Whilst i appreciate times are hard, and i am by no means the worst off or in the worst situation at the moment i want to have a little rant.

Both myself and my partner were made redundant last year, my oh last summer and me 3 days before xmas. I got no redundancy pay as worked for company under 2 years and got 1 week notice from my employer. Same as my OH.

We had a holiday booked which was paid for but we were told if we tried to cancel it or change departure date we would loose all our money, as we were too close to departure. I then tried to claim on our hol insurance but was told i couldnt as had worked for cmpany under 2 years. So we still going but on an extremely tight budget.

I have never ever claimed a benefit in my life, no council tax benefit, housing of job seekers. I have worked continuously for the last 10 years , i have no debt and at some points worked 50 hours plus a week to earn enough to pay my student debt off and buy a house, and not rely on credit. Things havent been easy over xmas, so thought whilst looking for a new job i would sign on. I have managed to secure a new job to start in Feb by getting of my backside and doing everthing possibly known to man over the last few weeks.

So job centre tells me as i will be out of the country my claim will stop !! and i will loose my money ( all 120 quid)!! which every penny helps at the moment. All because i will be classed as not able to actively looking for work... even though i have a job to start. I sat in the job centre hearing people being told off as they had done b***er all to contact employers , apply for jobs and had been on the jsa for nearly 6 months. I have no children, so do not get anything at all from the government , im unemployed for 4 weeks and i cant even claim for that !!! Why bother ???

I appreciate i am lucky to have a holiday, a new job and so on and so forth, but why should i be denied this money , when i have done everything right , never claimed a penny, had no debt been sensible etc etc and at some points paid 40% tax to get absolutely b***er all back from this goverment. But its fine for the chap infront of me still to get his money( my tax money) when he hasnt done anything to look for a job!!

Job seekers, why bother

I hear you Ruby79. I tried to make a claim to cover a month I was out of work after being made redundant.

Once I got a job again, I gave up chasing people around to process my application.

Whilst i appreciate times are hard, and i am by no means the worst off or in the worst situation at the moment i want to have a little rant.

Both myself and my partner were made redundant last year, my oh last summer and me 3 days before xmas. I got no redundancy pay as worked for company under 2 years and got 1 week notice from my employer. Same as my OH.

We had a holiday booked which was paid for but we were told if we tried to cancel it or change departure date we would loose all our money, as we were too close to departure. I then tried to claim on our hol insurance but was told i couldnt as had worked for cmpany under 2 years. So we still going but on an extremely tight budget.

I have never ever claimed a benefit in my life, no council tax benefit, housing of job seekers. I have worked continuously for the last 10 years , i have no debt and at some points worked 50 hours plus a week to earn enough to pay my student debt off and buy a house, and not rely on credit. Things havent been easy over xmas, so thought whilst looking for a new job i would sign on. I have managed to secure a new job to start in Feb by getting of my backside and doing everthing possibly known to man over the last few weeks.

So job centre tells me as i will be out of the country my claim will stop !! and i will loose my money ( all 120 quid)!! which every penny helps at the moment. All because i will be classed as not able to actively looking for work... even though i have a job to start. I sat in the job centre hearing people being told off as they had done b***er all to contact employers , apply for jobs and had been on the jsa for nearly 6 months. I have no children, so do not get anything at all from the government , im unemployed for 4 weeks and i cant even claim for that !!! Why bother ???

I appreciate i am lucky to have a holiday, a new job and so on and so forth, but why should i be denied this money , when i have done everything right , never claimed a penny, had no debt been sensible etc etc and at some points paid 40% tax to get absolutely b***er all back from this goverment. But its fine for the chap infront of me still to get his money( my tax money) when he hasnt done anything to look for a job!!

Job seekers, why bother


blimey!! while i was picking the kids up from school the other week another mum was saying her partner had been told this as well as they were going on a holiday! i couldn't believe it and tbh until i just read this i thought she may have misunderstood the job centre in some way but clearly not, its a shame that our country is in the state it is in at the moment its flippin ridiculous.

I hear you ruby.

Thing I dont get is your entitled to 2 weeks holiday pay on the job centre however if you go out of country you dont get paid for the reason you have said so whats point in being entitled to something you cant take or your money will be stopped.

In saying all of that though the reasons they are so strict with this kind of thing is because the goverment aims to get everyone off the dole before june 2009 apart from the people who are on DLA and they will be transferred to job seekers allowance.

