JSA C based - tax credits help
Mrs_T_5
Posts: 81 Forumite
I have just completed my claim for contribution based JSA but have been declined because of lack of credits - the letter says that they have used the tax years ending 2003 and 2004 to judge the claim .
I phoned them up to find that my tax credits are ok for year ending 2004 but 2003 has not got enough - well i know that cos i was a student - however i know that my tax year ending april 2005 has enough as i have worked solid for 2 years. Does anyone know why they don't use the 2 most recent years for judging the claim - or if there is any way around getting the jsa claim valid!
They rub salt into the wounds when they tell you that things have just changed in that you used to only need to qualify in one of the years - which i do to now have changed it to both!
I won't qualify for income based jsa as my husband is working .
please help
Mrs T
I phoned them up to find that my tax credits are ok for year ending 2004 but 2003 has not got enough - well i know that cos i was a student - however i know that my tax year ending april 2005 has enough as i have worked solid for 2 years. Does anyone know why they don't use the 2 most recent years for judging the claim - or if there is any way around getting the jsa claim valid!
They rub salt into the wounds when they tell you that things have just changed in that you used to only need to qualify in one of the years - which i do to now have changed it to both!
I won't qualify for income based jsa as my husband is working .
please help
Mrs T
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Comments
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Are you sure they are not saying you don't have enough National Insurance contributions? I was under the impression that was what gives you the entitlement for contribution based JSA and not your tax credits.Nice to save.0
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my mistake - sorry - thats what i meant that i haven't got enough contributions for the tax year ending 2003! but have more than enough for year ending 2004 and 2005
i am just so mad at the system - the first time without a job for 2 year and they still won't help me out !
what is the point in paying my NI in the first place!
Mrs T0 -
How very frustrating for you! ARe they not willing to give you Income Support instead?Nice to save.0
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Mrs_T wrote:my mistake - sorry - thats what i meant that i haven't got enough contributions for the tax year ending 2003! but have more than enough for year ending 2004 and 2005
i am just so mad at the system - the first time without a job for 2 year and they still won't help me out !
what is the point in paying my NI in the first place!
Mrs T0 -
Have you asked if you can pay voluntary contributions to make up the year you're a bit short? I don't know if you can or not for this purpose!Signature removed for peace of mind0
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Mrs_T wrote:I phoned them up to find that my tax credits are ok for year ending 2004 but 2003 has not got enough - well i know that cos i was a student - however i know that my tax year ending april 2005 has enough as i have worked solid for 2 years. Does anyone know why they don't use the 2 most recent years for judging the claim - or if there is any way around getting the jsa claim valid!
They rub salt into the wounds when they tell you that things have just changed in that you used to only need to qualify in one of the years - which i do to now have changed it to both!
Sorry but there's no way around this. It has been like this for a number of years now though, not "just changed" as they have suggested to you.Spendless wrote:They use a certain 2 years. If you were still out of work when the next tax year begins April 6 2006 you would be able to claim JSA-contribution based then, assuming that they'd then be taking 2004 and 2005 into consideration.
You could actually reclaim on this basis from January next year.Savvy_Sue wrote:Have you asked if you can pay voluntary contributions to make up the year you're a bit short? I don't know if you can or not for this purpose!
Unfortunately voluntary conts don't count towards benefits like JSA/Incap but keep your NI record up to date for Retirement Pension purposes.
I presume you are over 21 years of age?This site has saved me a fortune :money: ...it's also cost me a fortune! :doh:
© Tharweb 20060 -
Tharweb wrote:
You could actually reclaim on this basis from January next year.0 -
Tharweb wrote:Unfortunately voluntary conts don't count towards benefits like JSA/Incap but keep your NI record up to date for Retirement Pension purposes.Signature removed for peace of mind0
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When I worked for the Employment Service, I was told that if you buy voluntary contributions it only goes towards your pension not towards any unemployment benefit. Self employed contributions do not count towards contribution based unemployment benefits either. As far as I understand it, the contribution based JSA works on the same premise as the old Unemployment Benefit in that in January each year the tax years looked at change to the last two complete tax years, so in January 2006 the tax years being looked at will be April 2004 and April 2005. I was never able to get a definite answer as to why the tax years looked at changed in January but suspect that historically it took that long to make sure that everyone's contributions were in their account and it has just never changed.0
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oldmotherreilly wrote:When I worked for the Employment Service, I was told that if you buy voluntary contributions it only goes towards your pension not towards any unemployment benefit. Self employed contributions do not count towards contribution based unemployment benefits either. As far as I understand it, the contribution based JSA works on the same premise as the old Unemployment Benefit in that in January each year the tax years looked at change to the last two complete tax years, so in January 2006 the tax years being looked at will be April 2004 and April 2005. I was never able to get a definite answer as to why the tax years looked at changed in January but suspect that historically it took that long to make sure that everyone's contributions were in their account and it has just never changed.0
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