Early Retirement and Joint JSA claim

Wednesdayschild

My Husband finished his University course in June and signed on at the Job Centre, because I work 10 hours a week we had to make a joint claim. He is now in full time employment so the joint claim was closed. I am 55 and considering taking early retirement (I work for Lancashire County Council) because I am under the state retirement age does anyone know if in the event of him becoming unemployed whether we will still have to attend the job centre and sign on as part of a joint job seekers claim, or will his claim be solely his.

pmlindyloo

Will you be receiving any kind of retirement pension?

In theory you would still be able to make a joint claim.

If so it would be counted as income for any income based JSA.

if your OH had sufficient NI contributions he would be entitled to contribution based JSA which is not means tested so your income would not be taken into account.

Wednesdayschild

Yes I will be receiving a pension, I don't know what this equates to yet as I am waiting for a pension statement to be sent out to me.
I don't want to have to go anywhere near the job centre as I have no intention of looking for another job,but unfortunately because I am under the State Pension age I feel as if I will be expected to make a joint claim and seek employment

Londonsu

If your husband lost his job and your pension is over the amount the law says a couple need to live on then you wont be entitled to JSA anyway.

When myself and husband were out of work we got JSA on a couples claim and because of my Husbands age we got the enhanced amount of £222 .05 per week, once he got his state pension of £210.00 per week my JSA was cut down and when he got his annuity it took as over the £222.05 so I wasnt entitled to JSA (even though I paid in for 44 years)

The first thing I would do is to get a future state pension statement from the DWP this will tell you how many years NI contributions you have paid in, if like me you have paid in enough to get your state pension there is no need to sign on to get NI credits