I have recently had a bit of a problem with the job centre. I applied for a budgeting loan as I have been on sick and although job centre felt i was fit for work i clearly wasnt and they sent me on a course which i completed in due time. I later applied for a loan so i can get my flat sorted as its my new and first home. I was declined on the grounds that i hadnt been on dole 26 weeks however the course i attended was for people who had been on dole for 26 weeks or more? however my mate applied for a loan for no aparant reason he doesnt have his own home etc he just wanted a bit of extra cash he finished the course a matter of weeks before me and he was accepted and given a £900 pound loan i applied for £700 and was told i wasnt eligible for anything.

In my own opinion our taxers dont come back they just pay the wages for a crowd of unqualified numptys who really cant be bothered to look for a decent job so they work for job centre and our taxers also go to the can but wont work population I hate not working and am actively seeking work 90% of my time goes into searching every possible job.

Your first mistake, is telling them that you will be on holiday...

Part of the conditions for receiving Jobseekers Allowance is to be available for and actively seeking employment for the period in question. If you are abroad on holiday the legislation dictates that JSA isn't payable.

In theory, if you were going to a country with reciprocal arrangements you could claim over there (if you were looking for work). Not sure how quickly that would be paid though...:)

Your first mistake, is telling them that you will be on holiday...

So what other reason could i have used when i wouldnt have ben able to to into sign or attend other possible dates for the period of 10 days ?

So what other reason could i have used when i wouldnt have ben able to to into sign or attend other possible dates for the period of 10 days ?

Your claim would be terminated 5 working days after you failed to attend, best to tell the truth really. After all the Jobcentre staff will have heard all the excuses before.

So what other reason could i have used when i wouldnt have ben able to to into sign or attend other possible dates for the period of 10 days ?

You are allowed to be 'sick', 3 times.

That sounds ridiculous, like my fellas dad, hes 50 and early on last year found himself out of work for the first time since he was 18. Hes paid all his taxes, never had any debts or done anything he shouldn't have. He rang up Jobcenter to ask about claiming JSA just until he had a new job, they asked him questions for about half an hour, then said he didn't qualify!

I thought JSA was there for people when they are out of work - after all, hes paid his contributions for many many years, often when he thought he shouldn't have been, but when he needed help, and he was in trouble, nobody wanted to help him.

You are allowed to be 'sick', 3 times.

having never claimed before don't know the 'loopholes', but then wouldnt that make me as bad as the other 'jobseekers' im complaining about, maybe i'm stupid ,but then i'd rather be honest , even though it seems to get you nowhere !

That sounds ridiculous, like my fellas dad, hes 50 and early on last year found himself out of work for the first time since he was 18. Hes paid all his taxes, never had any debts or done anything he shouldn't have. He rang up Jobcenter to ask about claiming JSA just until he had a new job, they asked him questions for about half an hour, then said he didn't qualify!

I thought JSA was there for people when they are out of work - after all, hes paid his contributions for many many years, often when he thought he shouldn't have been, but when he needed help, and he was in trouble, nobody wanted to help him.

i agree , if you have a certain amount of money saved you are not entitled to it. But surely you have earnt that money, paid tax and ni on it most probably so why should your own hard work go against you. You pay tax , you should be entitled !:thumbsup:

having never claimed before don't know the 'loopholes', but then wouldnt that make me as bad as the other 'jobseekers' im complaining about, maybe i'm stupid ,but then i'd rather be honest , even though it seems to get you nowhere !

I see where you are coming from. But look at it this way, where has being honest got you so far? Sometimes it's better to screw them over before they screw you over.

I don't think it would make you as bad as them. You actually do want to work.

I see where you are coming from. But look at it this way, where has being honest got you so far? Sometimes it's better to screw them over before they screw you over.

I don't think it would make you as bad as them. You actually do want to work.

I see your point, i have got another job so as far as i'm concerned thats my just reward , rather be honest and have a job that screw them over and still be looking for work !! not right though is it...

i agree , if you have a certain amount of money saved you are not entitled to it. But surely you have earnt that money, paid tax and ni on it most probably so why should your own hard work go against you. You pay tax , you should be entitled !:thumbsup:

It isn't as simple as that

Depends in the benefit in question is means tested, if so the savings come into play. If its contributions based, then NI comes into play. Then it depends on the type of contributions paid, self employed contributions don't qualify for as many benefits as Class 1 contributions.

And on

And on

It isn't as simple as that

Depends in the benefit in question is means tested, if so the savings come into play. If its contributions based, then NI comes into play. Then it depends on the type of contributions paid, self employed contributions don't qualify for as many benefits as Class 1 contributions.

