SAO Review Please - See post #32

Aced2016

Glad you got it all sorted ! Must be a weight off your mind.

Now to look forward and you can concentrate on starting the new year with hopefully a new job!

Good luck

Simon.G

Thanks to everyone for their advice and support.

Simon.G

So, I had a call from the OR today asking me a few questions regarding my application (the online form omitted some information I had 100% filled in - I have a copy of the downloaded form so I can prove I included it). After a few minutes chat to go over my current working situation and my bank accounts, he told me he would be calling again on Tuesday next week to go over the reasons for the bankruptcy and a few other things.

Anyway, this got me thinking....

I am currently unemployed but NOT claiming anything as my wife earns more than the allowed spouse wages under Universal Credit. Under Job Seekers I could have claimed contributions based JSA, but we are in a UC area and therefore I cannot, regardless of the fact that I have paid tax and NI all my life and never claimed JS before. That's another conversation though...

So, here I am, living off the missus. I am currently looking for work and have been for a few months, and realise that right now, having no income, the OR cannot put me on an IPA. However I also realise that when I do find work, they can start an IPA assuming I have surplus income.

Now... the missus earns a healthy £3K per month after tax, and I know that they cannot touch it for IPA purposes, however how does this change when I find work?

Lets play devils advocate for a moment. If I find work am I correct to assume that they will assess that we both pay the essential outgoings 50/50 even though she earns much more money than me?

I have worked out roughly that the essential expenses work out to be £2500 per month, and the missus then has £500 disposable, which I believe that the OR cannot touch - correct?

Without going into my SOA right now (I will do at a later date), and assuming all figures within it are acceptable to the OR, am I correct in thinking that I can earn up to £1250 or so (the 50% of the agreed essential earnings) without falling into an IPA as up until £1250 I will have no disposable income?

Fundamentally, as I am looking at possible job opportunities, I am looking at the salaries they are paying and wondering how much I will need to be earning to be placed / avoid the IPA.

fatbelly

You CAN claim CJSA in a UC area, but they make it bloody difficult. See

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/claiming_new_contribution_based

On the IPA question, I believe they allocate the expenses on a pro-rata basis where they have that information. So if she earns 75% of the household income ,she picks up 75% of the household expenses. However, if she is unwilling to disclose income, she cannot be forced to do so and then the assumption is 50/50.

https://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/technicalmanual/Ch25-36/Chapter31/part7/Introduction.htm

it's 31.7.72 and 31.7.73

alltaken

10,000 posts @fatbelly
:T:money:

fatbelly

alltaken wrote: »

10,000 posts @fatbelly
:T:money:

Whoa. Yes - hadn't noticed.

Just got a 10k badge from MSE Badger.

Something to show from 11 years on the forum.

sourcrates

fatbelly wrote: »

Whoa. Yes - hadn't noticed.

Just got a 10k badge from MSE Badger.

Something to show from 11 years on the forum.

Well done that man !!!!

Simon.G

I read that CJSA / UC post you linked to fatbelly. Thanks for that. As usual, far too much effort needed to claim....

Anyway, assuming we are 50/50 on the expenses (she doesn't want to divulge what she earns, nor does she really want them poking in her business), am I right in saying that I could earn up to the same amount as my share of the expenses before the OR would look at placing me into an IPA?

fatbelly

Simon.G wrote: »

I read that CJSA / UC post you linked to fatbelly. Thanks for that. As usual, far too much effort needed to claim....

Anyway, assuming we are 50/50 on the expenses (she doesn't want to divulge what she earns, nor does she really want them poking in her business), am I right in saying that I could earn up to the same amount as my share of the expenses before the OR would look at placing me into an IPA?

Broadly speaking, yes. The technical manual gives some clues about what is allowable, and how much

Simon.G

Thanks for the clarification.