JSA claim denied and NI query

Vavitch

Hello. I was made redundant back in August whilst on Maternity leave. I hadn't been with the company long enough to get anything beyond my month notice. I received all the remaining maternity pay at once and was taxed £148 income tax (which is being refunded) and £371 NI (stat pay was £3005 - I worked 16hrs a week and mat leave only started end of April 2020). Am I able to claim back the NI element of deductions? 

I didn't claim JSA until my maternity leave was due to finish but it was denied as I wasn't working on the year they looked at. I wasn't working as I was on maternity leave then too which I wad paying myself since i was self employed at the time and extended it using all my savings (and dissolved ltd company to go back to paye). I didn't claim JSA immediately after ending mat leave (since I had savings to live off), probably 6 months into my search, which took a year. I didn't appeal (should I have?). Am I able to make another claim for JSA or do I need to wait? I'm looking for employment.

Does any of this make sense? I feel like I've just spewed a load of words out! I'm not going to claim for anything I'm not entitled to. It's just rather annoying that they look at one year in all the 25 that I've been working (I'm an older mum). 

Any advice gratefully received. 

Thanks

poppy12345

To claim New style JSA now you need to have paid the correct amount of NI contributions in tax years April 2018 to March 2020. If you were self employed during some or all of that time then you won't be able to claim it because self employed people are unable to claim it because you need to have paid class 1 NI. Unfortunately, paying 25 years of NI contributions doesn't help here.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-jobseekers-allowance#eligibility

Have you looked at claiming Universal Credit? It's a means tested benefit so if you have savings/capital of more than £16,000 you're excluded from claiming. If you live with a partner you need to claim as a couple. A claim for UC will end any tax credits you may already be claiming. Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement.

calcotti

Vavitch said: Am I able to claim back the NI element of deductions? 

No, you can’t.

Spoonie_Turtle

They look at the two full tax years for class 1 NI contributions/credits before your claim, so by 'one year' they probably mean one year was not full - likely the year when you were self-employed.  Class 2 contributions count for things like state pension and ESA, but not JSA.
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for

You do have the option of registering for a credits-only JSA claim, which would give you class 1 NI credits, but you would have to meet the conditions for a JSA claim and you wouldn't be paid anything.  Whether that's worth doing depends on how important class 1 credits might be to you, and whether you can claim UC - UC gives class 3 credits which count towards your pension and nothing else.

Vavitch

poppy12345 said:

To claim New style JSA now you need to have paid the correct amount of NI contributions in tax years April 2018 to March 2020. If you were self employed during some or all of that time then you won't be able to claim it because self employed people are unable to claim it because you need to have paid class 1 NI. Unfortunately, paying 25 years of NI contributions doesn't help 

Have you looked at claiming Universal Credit? It's a means tested benefit so if you have savings/capital of more than £16,000 you're excluded from claiming. If you live with a partner you need to claim as a couple. A claim for UC will end any tax credits you may already be claiming. Use a benefits calculator to check entitlement.

Thank you. I figured as much. I'm not self employed anymore and although I was working, I was only working 16 hours (that was only shifts available). Thanks foe clarifying.

As for UC, not eligible for that. 

Thanks again. 

Vavitch

Spoonie_Turtle said:

They look at the two full tax years for class 1 NI contributions/credits before your claim, so by 'one year' they probably mean one year was not full - likely the year when you were self-employed.  Class 2 contributions count for things like state pension and ESA, but not JSA.
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for

You do have the option of registering for a credits-only JSA claim, which would give you class 1 NI credits, but you would have to meet the conditions for a JSA claim and you wouldn't be paid anything.  Whether that's worth doing depends on how important class 1 credits might be to you, and whether you can claim UC - UC gives class 3 credits which count towards your pension and nothing else.

Thank you. I'm getting class 3 through child benefit (I believe).

Thanks all for your clarification on these matters. I now hope it doesn't take me a year to find work this time. Can't keep expecting my partner to pay for everything. 

poppy12345

Vavitch said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

They look at the two full tax years for class 1 NI contributions/credits before your claim, so by 'one year' they probably mean one year was not full - likely the year when you were self-employed.  Class 2 contributions count for things like state pension and ESA, but not JSA.
https://www.gov.uk/national-insurance/what-national-insurance-is-for

You do have the option of registering for a credits-only JSA claim, which would give you class 1 NI credits, but you would have to meet the conditions for a JSA claim and you wouldn't be paid anything.  Whether that's worth doing depends on how important class 1 credits might be to you, and whether you can claim UC - UC gives class 3 credits which count towards your pension and nothing else.

Thank you. I'm getting class 3 through child benefit (I believe).

Only until your youngest child reaches 12. It's class 3 which counts towards your state pension only.

airliner

Can you set out what you were doing between April 2018 and April 2020? i.e. The dates when you were self employed and when you were employed.