And on

And on

oh beleive me , i know. It just seems the 'system ' does not support/reward the normal hardworking honest person. hence my original rant , but thankfully i would rather have a job than claim so wont be bothering again !!

the only way your entitled to loans is if you recieve income support. if you get dla alone your entitled to nothing, if you get dla with income support then you can claim.
my mother in law is on dla and cannot claim for any help towards anything because of this rule.

this site should help in any issue you have with the benefits...
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_013948.xml.html

Sorry bout your experiences Ruby - claiming JSA can be a real blow to one's self-esteem as well as all the other stuff you've had problems with. Good luck to you.

Sorry bout your experiences Ruby - claiming JSA can be a real blow to one's self-esteem as well as all the other stuff you've had problems with. Good luck to you.

Thanks Pritt Stick, I only actually signed on once , and have been fortunate to get a job quickly so wont be returning ( unless i get made redundant again) ....

I thought I'd look into too just while something comes up - but as I have no kids, no disabilities, am employable and I didn't lie about anything - they were going to make me jump through hoops to get it.

I thought I'd look into too just while something comes up - but as I have no kids, no disabilities, am employable and I didn't lie about anything - they were going to make me jump through hoops to get it.

ha ha that made me laugh, same situation. Just be glad you are employable eh !!! that what i told myself!

ha ha that made me laugh, same situation. Just be glad you are employable eh !!! that what i told myself!

yup - I told them I would do anything except sexual favours, looking after kids or washing old people.

but I went through a stage of booking lots of holidays. I went to Australia for 4 weeks, back in Sheffield for 2 weeks, then off to the Shetlands for a week - I couldn't cancel either so I'm going - but it wasn't worth me looking for a job in between.

good luck to you and i hope things work out for you and your oOH

I hear you ruby.

Thing I dont get is your entitled to 2 weeks holiday pay on the job centre however if you go out of country you dont get paid for the reason you have said so whats point in being entitled to something you cant take or your money will be stopped.

In saying all of that though the reasons they are so strict with this kind of thing is because the goverment aims to get everyone off the dole before june 2009 apart from the people who are on DLA and they will be transferred to job seekers allowance.

DLA has nothing to do with jobseeking and can be claimed while working. There are no moves at all to link any DLA claims with JSA.

I have recently had a bit of a problem with the job centre. I applied for a budgeting loan as I have been on sick and although job centre felt i was fit for work i clearly wasnt and they sent me on a course which i completed in due time. I later applied for a loan so i can get my flat sorted as its my new and first home. I was declined on the grounds that i hadnt been on dole 26 weeks however the course i attended was for people who had been on dole for 26 weeks or more? however my mate applied for a loan for no aparant reason he doesnt have his own home etc he just wanted a bit of extra cash he finished the course a matter of weeks before me and he was accepted and given a £900 pound loan i applied for £700 and was told i wasnt eligible for anything.

Firstly, 'the jobcentre' doesn't make the medical assessment, a decision maker will decide based on the assessment. Ifqualified medics say you don't fit the criteria, then who is the DM to argue?

Secondly, I'm slightly confused by your circumstances. If you'd completed a 26 week course, AND been claiming Income Based JSA throughout that time, then I can't see how you'd have been refused on the grounds you mention. Did you ask for a reconsideration?

In my own opinion our taxers dont come back they just pay the wages for a crowd of unqualified numptys who really cant be bothered to look for a decent job so they work for job centre and our taxers also go to the can but wont work population I hate not working and am actively seeking work 90% of my time goes into searching every possible job.

If the "qualified numpties" were able to get on and do their jobs instead of being hived off so that temporary staff come in and get paid considerably less, maybe things would work more smoothly.

I hope you get a job very soon.

Part of the conditions for receiving Jobseekers Allowance is to be available for and actively seeking employment for the period in question. If you are abroad on holiday the legislation dictates that JSA isn't payable.

In theory, if you were going to a country with reciprocal arrangements you could claim over there (if you were looking for work). Not sure how quickly that would be paid though...:)

Yup. She would have needed to register as unemployed in the country she was visiting, and comply with their unemployment regulations, so long as she was visiting a European Economic Area country. I haven't the faintest how long it would take to process either!

That sounds ridiculous, like my fellas dad, hes 50 and early on last year found himself out of work for the first time since he was 18. Hes paid all his taxes, never had any debts or done anything he shouldn't have. He rang up Jobcenter to ask about claiming JSA just until he had a new job, they asked him questions for about half an hour, then said he didn't qualify!

