me and my benefits

[ErikaPNP]

You can apply for a budgeting loan for household items and removal expenses. They are not much (£348 for a single person, £464 for a couple, £812 for a family) but will help defray the cost somewhat. The loan would be repaid from your benefit. You have to have been receiving an income related benefit for 26 weeks or more to get a budgeting loan.

 

There are Community Care Grants but these can only be awarded to:

 

• help people establish in the community following a stay in institution or care home in which they received care
  
• help people remain in the community rather than enter an institution or care home in which they will receive care
  
• ease exceptional pressures on people and their families
  
• help people set up home in the community, as part of a planned resettlement programme, following an unsettled way of life
  
• help people to care for a prisoner or young offender on release on temporary licence, or
  
• help people with expenses to make certain journeys such as attending a relative’s funeral or visiting someone who is ill.
  

There are also other options available to obtain household goods for free such as the websites freecycle or freegle.

[Feebee_71]

I had to go in and sign on last week as my ESA has been stopped and so now I've put in a claim for JSA. The advisor I saw who filled in my JSAagreement and talked through my application and job prospects also booked me onto a course later this week with a company called Pinnacle People at a local hotel. When she was telling me about the session she said it was only 2 hours long and so I agreed to do it. One of the things I clarified with her was the running time as I had a hospital appointment for an hour after the time I was told the course finished so I was happy that I could get to the hospital from the venue with time to spare.

 

Anyway, I got an email from the company running the session on Friday which stated the running time of the course is not jsut 2 hours but 6 and covers the whole day rather than just the morning. Of course, this means I've had to cancel the hospital appointment, have got to find the money to pay for at least 6 hours parking in the town (the venue doesn't have it's own parking) and also reckon I'm going to have to pay for lunch in town as well.

 

I am going to complain when I go back in to sign on tomorrow afternoon as I've had no money since getting ESA 2 weeks ago (when all the bills go out of the bank account) have no idea when I'm going to get any money as not received confirmation of JSA yet, and am going to have to beg or borrow some money to cover these expenses. I am also going to complain that I was assured that the course was only 2 hours only to find it's the full day and I only found out from the email.

 

Is there anyway I can claim back for the expenses I'm going to incur?

 

Sorry for the rant but I'm a bit cross about this!!

 

Feebee_71

[DanscoCAB]

You should be able to claim expenses for training courses from the Job Centre so speak to them. Also complain to them about the cock up with an extra 4 hours.

[Feebee_71]

Thanks DanscoCAB,

 

I will speak to them tomorrow and see what I can get back - if anything - from them!!

 

Feebee_71

[Life-Goes-On]

BTW why was your ESA stopped?

Do you still feel you shouldn't work?

[Feebee_71]

BTW why was your ESA stopped?

Do you still feel you shouldn't work?

 

Failed medical - they couldn't even get gender of assessor right in their paperwork to me. I know I could put in an appeal but to be honest, if they couldn't even get the basics right I doubt they would do any better with the important things!!

 

I always knew I would have to go back to work sometime and am using this as the push to do so now.

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

Crisis loan if you have no money.

[45002]

BTW why was your ESA stopped?

Do you still feel you shouldn't work?

 

Unless im wrong you can still appeal against the decision Not to award ESA within 28 days and still claim JSA in the mean time ?

[Nystagmite]

You can, within reason. You can also claim ESA if you send in fit notes.

[sadone]

Put in an appeal. Many people have and got back onto ESA in the end. For the time being at least you can be paid on the assessment rate until you get to your tribunal.

 

Fight it.

[Feebee_71]

I've actually got an interview for a part time job on Tuesday, only 14.5 hours a week at weekends but is about 50% more than JSA or ESA would be with the potential for extra hours. It would also leave me free to look for work during the week even if it's another part time post.

 

After spending more than 8 months on ESA assessment rate and struggling to pay even the most modest utility bill I am looking forward to having some extra pennies in my pocket each week!! I also looked on www.entitledto.co.uk and that showed I would still be entitled to assistance with both my rent and council tax (although not covering the full amount) and I would still have a bit more coming in than at present.

 

Feebee_71

[Feebee_71]

More silly questions!!!

