When do you sign on after redundancy

HurdyGurdy

My husband's last day in the office was 29th January. His notice period ends at the end of February.

He anticipates receiving a shade over £15,000 in redundancy.

If he doesn't get another job (fingers crossed for his interview next Wednesday), and we use his redundancy to live on, does he wait until that is all gone before signing on, or does he sign on as soon as his notice period is over?

I think he should sign on straight away (is it something to do with keeping his NI payments up?) even if he is not entitled to JSA (or whatever it is nowadays - it's been years since we've been in this position and things have probably changed a lot), but someone else has said it should be once his redundancy money is used up.

elsien

He can sign on as soon as his PILON runs out. He will get the contribution based JSA which is non means tested for 6 months, but won't get any income based benefits including JSA until any capital drops below a certain amount which I think is £3000. So after 6 months if still not working you'd have to use the redundancy money to live on.
If you have mortgage protection insurance, signing on might be a condition of the insurance (it was for mine.) JSA is a scarily small amount, so good luck for his interview.

HurdyGurdy

Thank you elsien. And you've just reminded me that we do have mortgage protection, so will get onto that on Monday too.

Voyager2002

He should fill in the on-line form now... the next stage is a telephone call to check details, and then they make an appointment for an interview. If now is still too early they will sort it out and arrange the interview for when he becomes eligible, but if he leaves it then the benefit is never backdated. So if in doubt, claim earlier.

The capital you are allowed: for a single person the amount is more than £15,000 (although the amount is reduced for savings over about £6,000). And as posted above, savings do not affect contributions-based JSA, which lasts for six months. Nor do they affect the 'credits' of National Insurance contributions, which help with pensions and possibly other benefits.

getmore4less

You sign on the day you are terminated.
(which may be end Feb if on Garden leave)

You get contributions JSA from day 1

If you get PILON you still sign on the day you finish you do not have to wait for the equivilent notice to run out.

It is often a condition of insurances that you are signed on and some do not pay out imediately if you get PILON.