JSA denied - not enough contributions (due to maternity)

xylophone

Then the "benefit year" in which the OP's wife is claiming is 3/1/16 to 31/12/16 ?

The tax years are 2013-14 and 2014-15.

She worked (and paid NI) 6/4/13 - (1?)/ 3 /14, so virtually a full tax year.

She received Class 1 credits for the tax year 2014-15 and possibly paid NI for the end of that tax year.

The conditions are:-

- in one of the last two complete tax years, have paid Class 1 (or special Class 2) contributions to the value of 26 times the lower earnings limit; and
- in both of the last two complete tax years, have paid or been credited with, Class 1 (or special class 2) contributions to the value of 50 times the lower earnings limit.

Were her contributions in 2013-14 to the value of 26 times the lower earnings limit?

tastyfish

Thank you everyone for the responses and advice. I'm working my way through all the links and brilliant advice and will provide any update. We've just come back from holiday hence the silence. I created this thread more for anyone else in the same boat.

Yes, it is frustrating, why they can't consider the TOTAL Lifetime Class 1 NICs I don't know. I disagree with the comparison with insurance. Insurance is all about risk. This isn't anything to do with risk - it's a situation that has arisen and there's supposed to be a system in place that is meant to help people on what should be the rare occasion they need help, which is why we make these contributions in the first place!

What I want to know is, if it wasn't for my income, what would they expect my OH to survive on?!

Will update with the HMRC and DWP appeal response.

Caz3121

tastyfish wrote: »

What I want to know is, if it wasn't for my income, what would they expect my OH to survive on?!

If you had no income it would be a claim for income based JSA (assuming savings below £16k)

tastyfish

Caz3121 wrote: »

If you had no income it would be a claim for income based JSA (assuming savings below £16k)

That's the issue - my income is well above average so she doesn't qualify for income-based JSA. And also, being the careful spenders we are, we've saved a lot, partly to make sure we don't suffer adverse economic hardship when there are situations such as these.

The welfare state basically benefits anyone not careful with their money and who hasn't worked hard for most of their life. In other words, nobody like us

I wouldn't mind - if it helped the genuinely needy (such as those with serious illnesses/conditions) - but there are a lot of hangers-on that seemed to benefit from my hard work.

xylophone

Will update with the HMRC and DWP appeal response.

It would be interesting to know and valuable information for others claiming JSA.

The redundancy must have come as a great shock to your wife and her colleagues but with so many years of retail experience, she'll be in a good position to find a new job?

Londonsu

tastyfish wrote: »

That's the issue - my income is well above average so she doesn't qualify for income-based JSA. And also, being the careful spenders we are, we've saved a lot, partly to make sure we don't suffer adverse economic hardship when there are situations such as these.

The welfare state basically benefits anyone not careful with their money and who hasn't worked hard for most of their life. In other words, nobody like us

I wouldn't mind - if it helped the genuinely needy (such as those with serious illnesses/conditions) - but there are a lot of hangers-on that seemed to benefit from my hard work.

I assure you there are people who have paid in for far far longer than your wife and whose household income would be a lot less than a 'well above average wage' who wouldn't qualify for income based benefits if they lost their jobs- I know I am one of them, but I don't think its unfair, benefits are for people who need them and who qualify for them not for working age people who just think they are entitled to them because they have paid in for a few years.