Jobseekers Allowance

Ayahuasca · 7 Jan 2016 at 15:50

This is why you should take into account what could happen before walking out of a job. Simply expecting to be okay and covered by benefits has left some people homeless or in huge amounts of debt.

I understand it could have been a difficult situation you were in and you thought you had no other choice to quit. Hopefully you get yourself sorted.

All the best.

Tefal · 7 Jan 2016 at 15:55

timmymeuk1 said:
Thanks Silver I will give them a go.

I applied a whole month ago and now they just sent me a letter saying I'm getting no benefit. No wonder why people get homeless and lose everything if the government arnt willing to help.

tbh this once again makes me think that nearly ever benefits claimant story is wildly different to reality.

they did not just say "no".

mmj_uk · 7 Jan 2016 at 17:09

Appeal the decision if you believe you are entitled to receive it, they are probably just hoping that you won't challenge the decision and claim what is rightfully yours.

From what I've read a ridiculous amount of DWP decisions get overturned on appeal because they're just outright wrong but they have made it as difficult/inconvenient as possible to do so in the hope that people just won't bother. They don't call them the nasty party for nothing.

moon man · 7 Jan 2016 at 17:35

i gave up my job in leeds after buying a house in cornwall ,so moved down here without work , got dole for the 3 or 4 weeks (or some of it) it took to find work ,

Orford · 7 Jan 2016 at 17:37

mmj_uk said:
Appeal the decision if you believe you are entitled to receive it, they are probably just hoping that you won't challenge the decision and claim what is rightfully yours.

From what I've read a ridiculous amount of DWP decisions get overturned on appeal because they're just outright wrong but they have made it as difficult/inconvenient as possible to do so in the hope that people just won't bother. They don't call them the nasty party for nothing.

So much truth in this. Re appeal.

A friend gave up work due to illness. Went for ESA due to the illness. Got awarded 0 points so no help. They appealed still 0. The appeal was some one else reading the medical report and coming to the same conclusion as the first guy who did the ESA assesment. The first medical report was factually incorrect to what my friend told them and provided evidence of.
They then went to full tribunal, and was awarded +15 points.

At the tribunal the system was branded not fit for purpose, the provider claimed it was a isolated case and they had retrained staff and change procedures. So no more action was taken. My friend is now getting the help and support they need.

No matter what training and what went on there was no way they should have awarded 0 point. It is purely to weed out those who cannot be bothered to appeal.

Back to the OP. Choose to give up work, long wait.

Quartz · 7 Jan 2016 at 17:44

The ESA system is deliberately set up to fob you off and make you quit until you persevere through to the tribunal stage.

CaNsA · 7 Jan 2016 at 17:47

timmymeuk1 said:
My savings arnt going to last me forever.

Did you tell them about your savings?

maddog · 7 Jan 2016 at 18:03

I was made redundant on dec 16th due to company going insolvent. worked 23 years for this company.
applied for contribution jsa to be told I haven't contributed enough national insurance :confused:

What do you have to do to get these benefits?
currently going through the appeals process :rolleyes:

all my wage slips and p60 had ni contributions.

mmj_uk · 7 Jan 2016 at 18:07

maddog said:
What do you have to do to get these benefits?

Fight tooth and nail and don't give up like they want you to, when you eventually win it'll be backdated to the date of your claim. Like Orford says it's not just the unemployed on the end of this it's the disabled too. Most people are still ignorant to this sort of thing going on.

mattcrane · 7 Jan 2016 at 18:35

mmj_uk said:
Like Orford says it's not just the unemployed on the end of this it's the disabled too. Most people are still ignorant to this sort of thing going on.

I was discharged from the RAF in 2005 after suffering a spinal injury that required 2 discs being removed from my lower spine which left me with very serious nerve root damage and a degenerative disorder, meaning I am in chronic pain 24/7, cant walk very well, cant sit for too long cant stand and am constantly on large amounts of morphine etc etc etc

I was awarded Incapacity Benefit and told by every Dr I saw that I would never work again.

End of last year I was moved over to the new ESA Benefit as Incapacity is no more and there own assessor stated "unlikely to be fit for work for at least two years with improvement in the long term extremely unlikely".

The DWP then wrote to me telling me that they believe I will be fit for work within the next year so they are placing me in the Work Related Activities Group which means that Sep next year I loose the Benefit and cannot reapply for it.........

I am currently awaiting a Tribunal date.

Arsonist · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:01

mattcrane said:
I was discharged from the RAF in 2005 after suffering a spinal injury that required 2 discs being removed from my lower spine which left me with very serious nerve root damage and a degenerative disorder, meaning I am in chronic pain 24/7, cant walk very well, cant sit for too long cant stand and am constantly on large amounts of morphine etc etc etc

I was awarded Incapacity Benefit and told by every Dr I saw that I would never work again.

End of last year I was moved over to the new ESA Benefit as Incapacity is no more and there own assessor stated "unlikely to be fit for work for at least two years with improvement in the long term extremely unlikely".

