Jobseekers Allowance And Temporary Work

Adam2007

Hi,If I was to claim Jobseekers Allowance and I then began a temporary job for a week or so, would I be able to then claim again straight afterwards if no other work was available? On the larger scale, could you keep doing this for ever?Thanks for your help!

LittleVoice

If your temp work ends, then you can go straight back on JSA (subject to usual form-filling).

I think periods of unemployment can be linked - it depends on the length of the employment between. This is important if your JSA is contribution based.

One good thing about temporary work, is that it adds to your CV and puts you in a work situation where you can meet others who may have more work for you. It also establishes your reputation with the agency (if you are working through one) and they are more likely to think of you for work in the future.

Conor_3

When I did agency work typically from Jan to March it was odd days here and there. You can work 16hrs a week, which you must declare without signing off. Anything over that and you must sign off and back on again as soon as you've stopped working. If you're reclaiming within a few weeks, you only have to fill out a short version of the JSA form.

you_wicked_gay

Adam2007 wrote: »

Hi,If I was to claim Jobseekers Allowance and I then began a temporary job for a week or so, would I be able to then claim again straight afterwards if no other work was available? On the larger scale, could you keep doing this for ever?Thanks for your help!

How many hours is the temp job a week?

I did a temp job for around 6 weeks, but it was only 8 hours a week. Anything up to 16 hours, you don't have to close your claim, you simply declare the work and they give you forms to fill in every week with your hours/pay details on.

If it's full time - 16 hours or over, you will have to declare the work and close your claim. You will then need to reclaim when the temp job ends. However your claim doesn't start from the beginning again, unless you have been in work for over a certain amount of time. They still count your previous unemployment as it will be a quick reclaim.

furbyfruitcake

Hi

I currently work in Jobseekers Allowance so am up to date with benefit regs.

Basically u can work as tempory as u like. When u reclaim (if its within a 12 week period of ur previous claim) then u complete a Jobseekers Allowance Rapid Reclaim Form (JSA4RR). These forms are treated as urgent, this is because most if not all employers dont pay Termination Payments ie. redundancy, ex-gratia payments etc to someone with so little employment history.

If ur working temp more often than not & work less than 16 hours in any one benefit week (the day after u last signed on, to the next day ur due to sign on ie if ur signing day is a Monday ur benefit week starts the next day - Tuesday & runs 7 days to the following Monday) if u've worked less than 16 hours then dont sign off!!!! Declare part time work instead.

U are allowed to ern £5 (for a single person) (£10 per couple or £20 if ur a lone parent) then the wage u've erned is deducted pound for pound off ur JSA.

One word of warning - if working temp. u may not be erning the lower earnings limit, in otherwards, if u sign off each time a temp job starts & work less than 16 hours or ern less than £89(ish) per week, then ur employer is not liable to credit u with a Nation Insurance Contribution for that week. This will have a devistating effect on ur state pension & will most certainly effect any future claims to Incapicity/Sickness Benefit.

Hope av not confused u!!!!!

furbyfruitcake

Av just read some of ur replies. Basically the general rule is once u hit 16 hours per benfit week ur claim will be closed but this rule does not always apply.

For example - in ur fortnightly benefit cycle, the 1st week u work 10 hrs & the 2nd week u work 18 hrs & this is ur usual pattern of work then we would average ur hrs fortnightly (14 hrs per week) to prevent signing off & on continuously. The golden rule is try to establish a working pattern & stay under 32 hrs per fornight.

Unfortunately depending on the indivual benefit processor who accesses ur claim, will depend on how they look at averaging. Unfair but legislation allows proccessors to look at these rules differently until u establish a normal working pattern.

Adam2007

Hi,Thanks for all of your help, it's most appreciated.Generally speaking I'd be working a full week at the very least, so 35 hours of pay. Therefore in all of the working weeks, I'd be paying both tax and N.I. With this in mind, would this still affect later issues such as pensions etc as I'd only be paying it the weeks I'm working, and then claiming the Jobseekers each other week?Thanks again!

furbyfruitcake

The short answer is YES!! That is the purpose of JSA Rapid Reclaims (so more jobseekers consider short term work).

C x

LittleVoice

Adam2007 wrote: »

Hi,Thanks for all of your help, it's most appreciated.Generally speaking I'd be working a full week at the very least, so 35 hours of pay. Therefore in all of the working weeks, I'd be paying both tax and N.I. With this in mind, would this still affect later issues such as pensions etc as I'd only be paying it the weeks I'm working, and then claiming the Jobseekers each other week?Thanks again!

When you receive JSA you are also credited with NI contributions. So you would be building up full record from both the credits and actual contributions.

Conor_3

furbyfruitcake wrote: »

Hi

I currently work in Jobseekers Allowance so am up to date with benefit regs.

<Snip illiterate rubbish>

I've just had one of my questions answered....

:rolleyes:

scottishsue

I have been reading the replies re JSA. I am about to be made redundant, I am being given a final payment at the end of September. Am I entitled to claim Jobseekers Allowance?