot

I find it difficult to say what I would do if I were approaching retirement and someone else held all the financial cards in my relationship. It's always easy to say "that wouldn't happen to me", but sometimes people find their situation has changed in such small increments it's hard to tell when it became/becomes intolerable. For some people, freedom at the price of an old age spent in relative poverty is less acceptable than staying quiet and keeping everything you have worked for. I know I'd have taken a more idealistic view in my teens and twenties than I do now ��

Thank you all for your thoughts - I guess the answer is CAB, though will try the JC with her when we meet up. Is it possible to copy or flag this thread to the CAB advisor on here, do you know?

pmlindyloo

Pickle_Pot wrote: »

I find it difficult to say what I would do if I were approaching retirement and someone else held all the financial cards in my relationship. It's always easy to say "that wouldn't happen to me", but sometimes people find their situation has changed in such small increments it's hard to tell when it became/becomes intolerable. For some people, freedom at the price of an old age spent in relative poverty is less acceptable than staying quiet and keeping everything you have worked for. I know I'd have taken a more idealistic view in my teens and twenties than I do now ��

Thank you all for your thoughts - I guess the answer is CAB, though will try the JC with her when we meet up. Is it possible to copy or flag this thread to the CAB advisor on here, do you know?

There is no longer a specific forum where CAB advisers answer your queries - sorry.

However, there are lots of CAB advisers on this forum who give up their time to answer questions.

If you do decide to go to CAB with this question then you need to choose one with a benefit specialist.