The kids??? JSA

skylight

I work self employed - about 17hrs a week and am lucky to bring home £200 a week (gross)
Now I know thats more than most people and I have just learnt that Hubby can claim JSA, but can he also claim for the 4 kids we have or am I asking too much????

He was only fired 4 weeks ago - when can he put in claim??

And housing benefit - can I claim that now before he knows about the JSA stuff??

I have already changed the tax credits - do I have to mention JSA as an income for those purposes???

I am assuming that he cant claim for the kids as we already get some money through tax credits, but all advice would be most appreciated.


:T :j :A :rolleyes:

Ted_Hutchinson

Jobseeker's Allowance (this link will take you to the Jobcentre Plus website) It may be however that he is "Sanctioned" if the reasons why he was "Fired" indicate he might have avoided this.
[url="htpp://www.entitledto.com"]ENTITLEDTO[/url]

Milarky

charlotte,
Claim housing benefit [if you rent] and council tax benefit also. These are paid by the council [local authority] and are means-tested. If you claim non-contributory JSA these two benefits are taken up as part of that claim and they get paid at 100% in that case.

But if you work 17 hours that means you retain the means to claim working tax credit [i.e. on your own earnings - 16+ hours] At £200 pw [gross] your would usually get some [I emphasize 'some'] WTC. You can work up to 24 [I think] and still claim JSA as a family - so you appear to have options..

Now a household can't get JSA and WTC [they can get either but not both]. Therefore you're probably better off in the short term going down the tx credits route. You've notified the tax credits people - good. Getting help with HB and council tax will therefore invlove a direct by you to the council and it will be a reduced amount I fear. [as you're better off than the JSA level for which this help is set at the maxmium]

By all means look into JSA, but I suspect your husband might be 'sanctioned' as Ted suggests. In any case, any benefit recieved from that source will knock back your HB [and maybe tax credits too - but I'm not sure] entitlements, so you've got to ask yourself is it worth it jumping through all the holes. Hubby might even find it easier to get another job without having to meet the requirements of 'signing on'.

People do say you should make a claim for JSA in order to get 'credits' on National Insurance, but like the claim for JSA itself, it's problably a highly marginal exercise.

Good luck..

Spendless

Milarky wrote:

charlotte,


Now a household can't get JSA and WTC [they can get either but not both]. Therefore you're probably better off in the short term going down the tx credits route. You've notified the tax credits people - good. Getting help with HB and council tax will therefore invlove a direct by you to the council and it will be a reduced amount I fear. [as you're better off than the JSA level for which this help is set at the maxmium]



Good luck..

Wouldn't the OP be able to claim both WTC as she works at least 16 hours a week and her husband contributon based JSA (assuming he qualifies)?

skylight

How would I know if he qualifies though??? He's worked for countless years without a break and has always paid tax/NI etc.


And thanks for everyones help!!

jenpoptab

If he has been paying NI whilst in employed work (not self employed), for the whole of the last two tax years then he should qualify for JSA in his own right, this would be contribution based and would last for 182 days. However if decision makers disallow benefit this would eat into the 182 days and then even if he signed of and applied for JSA again, if the disallowance is still running when he reapplies, he would still not qualify.

On your family income you would not be better off claiming income based JSA as your earnings would exceed what you would get on JSA.

It would be best for partner to claim JSA contribution based and you declare your change in circumstances to Tax credits and local authority (council).

Bear in mind that he may not qualify for money though if decision maker disallows benefit.

Good luck and hope this makes sense.

BenefitMaster

Milarky wrote:

Now a household can't get JSA and WTC [they can get either but not both]. Therefore you're probably better off in the short term going down the tx credits route. You've notified the tax credits people - good. Getting help with HB and council tax will therefore invlove a direct by you to the council and it will be a reduced amount I fear.

Actualy this is not correct.

A member of a household can indeed be receiving Contribution-Based JSA while another member is receiving Working Tax Credit.

Remember that Working Tax Credit is awarded to the worker, when JSA is awarded to the Jobseeker.

However, Child Tax Credit is awarded to the Household and paid to the main carer.