Jsa paid to cover weekends?

CCFC_80

GwylimT wrote: »

If you have savings the decent thing to do is live on those before resorting to JSA, unfortunately some people believe they are entitled to spend tax money and squirrel away their own.

I disagree, depending on your age you might need that money for your retirement. Why should anyone who spends every penny they have get JSA, whilst those being cautious seem to be looked down on. The way I look at it is if it was me with savings and I had paid into the system I should be entitled to it and shouldn't feel guilty about claiming it. To reiterate, that's why everyone pays their NI contributions so they can be entitled to claim JSA if they unfortunately become unemployed.

Coopdivi

I'm pretty certain that the OP is one of the regular MSE benefit trolls on the wind up. Hence the use of the word 'fascist' which was guaranteed to get plenty of people to bite. Still, the responses have had the added bonus of dragging more half-witted neanderthals out into the open for me to add them to my burgeoning ignore list.

Mr_Falling_Star

To answer the original question JSA is a seven day benefit and thus covers weekends, it is quite rare for the JC to ask you to Jobsearch over the weekend though. How do I know this? Well I worked for them for 18 years before taking early severence so you pick up a thing or two.

I would take a Job, any job before they stop your money which, lets face it, is going to happen. If you live in a university town there are lots of cleaning jobs going at the moment getting the student accomodation ready for the next academic year. Just go on Yell, bring up cleaning companies and ring round. You should get a result

HTH

kem1

I worked for the Jobcentre for over 10 years and object to me and my friends and colleagues (many of whom still work there) being called 'fascists'. They are doing a job, and have to enforce the current Government's regulations, regardless of whether they agree with them - as in their contract of employment. I think you'll find, in most cases, if you go into a Jobcentre with an open and honest attitude and a realistic plan to find work, you'll be supported and treated with respect. Go in with an attitude of being too good to be there, and a false air of 'entitlement' and you're likely to rub staff up the wrong way - because many of them have been in your shoes or have family and friends that have, and resent the fact that you think you're better than the rest of the people in the Jobcentre who have found themselves in the same unfortunate situation.

Also, i'd just like to say that the term 'entitled' really gets my back up. It is not about entitlement, it's about NEED. if you've worked and paid your NI contributions, you can claim for 6 months regardless of whether you're a millionaire or not. After that, if you NEED it, you'll still get it. If you don't, then you won't. If everybody received it who didn't need it, can you imagine the size of the benefits bill? Yes, I know it's frustrating if you've saved all your life - but think yourself lucky that you can support yourself and don't have to struggle by on JSA. Just be thankful of the fact that if you did ever end up in the situation whereby you were absolutely penniless, there'd still be some money in the pot to help you.

CCFC_80

kem1 wrote: »

I worked for the Jobcentre for over 10 years and object to me and my friends and colleagues (many of whom still work there) being called 'fascists'. They are doing a job, and have to enforce the current Government's regulations, regardless of whether they agree with them - as in their contract of employment. I think you'll find, in most cases, if you go into a Jobcentre with an open and honest attitude and a realistic plan to find work, you'll be supported and treated with respect. Go in with an attitude of being too good to be there, and a false air of 'entitlement' and you're likely to rub staff up the wrong way - because many of them have been in your shoes or have family and friends that have, and resent the fact that you think you're better than the rest of the people in the Jobcentre who have found themselves in the same unfortunate situation.

Also, i'd just like to say that the term 'entitled' really gets my back up. It is not about entitlement, it's about NEED. if you've worked and paid your NI contributions, you can claim for 6 months regardless of whether you're a millionaire or not. After that, if you NEED it, you'll still get it. If you don't, then you won't. If everybody received it who didn't need it, can you imagine the size of the benefits bill? Yes, I know it's frustrating if you've saved all your life - but think yourself lucky that you can support yourself and don't have to struggle by on JSA. Just be thankful of the fact that if you did ever end up in the situation whereby you were absolutely penniless, there'd still be some money in the pot to help you.

People may have adequate savings at the time of being unemployed but who can tell that they might not have them in the future.


You may want to sign on just to get your NI contributions credited as the rules have now been made more stringent to get an old age pension. I think now you need 35 years full NI contributions.


Realistically even a super rich person is not going to sign on just to get their NI contributions credited and turn down the basic jsa. Why, because the JSA advisers still force you to jump through hoops just to get the NI contributions credited.

Mersey_2

kem1 wrote: »

I worked for the Jobcentre for over 10 years ... I think you'll find, in most cases, if you go into a Jobcentre with an open and honest attitude and a realistic plan to find work, you'll be supported and treated with respect. Go in with an attitude of being too good to be there, and a false air of 'entitlement' and you're likely to rub staff up the wrong way - because many of them have been in your shoes or have family and friends that have, and resent the fact that you think you're better than the rest of the people in the Jobcentre who have found themselves in the same unfortunate situation.

