Jobseekers Allowance

[LeeUK]

If you pack in your job then go and claim JSA, don't give them your P45. Just say you have been out of work a while but haven't been claiming. They'll still ask for your old P45 but it shouldn't stop them starting your claim. They'll stop asking once your claim is started and you start the fortnightly signing process.

This is what I did about 5-6 years ago.

Also have a bath in white lightning or frosty jacks then turn up and say you have an alcohol problem for the extra payments. Win win!

 

[Uther]

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.

I suppose people have a misconception that they've paid in to the system for x amount of years and will therefore qualify for some of that money back in their hour of need. The system soon cures them of that misconception...

 

[Jimbeam3678]

This is isn't primarily directed at the OP but it does concern me the amount of people in society who think it's their right to be able to claim benefits totally without any means testing.

 

[billyboyd]

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.

Very similar situation as mine except I am further forward.

I got placed in the Work Related Activities Group despite medical evidence which said no work was suitable and my condition is permanent. I also appealed and had to wait 18 months for a tribunal date.
I was literally in the court room for a few minutes and my hearing was almost laughed at by the judge and the doctor as my vast amount of medical evidence shot down anything the DWP nurse said. ( Yes I did say nurse )
The DWP seem to think that an opinion of a nurse can overrule that of a consultant with hard MRI scan facts.

I was put in the support group with recommendation they don't bother me again, although I won't hold my breath on that one.

I think it is done deliberately, probably with hope that we join the 2500 in taking our lives and saving them the bother.

 

[Will Gill]

This is isn't primarily directed at the OP but it does concern me the amount of people in society who think it's their right to be able to claim benefits totally without any means testing.

But given the wide range of valid reasons for not working and the staggering lack of empathy/pay-out from the JSA, I'm equally concerned by the governments 'scoring' system. I'm sure we all know 'that' family which does nothing, could work, but chooses to exist on handouts. Fairly unbalanced, unfair and unjust as far as I see things.

From my own experience I tried to sign on once whilst between jobs, get a bit back from the state and all that, after 20 mins of experiencing the 'system' I gave up, spent the rest of the time finding a job and started work 3 weeks later. I know that's not possible for everyone but I guess I got lucky.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

This is isn't primarily directed at the OP but it does concern me the amount of people in society who think it's their right to be able to claim benefits totally without any means testing.

I can kind of see what your saying but if you have paid into that system for years why would you not feel the right to the benefit if the time comes.

On a separate issue some Job Centre staff treat you like crap, when I was made redundant they treated me like I had just walked into the place a took a poo on their desk. They do not seem to know what they are doing and hide behind a bunch of rules and regulations that you never get to see. Luckily I did not have to claim for long.

 

[platypus]

I suppose people have a misconception that they've paid in to the system for x amount of years and will therefore qualify for some of that money back in their hour of need. The system soon cures them of that misconception...

Is it truly an hour of need if you've decided to quit your job? There are several circumstances that quitting your job to do something is worthwhile and should be in receipt of benefits (eg quitting to become a carer for one), but a career change is not one of them in my opinion.

 

[Freakbro]

I can kind of see what your saying but if you have paid into that system for years why would you not feel the right to the benefit if the time comes.

I suppose because if you have over X amount in savings then you're not really 'in need'. Though I appreciate it does seem a hard pill to swallow, do the right thing, work, save, buy a house etc lose your job and you have to spend all your savings before you get any help, and no help with the mortgage.

But don't work, have no savings and you get everything paid and they will happily pay the mortgage of the BTL landlord...

Not sure what the solution is but it is pretty borked atm

And as Platypus says, leaving your job voluntarily is a choice, not a circumstance that has put you in need of societies safety net - well, not until you've blown all your money and are poor

 

[LeeUK]

If you have more than £16K savings, you have to live off your savings until you get down to £16K left before they give you anything. That's even if it is a legit claim and not because you walked out of a job.

But even then, if you have savings in different accounts/banks, how will they know? I doubt they check every single bank. When I was claiming I just showed them my current account and 1 other savings account statement. Not all my accounts, not like I had more than £16K to start with.

 

[Sega Mega Dave]

You made the decision to leave your job. It should not be the responsibility of the government to then fund you in your process.

Now if you were made redundant then I fully support the financial health.

 

[Vanquish-Storm]

I suppose because if you have over X amount in savings then you're not really 'in need'. Though I appreciate it does seem a hard pill to swallow, do the right thing, work, save, buy a house etc lose your job and you have to spend all your savings before you get any help, and no help with the mortgage.

