Applying for Job Seekers Allowance or Universal Credit from abroad?

NedS

Dynamic_Edge said:

Grumpy_chap said:

It sounds like you are a contractor and currently on holiday, timed (sensibly) to fall within void periods.  You don't sound like you are available for work.

No. I’m not a contractor. In my line of work, many positions are fixed term sadly, and usually without an option to extend. 

I litrally thought I’d be unemployed at the moment, until my employer has contacted me unexpectedly offering a new position. And the fact is that this new position is not able to start before  19 September. I simply postponed till 26 due to personal reasons.

Agreed, and if you were in the UK you could make a claim for nsJSA or UC for the period you are unemployed. But you are not. You can always return and make a claim if you wish.

Dynamic_Edge

NedS said:

Dynamic_Edge said:

p00hsticks said:

I'm not an expert but I donlt see how you'd be considered available for work if you are not in the country

I don’t see how my presence abroad affects my availability to work. As I’m sure you know, plenty of people have worked remotely for years now.

And in my line of work a lot of the time I’ve been working remotely anyway. So I can be pretty much anywhere in the world , at least during certain times of the year.

You must be available to take any work. Are you available for an interview this afternoon to start tomorrow morning in the local Tesco, or McDonald's? You must be willing to end your holiday and return immediately to take up work.

This is not relevant to my situation though as I have a job offer to start on 26 September. So talking about taking a job at a Tesco (say) in the meantime isn’t relevant…

Bradden

Dynamic_Edge said:

This is not relevant to my situation though as I have a job offer to start on 26 September. So talking about taking a job at a Tesco (say) in the meantime isn’t relevant…

Of course it is relevant... you can't claim for support unless you are  looking/available for work.. which you aren't.

NedS

Dynamic_Edge said:

NedS said:

Dynamic_Edge said:

p00hsticks said:

I'm not an expert but I donlt see how you'd be considered available for work if you are not in the country

I don’t see how my presence abroad affects my availability to work. As I’m sure you know, plenty of people have worked remotely for years now.

And in my line of work a lot of the time I’ve been working remotely anyway. So I can be pretty much anywhere in the world , at least during certain times of the year.

You must be available to take any work. Are you available for an interview this afternoon to start tomorrow morning in the local Tesco, or McDonald's? You must be willing to end your holiday and return immediately to take up work.

This is not relevant to my situation though as I have a job offer to start on 26 September. So talking about taking a job at a Tesco (say) in the meantime isn’t relevant…

It is relevant because you want to claim benefits for the period from now until 25/9/2022, during which time you MUST be available for work and willing to take any employment. You don't get a free pass because you may start work on 26/9/2022

Dynamic_Edge

Ok, I understand. Thanks.

Dynamic_Edge

Having said that: I’m abroad now mainly because of personal reasons: my mother has passed away and I’ve gone abroad to bury her and for associated religious reasons etc.

does that change things in the eyes of UC?

Grumpy_chap

sheramber said:

Grumpy_chap said:

It sounds like you are a contractor and currently on holiday, timed (sensibly) to fall within void periods.  You don't sound like you are available for work.

The OP has another explaining he was going abroad for his mother's burial.

I was not aware of the other thread and I sympathise for the OP's loss.
Sympathy and understanding does not change the JSA requirement to be available for work, any work, immediately.

The time period is very short as the OP says previous job ended 31st August and new job would have started 19th September but postponed the start until 26th September for personal reasons.

As much as there is never a good time for these things, the OP could look that the timing is as convenient as it can be as not losing paid work during a contract to attend the laying-to-rest.

NedS

Dynamic_Edge said:

Having said that: I’m abroad now mainly because of personal reasons: my mother has passed away and I’ve gone abroad to bury her and for associated religious reasons etc.

does that change things in the eyes of UC?

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

If you had a claim for UC, then the work coach could apply an easement to allow you not to have to look for work due to your recent bereavement.

If you were to make a claim for UC, you would have to attend an initial ID appointment (plus any additionally required evidence appointments) and then an initial first commitments appointment, to agree and accept your work search commitments, and for the work coach to apply the easement. How would you attend those two appointments if you are abroad?

Dynamic_Edge

NedS said:

Dynamic_Edge said:

Having said that: I’m abroad now mainly because of personal reasons: my mother has passed away and I’ve gone abroad to bury her and for associated religious reasons etc.

does that change things in the eyes of UC?

Please accept my condolences for your loss.

If you had a claim for UC, then the work coach could apply an easement to allow you not to have to look for work due to your recent bereavement.

If you were to make a claim for UC, you would have to attend an initial ID appointment (plus any additionally required evidence appointments) and then an initial first commitments appointment, to agree and accept your work search commitments, and for the work coach to apply the easement. How would you attend those two appointments if you are abroad?

Thanks.

on the subject of appointments: in this day and age, can they not do these interviews etc remotely online? Seems very old fashioned of them to handle such things in person exclusively.

Grumpy_chap

Dynamic_Edge said:

on the subject of appointments: in this day and age, can they not do these interviews etc remotely online? Seems very old fashioned of them to handle such things in person exclusively.

I think these things are done in person to attempt to reduce inaccurate claims.
It may not be unheard of for people to allow a claim to continue even after they are in work, or while they are on holiday.  The criteria is actively seeking and available for work.

If you attend the Job Centre for an interview (or do so online) and the Work Coach says you can do some work starting in one hour delivering Yellow Pages, can you do that from wherever you are?  I had to deliver Yellow Pages while I was between jobs some years back even though I had a job offer waiting to start after the summer - the Work Coach (they weren't called that back then) said if I wished to be eligible for JSA in the few weeks between job offer and starting, then I still had to be available and willing to take other work in the meantime.