Also, i'd just like to say that the term 'entitled' really gets my back up. It is not about entitlement, it's about NEED.

It's slightly worrying that you worked for the JCP/DWP for 10 years and yet are unaware that entitlement is the qualifying word. Indeed, JSA appeals are heard by the First Tier Tribunal of the Social Entitlement Chamber.

I take your point that there is no such thing as an NI pot or fund - but that's largely the fault of MPs of all parties misleading the public.

With regards to the attitude of claimants, I think you need to remember that DWP staff are public servants, who are meant to be approachable, helpful, provide accurate information in a timely manner and be responsive and ask how any DWP errors affected the claimant, according to the DWP Service Standards. Sadly, many are not and I suspect most claimants would laugh if they ever read the Service Standards!

Thankfully, I've only ever had to claim JSA twice for a total of 9 weeks; but, I found it was the staff who had the attitude towards myself - perhaps because I earned more than they did and had more qualifications and experience. In my short time claiming JSA, I encountered maladministration in the form of delay, misinformation, failure to respond to letters, etc. I have great sympathy with any claimants who have to put up with the failings of the DWP bureaucracy.

Mersey_2

To get back to the DWP Rules and Tribunal decisions:

As others have said JSA is paid fortnightly in arrears; but a benefit week is 7 days. However, if 'say' you now complete a rapid reclaim online, on a Sunday, it is paid from that day.

Re what's expected - generally that 40 hours per week work ie full-time is sought.

JSA claimants are permitted to take a holiday (in the UK) and are also permitted to two periods of sickness pa.

I'd expect anyone sanctioned for not carrying out a jobsearch at a weekend to appeal the same, especially as many libraries are not open and JCP staff certainly do not work then!

King_Nothing

I'm not particularly up to speed with how JSA works now, but didn't you just used to have to write in a book what you've done over the week to get your JSA? So assuming you're applying for 50 jobs a week, what's stopping you just putting down that you posted applications off over the weekend or something? I'm assuming the system has changed preventing that now though??

Roger_Mellie_2

corvus wrote: »

what I resent is being forced to jump through hoops by a bunch of fascists for what is, let's face it - a pittance.

Oddly enough, the fascists answer to unemployment was to create government work schemes such as the building of the Autobahns. But hey, why let the truth get in the way of a lefty's chance to scream 'fascist' when they are denied free money.

Kesstra

whitegoods_engineer wrote: »

I often hear people saying that they apply for 50, 100, 200 jobs per week, but really?? Come on now!

To actually apply for 50 jobs in a week is possible but unlikely. Let's say you spend a whopping 8 hours a day over a WHOLE week 7 days (56 hours) doing NOTHING except applying for jobs!

Let's say it takes about an hour to research the company, prepare a covering letter, attach a CV, send or email it. We're supposed to believe that somebody is spending 7 days a week doing this? Well that's the only way you could apply for 50 jobs in a week, not just simply look through 50 jobs.

If I was unemployed, I'd ensure that I was actively researching companies and speculatively contacting them relentlessly, but even with my tenacity in such matters, I'd not insult anybody's intelligence by claiming to apply for 50 jobs a week.

In fact, I would go further to say that if somebody is really 'applying' for 50 jobs a week, then these 'applications' must be poorly researched and any such applications would be likely to be simple cut and paste jobs. A scattergun approach.

I have had very brief periods of unemployment in my life, so I can empathise with those on JSA, but these have been for a matter of weeks. I do appreciate that low-skilled jobs are poorly paid and tedious, but I've had to work my way up the ladder. I've always kept myself up-to-date in both my trade knowledge and my trade qualifications, so have always had employers keen to employ me as a result.

Now if you said you'd 'looked through' about 50 jobs a week, I might possibly believe you but actually 'applying' for 50 jobs a week?

Pull the other one!

Actually the job centre can sanction you for not applying for jobs even when you are clearly not qualified. Therefore, it is very possible someone has in fact applied for hundreds of jobs each week and as you pointed out is probably a cut and paste job!
If you are over qualified you still have to apply!
Targeting employers and researching is not good enough. Most of us are not stupid, we understand how employers work and the systems in place to get the right person. The problem is the JCP do not care they just want you off their books.
You have to apply for whatever level they have said you must do. Worked in admin? Then apply for anything that happens to require paperwork and a computer. Ie check out girl, shelf stacker. (I am not saying in any way these jobs are bad, just pointing out the problems faced by job seekers and JCP rules)

Believe me when I was claiming way back 15 years ago after working since 16 my local JCP was rather hysterical about things and they didn't have sanctions back then other than being signed off eventually. This was when jobs were quite plentiful, though still hard to bag a permanent role. I got myself a job after 6 months. I am not stupid, not lazy, pro active and it took me that long!

The problem is, the people wanted stricter rules and that what we got. Making job seekers apply for ANY job just to get them off JSA as soon as they can.
If you think the JCP are there to help you, forget it.