But don't work, have no savings and you get everything paid and they will happily pay the mortgage of the BTL landlord...

Not sure what the solution is but it is pretty borked atm

And as Platypus says, leaving your job voluntarily is a choice, not a circumstance that has put you in need of societies safety net - well, not until you've blown all your money and are poor

Yes quite, leaving your job (as the OP did) is not the same. In my case I stupidly did not save and was left with very little once made redundant.

As you say what is the solution I often can not come up with a solution to issues like this when I think about it but then I think to myself this is why we have an elected government to let them decide what is best for us.

 

[gothic_hobbit]

As others have already said, if you walk out of your job they will class it as you making yourself intentionally unemployed.

I concur with this.

 

[CREATIVE!11]

Leaving your job is classed as voluntary unemployment, I think the period you cannot claim varies from 4-12 weeks... or it could be more.

However you can appeal it. Your best bet is just to take the hit and if you're still out of work by then at least you'll get some money coming through, just find out how long no money will last.

I can kind of see what your saying but if you have paid into that system for years why would you not feel the right to the benefit if the time comes.

On a separate issue some Job Centre staff treat you like crap, when I was made redundant they treated me like I had just walked into the place a took a poo on their desk. They do not seem to know what they are doing and hide behind a bunch of rules and regulations that you never get to see. Luckily I did not have to claim for long.

Indeed it's a total mess, and often you're treated pretty badly. It's the narrative the conservative government have created that everyone who claims is a deadbeat and doing it to take money off others. It's how they justify their cuts to everyone including genuine claimants...you can often see this kind of black and white thinking here on OCUK constantly.

If we look at it like that I guess they're stealing money off us all to drop 100k bombs on civilians and we don't get a say in it.

 

[CaptainComedy]

I was out of work for almost 2 months from december, start new job on the 20th.

I only went to the job centre to sign up, next time I went was to sign off, they paid me for 2 months at £75 per week, back dated and forward paid until 20th.

I seen no problem

 

[dowie]

I suppose people have a misconception that they've paid in to the system for x amount of years and will therefore qualify for some of that money back in their hour of need. The system soon cures them of that misconception...

hardly an hour of need if you voluntarily put yourself in that position... people need to get a grip really, no you can't have free money from the government right away because you've chose to quit a job - the money is there for people seeking work not people who've already got work they've decided they don't like any more

 

[craig_t]

You say your savings won't last forever, how much savings do you have? If you have over 16K I think it is, you don't get any.

 

[CaptainComedy]

You say your savings won't last forever, how much savings do you have? If you have over 16K I think it is, you don't get any.

yep

 

[McGraw]

Once I was left in the lurch and a contract didn't go perm as promised so I went all hands to the pump finding another job.

Found a job about three days after being out of work and it was for a bit less money. I took it and had spent money on travelling, clothes etc. so applied for back jsa...they didn't pay it.

Felt like I was being punished for prioritising finding a job over signing on...

 

[mmj_uk]

Very similar situation as mine except I am further forward.

I got placed in the Work Related Activities Group despite medical evidence which said no work was suitable and my condition is permanent. I also appealed and had to wait 18 months for a tribunal date.
I was literally in the court room for a few minutes and my hearing was almost laughed at by the judge and the doctor as my vast amount of medical evidence shot down anything the DWP nurse said. ( Yes I did say nurse )
The DWP seem to think that an opinion of a nurse can overrule that of a consultant with hard MRI scan facts.

I was put in the support group with recommendation they don't bother me again, although I won't hold my breath on that one.

I think it is done deliberately, probably with hope that we join the 2500 in taking our lives and saving them the bother.

That says it all though, why must a disabled person passed fit by the clowns working for the DWP wait 18mths for a tribunal? to me it comes across as pure vindictiveness.

 

[timmymeuk1]

I seem to have started a heated debate

I havent put all my details on here because of personal reasons. I left my job because I felt it was the only option I had left. Hell id love to have a paying job but not one that would make you feel so bad.

Im not wanting the goverment to help me change fields just to give me a little help as I know once I get a job again I wont claim if I didnt need to.

As for savings its no where near the 16k.

I noticed a few people said about having a disability and the goverment changing there benefits and its the same with my dad who is also disabled and 55 and been told he could go to university to retrain. Hes 55 and he wants just to get through his life as comfortable as he can.