transition from carers allowance to JSA

Lasuil

hi all
Hoping for some friendly advice. For the last 2 and a bit years I've been full time live-in caring for my elderly relative who had dementia. Sadly she died in hospital on in the middle of December 2019.


My carers allowance has now been paid up to data pro-rata to cover 8 weeks , and have been told my NI contribution cover will also end after the 8 weeks in the middle of February.

Understandably I would like to have some income so will need to go for JSA.

I am due to go on a short break the day after my NI contributions cover ends. Is it worth me contacting the JS office before this break, its in just over a week. I could go for an interview this coming week if needed but my carers allowance/NI contributions are covered until the beginning of the week after that, and then I am going away for 4 days (booked in November).

I am moving away from my area (Sussex) back to the flat I own in Devon, sometime in April. I am concerned this may mean not many employers will want to hire me for such a short time, especially if I look to work in care, where often they have a few weeks of training before full work. Will this be an issue for a JSA claim? it may be more beneficial for me to be looking for/ applying for jobs in Devon from now, to start in late April or May. I have a few prearranged obligations in June,if I can't find work that will be accommodate those, will it affect the JSA claim? I had this same scenario but the other way around when in Devon in 2016 - I signed on between finishing uni and moving back to nearer my loved one to take care of them/work at a care home, and the person dealing with me at JS office in Devon were very good about it , but I am worried that whoever I get at the JS office in Sussex this time around may not be so kind.

relevant notes are that I hold a Bsc Psychology degree, and that I have been employed at quite a few jobs including the census and Olympics, but my last official employment ended in June 2017 so I could look after my loved one full time. I have been receiving carers allowance and NI credits since around October 2017, I didn't apply for them sooner as didn't know I was eligible and was rather preoccupied dealing with severe dementia.

I am willing and wanting to work but not full time hours or anything too draining as I am still dealing with the grief of losing the person I lived with and cared for for over 2 years, we were very close, and I was with them when they passed. I am single with no children or dependants. Will JS office try to insist on making me work full time hours straight off the bat? if so I think I'd rather just not be on JSA. It's going to be a bit of a learning curve going back into the real world, since my whole life has been on hold for 3 years (I left my life in Devon to take care of my loved one) so I know its going to be hard to adjust working a 'normal' job again.

thanks in advance for any guidance.

calcotti

If you try and claim JSA (it will be ‘new style JSA) they will look at you NI record from April 2017 to March 2019. It is not clear that you will meet this condition. It will depend on how much you earned up to June 2017 and whether this is enough to cover the gap. When you claimed CA in October 2017 did you backdate it?

There is a special rule for people have been Carer’s within 12 weeks prior to claiming JSA which would allow the NI requirements to be tested by looking at the period from April 2014 to March 2016. However I infer you were at university at this time and presumably therefore only doing limited work which means that you would not meet the NI contributions.

If you can’t meet the NI conditions for JSA you can claim Universal Credit (provided you do not have savings over £16,000). Whereas JSA will only be paid for a maximum of 6 months UC can be paid for as long as you are looking for work.

You said you own your flat so I infer you do not need help with rent. You would need to claim UC if you did.

You should also claim Council Tax Reduction from your local authority to help with your Council Tax.

If you claim JSA or UC you will be required to be looking for work. I regret that I don’t have an opinion on how the work coaches will treat you and whether they will relax the usual requirements.