Temporary Work and Benefits (JSA, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefits)

Somewhereinlondon

Hi

Hope someone can help me here as went to the citizens advice bureau today and they couldn't answer my questions.

I have been on ESA for a few years now due to mental health problems. I want to get back to work but will most probably have to do temporary work with agencies due to gap on my CV so probably won't have much luck getting a permanent job until I've for some more up to date experience on my CV.

What I wish to know is if you are temping, if you have the odd week for example inbetween jobs where you are not working or even just a few days, can you sign on and get all your jobseekers benefits JUST for that week such as JSA, housing benefit (HB) and council tax benefit (CTB).

I understand with JSA there is the rapid reclaim form. Is there a similar thing for housing and council tax benefit? Whats the minimum time you can be on JSA HB and CTB? I just want to know in case there is one week in a given month I don't work so I know I can get benefits for that one week so I can keep my head above water.

Thank you in advance

HappyMJ

If you're doing just temporary work and you know it to be temporary work you can declare your income to the council every two weeks to recalculate the benefit that you should get. Ask if you can keep the claim open and keep informing them of your income every two weeks.

What I would suggest though is to become self employed and instead of working for someone else you work for yourself finding clients and undertaking jobs. You can then work as many hours as you want whenever you want which is great for someone who doesn't know whether they'll be 100% on a particular day or not. If you can get several clients as long as you don't do anything drastic as to scare them all off at once you actually have more security than an employed person who is reliant on one stream of income. I have (let's say) 10 clients. If one client dumps me for not turning up on a particular day it doesn't matter I've lost 10% of my income but all I need to do is find another client to fill the gap. If I was employed and my employer decided they didn't want my services any more I would have lost 100% of my income.

pmlindyloo

Did you know that you can do Permitted work whilst on ESA?

You need to work less than 16 hrs a week and not earn over a certain amount.

Have a read of this:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/work-people-living-disability-or-health-conditions

and then speak to your advisor about this.

Any earnings received from Permitted Work will not affect your ESA or your HB or your CT reduction.

You do need to inform the DWP about this.

Doing Permitted work would give you a 'trial' of working and then when you feel confident about doing a full time job then you can end your ESA claim.

Even then you can go back on ESA at the same rates with HB and CT reduction if you are unable to continue with the full time work. This would have to be within 12 weeks of ending your claim.

If you start working 30 hrs a week and are over 25 and on minimum wage then you may be eligible for working tax credit and HB and CT reduction.

I am assuming that you are single with no dependent children.

Permitted work is an ideal opportunity to 'test the waters', particularly when you have been out of work for a number of years due to ill health.

Somewhereinlondon

Thanks for your replies so far. I don't wish to be self employed as my previous work experience (about 8 years) is in office support so wish to return to this by working initially as an office temp which is not possible to do if you are self employed. Yes I am single with no dependents. Office temping should be okay to do as they they never give the temps anything too challenging in my experience of temping before so should be a good way to ease myself back. Just worried as temping is not a stable income as you never know what youre going to earn from one week to the next and lots of gaps between jobs so just want to make sure I can be supported inbetween postings. Thanks

Mersey_2

Yes, there's rapid reclaims for councils too. From memory a claim within 13 weeks counts, whereas its 6 months with JSA for it to count as a linked claim.


Though best checking as each council has different % discounts re Council Tax Support these days.


JCPs will usually want wage slips etc. From what you've said you'll qualify for HB & CTS (once you provide them with evidence). But JSA will prove more problematic if its literally eg 3 days of work etc. Plus apart from receiving NICs you won't receive hardly any £ - if earning - in return for signing.


Apply direct to your council for HB & CTS (and then just provide them with evidence of earnings each month). That way, only they will end your claim. Whereas if you apply for JSA and your claim is closed one week, they'll inform the local authority that your entitlement has ended and they'll end HB & CTS.