 

I have got an interview on Tuesday for a part time job that is just 14.5 hours a week (at weekends). The money I would get (if I get the job) would be more than JSA but under £100/week so, from what I've been able to find on the internet, I wouldn't pay income tax or NI contributions.

 

I have done the benefits calculator and would still qualify for assistance with my rent and council tax but would have to make some contribution to both. I worked out I would be about £7/week better off with this job than by getting JSA.

 

There is also the possibility of either being given more hours on a permanent basis or being able to work extra hours each week but still be contracted only for the 14.5 hours advertised. I know if I work more hours I would have to declare it to the council for HB & CTB purposes so they can re-assess my entitlement.

 

As the job is under 16 hours a week would I still be eligible to sign on to receive my NI stamps or do I come of JSA completely?

 

What if I do get the job and can still sign on due to the contracted hours, what about if I get extra hours each week? Do I simply inform the job centre when I sign on?

 

Also what about the HB & CTB and informing them of any extra hours worked? How often do I have to tell them?

 

Finally, how many hours a week do I have to work to become entitled to Working Tax Credits? I know this job wouldn't entitle me to them but how many more would I have to work? Also, what is the maximum I can earn before I would then lose entitlement to WTC?

 

Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for those who take time to answer then.

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

You can still sign on for NI.

 

WTC - it depends on whether you have children, whether you have a disability and meet the criteria for the disability element and your age.

[Feebee_71]

You can still sign on for NI.

 

WTC - it depends on whether you have children, whether you have a disability and meet the criteria for the disability element and your age.

 

Hi Nystagmite,

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

Regarding WTC, no children or disability and age 40.

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

It's 30 hours a week then for WTC. The cut off for a single person is around £13k per year.

[Feebee_71]

Thanks Nystagmite,

 

When I went in and signed on yesterday and told the advisor about the interview next week and that, as it's under 16 hours a week I understand that I can still sign on so I don't lose my NI stamps. He turned around and said that, as I would be getting more money than JSA is, he would advise me not to bother continuing to claim the JSA so I don't need to go in and sign on. He also said that he thought I would definitely have NI deducted from my income despite the income being below £100/week - I think I found somewhere that it would be below both NI and income tax levels so nothing would be deducted.

 

I got the feeling from the advisor that all he wanted was to be able to close my claim and be able to say he had reduced the jobless totals by one more person!!

 

Feebee_71

[Feebee_71]

I went in to sign on again yesterday and complained to them about the misleading information I was given by the original advisor about the course tomorrow only being 2 hours when in fact is it 6 hours. The only reply I got was that the person I reported it to would look into who told me it and where they got their information from and will try to make sure the correct information about the time length of the course is given to JSA claimants in the future.

 

I did ask about covering expenses for the course tomorrow and was met with a wall of ignorance from the advisor I was seeing, am not sure if he simply didn't know the answer or didn't want to answer it. So I still don't know if I can claim any expenses for having to pay for 6 hours parking or whether I have to find it from what's left of ESA I received back in February and hope it doesn't take too long for them to sort out my new JSA claim. When the advisor looked at the system yesterday he said there was nothing set up on there yet (it's 2 weeks tomorrow since the claim was put in over the phone and I went in and signed the paperwork on Tuesday last week) he did give me the phone number for the Newcastle office to see if they can speed up the claim so I'm not without money for too long.

 

Feebee_71

[Feebee_71]

Me again with another of my stupid questions.........

 

If someone goes into work having been on benefits for 12 months and is earning more than £13000 per annum would they be entitled to WTC?

 

I did try filling in the benefits calculator on the 'entitled to' website and it seems to show that, with an annual income in 2012-13 of around £18000 there would be an entitlement to somewhere in the region of around £150/month. I used an approximate figure for 2010-11 income and pretty accurate figures for 2011-12 but adding in a month's full time employment so the system has something to work with. For the future I used the salary quoted for the job as mentioned above.

 

For information, this is a single person with no dependents, living in rented accommodation and because of the entitlement to WTC there is no entitlement to council tax benefit or housing benefit.

 

Am I purely confusing myself or is there an entitlement to WTC on returning to work at the start of a tax year if the previous year was all benefits and the year before that was a healthy income???

