New Style JSA

freccles

Help!

I earn £762 a month for 3 days work at minimum wage. I’m 64. My 65 year old partner has just lost his job is a charity shop where he earned  an average of  £800 a month again for three days although there was often overtime.

He’s paid full NI conts for at least the last three years. We knew we wouldn’t be entitles to Universal Credit cos of my income but sure he should be entitled to The New Style JSA based on his contributions? The DSS office are saying he’s not entitled because of my earnings. We really know nothing about this and haven’t even yet had anything in writing although the claim was made 4 weeks ago and he’s already signed on twice.

Can anyone advise please?

PS I'm not a new user, my user name was freccle but I can't remember what damn email I used!!

calcotti

New style JSA is not means tested. If he has been paying NI he is entitled. This is so basic I am shocked if DWP have told him otherwise. Be aware that new style JSA is only payable for a maximum of 26 weeks. However he is presumably not far from State Pension.

Do you rent your home?

Are you sure he claimed new style JSA and wasn’t misdirected to UC?

freccles

We own our home outright. When he went into claim they said he had to claim UC which I KNEW he wouldn't be entitled to so I went back with him and explained that he wanted to claim the New style JSA. The person dealing with it had never even SEEN the JSA form!! But they cancelled the orignal UC claim and I was with him whilst he filled in the JSA allowance form. We've had absolutey nothing in writing, not even an acknowledgment of the claim

calcotti

freccles said:

We own our home outright. When he went into claim they said he had to claim UC which I KNEW he wouldn't be entitled to so I went back with him and explained that he wanted to claim the New style JSA. The person dealing with it had never even SEEN the JSA form!! But they cancelled the orignal UC claim and I was with him whilst he filled in the JSA allowance form. We've had absolutey nothing in writing, not even an acknowledgment of the claim

You need to do some chasing. Did he sign a Claimant Commitment at one of his meetings? If so he should have received some payment by now as JSA is paid fortnightly. https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-jsa

As an aside, if your only income is £762/month and your savings are less than £6,000 you would have a very small UC entitlement of about £19/month so claiming new style JSA is definitely the correct thing to do.

freccles

I've written to appeal although technically I'm not appealing against anything since he's only ever had a verbal decision. We have had absolutely nothing in writing since the day he claimed

calcotti

freccles said:

I've written to appeal although technically I'm not appealing against anything since he's only ever had a verbal decision. We have had absolutely nothing in writing since the day he claimed

Have you rung DWP to ask about the claim?

tomtom256

freccles said:

I've written to appeal although technically I'm not appealing against anything since he's only ever had a verbal decision. We have had absolutely nothing in writing since the day he claimed

There is no verbal decision. A JSA statement and a claimaint commitment should have been signed, with the former then being sent
for processing. He should have then be booked in for weekyl appointments with his work coach.

Did he actually attend a New Style JSA appointment with a work coach, following an online application?

xylophone

https://www.gov.uk/how-to-claim-new-style-jsa
How close is he to SPA?
https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age
Has he obtained a state pension forecast?
https://www.gov.uk/check-state-pension

Spoonie_Turtle

When you say "he's already signed on twice", what exactly happened on each occasion?

freccles

Yes he's applied for the State Pension which is due in April. He got a forecast and paid a voluntary contribution to bring his NI conts up to the maximum he could so his pension will be higher. I have no idea what happened when he signed on cos I couldn't go with him cos I was working and there are times when quite frankly he's as thick as pig !!!!!! and rather than ask for any more information just accepted that he wasn't entitled but didn't ask why. HE HAS since got a letter and it says "We cannot pay you JSA because"                   " the law won't allow us to ".  What sort of reason is that? you'd think he was asking for tickets to a Robbie Williams concert or something!!! Yes he attended an appointment with a work coach who explained he had to spend 35 hours a week looking for work etc etc