Could I claim benefits such as the "New Style Jobseeker's Allowance while being on a Career Break?

Lord_Frugal12

Marcon said:

Lord_Frugal12 said:

I applied for the "New Style Job Seekers Allowance." And the DWP has scheduled a first meeting with me.   So, what do I say?  "I am on a Career Break and I don't want to look for a job within the same industry in which I worked before." ?    

You'll certainly need to demonstrate that you are actively seeking employment, so announcing cheerily that you're on a career break doesn't quite fit with applying for Job Seekers Allowance (the clue is in the name....). 

Go along to the meeting and be honest. You might get some genuinely helpful information/support even if you don't qualify for JSA.

Thanks for this response. 

Good advice. I shall be advice and let's see what the DWP agent could do.  

Lord_Frugal12

marmite1979 said:

If you want Universal Credit or JSA you need to look for work by searching and applying for jobs, it's not guaranteed you'd get any of course so while you await an offer you can have your ''career break'', if you are looking to set yourself up in business the job centre can help you by giving you advise by sending you to organisations who will go through your plans.
The alternative is to have a career break and have nothing coming in, but you won't be asked to look for work or attend the Job Centre

Thanks for this response. 

I will ask if the Job Centre  could provide any help setting up a business. 

Marcon

Lord_Frugal12 said:

marmite1979 said:

If you want Universal Credit or JSA you need to look for work by searching and applying for jobs, it's not guaranteed you'd get any of course so while you await an offer you can have your ''career break'', if you are looking to set yourself up in business the job centre can help you by giving you advise by sending you to organisations who will go through your plans.
The alternative is to have a career break and have nothing coming in, but you won't be asked to look for work or attend the Job Centre

Thanks for this response. 

I will ask if the Job Centre  could provide any help setting up a business. 

Might be worth doing a bit of research first to help persuade them you're serious about it. Have a look at https://www.gov.uk/moving-from-benefits-to-work/starting-your-own-business for starters.

Grumpy_chap

If the OP is going to speak with the Job Centre about support in setting up a new business, it might be worth looking into the NEA (New Enterprise Allowance).  I understand that NEA is no longer available but there may be a replacement scheme that provides similar support.  If there is no obvious replacement for NEA, the OP could still ask in ignorance as to whether NEA is an option as that may prompt the Work Coach to advise any similar schemes.

When I was redundant, the NEA was a fantastic scheme and really helped me with founding my business.  The extra payments were useful, but the real value was in the training provided - worth far more than the immediate financial payments.

Lord_Frugal12

I want to give  you an update regarding my original post.

I applied for JSA while on a Career Break. And the DWP accepted my application. 

However, I am still waiting for the first payment. But, that is due to other issues. As other members of this forum had mentioned, the main thing is that the JSA claimant actively seeks employment. The only difference is that she or he is seeking employment in a different field or profession. That was the purpose of my Career Break.