The DWP then wrote to me telling me that they believe I will be fit for work within the next year so they are placing me in the Work Related Activities Group which means that Sep next year I loose the Benefit and cannot reapply for it.........

I am currently awaiting a Tribunal date.

Sorry to hear this dude. Always angers me how people who put their lives on the front line get fully shafted when it all goes wrong.

Hope you win the tribunal mate.

mattcrane · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:05

Arsonist said:
Sorry to hear this dude. Always angers me how people who put their lives on the front line get fully shafted when it all goes wrong.

Hope you win the tribunal mate.

Thank you much appreciated

Uther · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:20

mattcrane said:
I was discharged from the RAF in 2005 after suffering a spinal injury that required 2 discs being removed from my lower spine which left me with very serious nerve root damage and a degenerative disorder, meaning I am in chronic pain 24/7, cant walk very well, cant sit for too long cant stand and am constantly on large amounts of morphine etc etc etc

I was awarded Incapacity Benefit and told by every Dr I saw that I would never work again.

End of last year I was moved over to the new ESA Benefit as Incapacity is no more and there own assessor stated "unlikely to be fit for work for at least two years with improvement in the long term extremely unlikely".

The DWP then wrote to me telling me that they believe I will be fit for work within the next year so they are placing me in the Work Related Activities Group which means that Sep next year I loose the Benefit and cannot reapply for it.........

I am currently awaiting a Tribunal date.

Terrible

Hope it works out for you mate.

fendi · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:21

mattcrane said:
I was discharged from the RAF in 2005 after suffering a spinal injury that required 2 discs being removed from my lower spine which left me with very serious nerve root damage and a degenerative disorder, meaning I am in chronic pain 24/7, cant walk very well, cant sit for too long cant stand and am constantly on large amounts of morphine etc etc etc

I was awarded Incapacity Benefit and told by every Dr I saw that I would never work again.

End of last year I was moved over to the new ESA Benefit as Incapacity is no more and there own assessor stated "unlikely to be fit for work for at least two years with improvement in the long term extremely unlikely".

The DWP then wrote to me telling me that they believe I will be fit for work within the next year so they are placing me in the Work Related Activities Group which means that Sep next year I loose the Benefit and cannot reapply for it.........

I am currently awaiting a Tribunal date.

why didn't you retire on grounds of ill health from the RAF? with your pensionable benefits being paid immediately without reduction?

mattcrane · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:30

fendi said:
why didn't you retire on grounds of ill health from the RAF? with your pensionable benefits being paid immediately without reduction?

I did hence the statement "I was discharged" not "I left".

I received an RAF Pension and a Veterans Agency War Pension but still need the top up from IP/ESA to live on.

But and this is the point, as I receive both those pensions the actual IP/ESA payment is reduced accordingly so I dont receive the full amount and as an added benefit I am not entitled to any other benefits at all.

kieran_read · 7 Jan 2016 at 19:54

timmymeuk1 said:
Just wondering if anyone has had experience with this in the past year?

Ive recently decided to change careers which has meant with some of the things that have happened in my life I left my job. Ive been working for the past 11 years full time and now they are telling me that they wont give me any money.

I really dont get why they cant?
Im actively seeking jobs and I'm doing what they ask.

Anybody had any trouble before?

Any advice would be great

I went on JSA for a couple of months moved back home with my parents, (I'm from a Cesspit, so jobs were scarce) I manged to get on it right away without much hassle. I know there was a wait as i just returned from to the country from teaching English in India for 8 months.

There's also a limit if you have savings, if you have over £16k in savings you can't apply.

It's horrible to be on though and you wont like it, you need to go in every week and some people are genuinely proud to be on it horrid place.

ETanny · 7 Jan 2016 at 20:28

Are you married or living with a partner who works full time because if you are you'll not be able to claim JSA.

Fuzz · 7 Jan 2016 at 20:38

Got made redundant through insolvency on 2nd November..
Applied for redundancy pay and loss of notice pay through gov website.
Had to file for job seekers as part of application for loss of notice pay.
Job seekers in my area have to claim universal credit not job seekers allowance.
Many hoops to jump through with this including the "signing on" every two weeks...
Got Redundancy application approved 10th December.
Got redundancy money in my bank 15th December
Got first payment from DWP (universal credit) 30th December..
Started new job 4th Jan
Still trying to find out where loss of notice pay is......

Rannoch · 7 Jan 2016 at 23:57

Move to a rural area and sign on by post.

dowie · 8 Jan 2016 at 00:06

timmymeuk1 said:
Thanks Silver I will give them a go.

I applied a whole month ago and now they just sent me a letter saying I'm getting no benefit. No wonder why people get homeless and lose everything if the government arnt willing to help.

Why should you just get free money after choosing to leave a job?

Sounds like they've done the right thing, you're going to have to wait if you left voluntarily - probably best to find a new job before quitting the old one if you want to change careers.