JSA or Universal credit question

danny10846

Hi guys,

I'm a recent graduate that has just come back from a 10 week holiday to SE Asia and Australia. I also just got told today I have received a job offer for an internship in Birmingham for 17,500 a year.

I'm currently living with my parents and my Dad is adamant that I'm eligible for JSA or Universal credit, in the sense that they will backdate it from when I finished university, and give me a lump sum of cash. Could someone who is knowledgable on this sort of stuff please give me an idea as to whether this is possible or not? I just don't see how they would ever give me any money for essentially being on holiday and not applying for any jobs at all whilst I was there.

Thanks in advance.

annandale

No they won’t. Any claim is from the day you make the claim.

marliepanda

Are you sure your Dad isn't Adam Ant as he seems to have about as much benefit knowledge as he would. You clearly got your brains from your Mum

I just don't see how they would ever give me any money for essentially being on holiday and not applying for any jobs at all whilst I was there.

pmlindyloo

To make it clear both JSA and Universal Credit can be backdated under certain circumstances.

JSA can be backdated for 3 months and Universal Credit for one month.

Both have very strict reasons for backdating such as you were too ill to claim, you were wrongly advised about claiming etc etc. Evidence would be needed.

The fact that you were on holiday would not be a good reason for not claiming. In fact, if you tried, you would likely be found to have not been habitually resident in the UK because of being away for 10 weeks and would have to prove your habitual residency on return - usually meaning a wait of 3 months.

So, congratulations on the job!