john banks

If you have made adequate NI contributions do you still get JSA if you have lots of savings?

JackClark

Yes.

JackClark

You're both wrong, JSA is payable for a certain time as it's contributions based.

john banks

Job Centre on the phone didn't seem to know. From what I read it looked like contribution based JSA is not means tested.

It would seem quite odd if there is no JSA at all if you have savings (even if they are from a house sale and being frugal whilst working), but you sign on anyway to get NI paid, so that if you become unemployed again you don't get anything except your NI paid... and also some notion of a state pension which will be worth nothing anyway.

john banks

If that is the case Nat21, what would happen if you were lucky enough to get £16k redundancy payment? No JSA even for the first six months?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

So if I am made redundant and have £12K in the bank. Will I be entitled to housing benefit? or will I have to **** my savings down the drain on council tax and rent

Steve vRS

If one spouse (husband or wife) is working, does that not mean the unemployed spouse gets nothing?

Steve

ronjeramy

iTrader: (1)

does it not depend on what you declare?

kingofturds

iTrader: (1)

Do they not have information access to your bank accounts? I have saved and waited for the decline in the housing market, but now have the threat of redundancy hanging over me

Lydia72

I haven't worked in the Job Centre for a few years but this was the case previously and the basic rules don't tend to change much -

If you have paid enough NI in the last two relevant income tax years then you should get six months JSA (Contribution based), this is not affected by savings or partner working.
If you haven't paid enough NI then you can apply for JSA (Income Based) however this is affected by savings and partner working.
If you qualify for JSA (C) but are still signing on at the end of the six months then the money stops or you need to apply for JSA (IB) as above.

Having said that there are circumstances where payment in lieu of notice and final wages etc are taken into account.

pimmo2000

iTrader: (6)

I think that each person should be judged on their situation. The OP for example, someone who is losing their job and have saved money over the years should not have a risk to their savings. They have been paying tax for years !! they should be entitled to keep the money they have earned and given help to survive and find a new job !

fast bloke

There are two types - income based and contribution based. I think it is about £59.00 per week (assuming she is over 25). Income based take savings and partners income into account. Contribution based is not means tested and is based solely on the number of years NI contributions she has paid.

Leslie

You haven't upset your senior partner in the practice have you?

Les

john banks

Thanks all. No Leslie, my wife had a job she loved as a new product development manager in a paper factory that has just gone into administration. She was putting out the new products and the company was in profit year to date, but the credit crunch and pulp/energy costs have shut a 160 year old local business with hundreds of jobs lost.

Devildog

John, can you not put the savings in your wife's name?

Redundancy is considered a compensation and therefore would not usually be included as savings or income for JSA purposes.

Employee claims through the insolvency generally should not effect benefit payments. The redundancy payments office will, however, reduce the pay in lieu of notice payment by the value of any benefits/JSA received.

HTH

john banks

I don't think there is any advantage rearranging things for this tax year at least, and hopefully by then she'll be in work again, "airport cafe lady" is the latest tease as we had a silly notion of buying a franchise of some sort... the ground rents would be horrendous though and in a recession airport travel will reduce and people won't want expensive airport food. Maybe a recovery play a bit down the line. Lots of ideas anyway which is keeping her cheerful. Chip shops have nice profit margins, but high gas bills and rising fish prices, whether customers would downgrade from restaurants to chip shops or chip shops to Tesco value to eat at home I don't know. Plus she'd smell of fried fish. I like fish sometimes... Maybe she could take some steroids and train to be a bailiff

Leslie

I could not resist it John.

Sorry your wife lost the job, hope it all sorts out for her anyway.

Les

GC8

The DWP only know about saving that you declare.....

john banks

We would never fraudulently claim. It isn't worth it, we would worry about it, and if found out you would potentially have a criminal record. That wouldn't do future job/business prospects any good either.

GC8

That is true, of course.