 

Thanks in advance if you've worked out what I'm on about!

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

Is the person entitled to the disability premium? if so, the threshold is higher for a single person.

 

WTC can be based on last year's income or predicted income for this year.

[Feebee_71]

Hi Nystagmite,

 

Thanks for the reply. No, the person isn't entitled to the disability premium.

 

So, it is possible that, because the 2011-12 income is about £30000 (yes, really) less than 2010-11, there may be an entitlement to WTC even though the annual income would be above the predicted limit for WTC.

 

You can see why I find it confusing!!

 

Feebee_71

[Feebee_71]

Just another of my quick questions.

 

I have been on benefits now since the end of April last year - started on JSA but had to go onto ESA and now back on JSA. At all times the benefits have been contribution based - though the latest letter confirming my award of JSA does say that this will only be for 4 months (I presume because I've already had 2 months worth and to take me up to the 26 week limit) - as I've obviously paid sufficient NI contributions over the required period. As a consequence of being on benefits I'm also on HB and CTB at full rates.

 

What I want to know about is the run on period of HB and CTB once I find work. I think I read that they are only payable if the benefits paid are IB - I am sure, if I'd not had enough NI contributions, that I would also qualify for IB benefits as I'm single with no savings and no other source of income - and, if on ESA, that it has to be the full rate not the assessment rate.

 

Am I correct in this assumption and therefore right that I would not be entitled to these run on benefits as and when I find myself a new job?

 

Thanks in advance for any replies,

 

Feebee_71

[Nystagmite]

I've just checked Direct Gov and it doesn't actually say income based JSA. It says:

 

you've been getting one of the following:

Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support or income-related Employment & Support Allowance or a combination of these benefits continuously for at least 26 weeks

Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or contributory Employment & Support Allowance continuously for 26 weeks

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/On_a_low_income/DG_10018679

 

I may have read it wrong though?

[id6052]

there are 2 routes to qualify for an extended payment

 

the first route is through jsa/is/esa(ir) - to qualify you must have been: -

 

• in 26 weeks continuous receipt of jsa/is/esa(ir) (or any combination of these)
  
• in receipt of jsa(ib)/is/esa(ir) in the final week before starting work
  

the second route is through ib/sda/esa(cb) - to qualify you must have been: -

• in 26 weeks continuous receipt of ib/sda/esa(cb) (or any combination of these)
  
• in receipt of ib/sda/esa(cb) in the final week before starting work
  

unfortunately, although jsa© counts towards first condition in route 1, it does not count towards second condition

you therefore cannot qualify for an extended payment if you are receving jsa© in final week before starting work

Edited March 31, 2012 by id6052

[insyder]

the first route is through jsa/is/esa(ir) - to qualify you must have been: -

 

• in 26 weeks continuous receipt of jsa/is/esa(ir) (or any combination of these)
  
• in receipt of jsa(ib)/is/esa(ir) in the final week before starting work
  

Can you link to your source for this second condition?

[id6052]

Can you link to your source for this second condition?

 

HB Reg 72(1) states:

Extended payments

72.—(1) A claimant who is entitled to housing benefit (by virtue of the general conditions of entitlement) shall be entitled to an extended payment where–

(a) the claimant or the claimant’s partner was entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit;

(b) entitlement to a qualifying income-related benefit ceased because the claimant or the claimant’s partner–

(i) commenced employment as an employed or self-employed earner;

(ii)increased their earnings from such employment; or

(iii) increased the number of hours worked in such employment,

and that employment is or, as the case may be, increased earnings or increased number of hours are expected to last five weeks or more; and

© the claimant or the claimant's partner had been entitled to and in receipt of a qualifying income-related benefit, jobseeker's allowance or a

combination of those benefits for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks before the day on which the entitlement to a qualifying income-related benefit

ceased.

 

Sub-paragraph (a) and (b) are only satisfied by income-related benefits.

The income-related benefits are jsa(ib)/is/esa(ir).

JSA© is contribution based so does not satisfy sub-paragraph (a) or (b)

 

For condition ©, the 26 week period, it includes income-related benefits or jobseekers allowance.

 

Therefore JSA© counts towards 26 weeks, but you have to be coming off an income-related benefit