I can only think that any redundancy payment or PILON was taken into account, as he'd have been claiming Contributions Based JSA, which only takes into account his personal circumstances, and none of those of a partner, etc.

i agree , if you have a certain amount of money saved you are not entitled to it. But surely you have earnt that money, paid tax and ni on it most probably so why should your own hard work go against you. You pay tax , you should be entitled !:thumbsup:

If you claim Conts based, personal savings are not taken into account.

the only way your entitled to loans is if you recieve income support. if you get dla alone your entitled to nothing, if you get dla with income support then you can claim.
my mother in law is on dla and cannot claim for any help towards anything because of this rule.

this site should help in any issue you have with the benefits...
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/Dev_013948.xml.html

...... or Income Based JSA, or Pension Credit.

The best bit of news is that if you work under 16 hours per week (15 hours, 59 mins and 59 seconds being the max.) then you get that instead of the JSA. Great news! So these honest people who actually want to work are penalised by going to work. It's the biggest load of ******** I've ever heard. Who is going to do a **** almost minimum wage job for under 16 hours a week when they can claim practically the same amount of JSA by doing absolutely **** all.

Why bother indeed!!??

I was made redundant in October and have been claiming income based jobseekers. I got a letter this week saying I had had my 183 days allowance of this and so it is to be stopped! I rang them to say we couldn't afford to live when getting it not to mention that I now won't get it, and they say said because my partner works I am not entitled to anything! can't believe it. Had a claim for Housing Benefit in since January that still isnt sorted so I have put in a complaint. What the hell are you supposed to do :(

The best bit of news is that if you work under 16 hours per week (15 hours, 59 mins and 59 seconds being the max.) then you get that instead of the JSA. Great news! So these honest people who actually want to work are penalised by going to work. It's the biggest load of ******** I've ever heard. Who is going to do a **** almost minimum wage job for under 16 hours a week when they can claim practically the same amount of JSA by doing absolutely **** all.

Why bother indeed!!??

And what's your proposed solution?

Cut JSA? I've never claimed it, but I know i'd struggle incredibly to live on that kind of money.

Still give the JSA out if you're working 16 hours? Then why bother working full time?

I have claimed JSA twice, both my claims being refuted on technical grounds. Both times I was actively seeking work while unemployed.

First time: apparently I was going to be a student for another three months so I couldn't claim for anything. This is despite my graduation from that course a month past, as evidenced by my degree certificate which I showed to them. But the computer said I was going to be a student until September so that was that.

Second time: My wife was working full time and I had been on a low wage for a while due to more studies. I couldn't claim for contribution based stuff nor income based stuff.

Benefits: so long as you're unemployed, unmarried, and unqualified, they're great!

I was made redundant in October and have been claiming income based jobseekers. I got a letter this week saying I had had my 183 days allowance of this and so it is to be stopped! I rang them to say we couldn't afford to live when getting it not to mention that I now won't get it, and they say said because my partner works I am not entitled to anything! can't believe it. Had a claim for Housing Benefit in since January that still isnt sorted so I have put in a complaint. What the hell are you supposed to do :(

Sounds like you were claiming Contribution based JSA, hence why it ceased after 183 days.

Your partner could look at claiming tax credits.

Yes I was but didn't realise I only had 183 days to claim it. I have already rang them but need to ring back on the last day of my JSA payment which will be end of month, fingers crossed that they increase it or we are well in the do do

JSA - Hmmmmm. When I got made redundant a few years ago, I qualified for retraining paid for by the government as I had no transferable skills to help me find work. But guess what, because I was retraining to make myself employable, I wasnt entitled to JSA as I wasnt available for work - and wasnt entitled to any after I finished training either. I got 2 weeks of JSA during 5 months of unemployment - Marvelous!

JSA

what a waste of time for me

I lost my job on 19th December! I have ONLY just be able to claim

claimed on the 18th of March, and still NOTHING, and im having to sign on still... its a waste of time ?

I have a holiday booked for Australia, for 5 weeks. Which has been funded prior to claiming

they actually asked me if i could cancel and get my money back from that!!! how cheeky is that!

They even messed my claim up some how... its unreal. i hate the fact of signing on, and hate the fact that if i dont find work and i go on holiday they cancel my claim.

So i either cancel my holiday or cancel my claim. bit of a joke really when there are those out there that claim for months on end and DONT look for work and just DONT care...

You are allowed to be 'sick', 3 times.

Wrong! Its two periods of sickness of up to 2 weeks each period. The periods cannot be consecutive

I know of three different people who each should be entitled to benefits but don't get them.

One worked abroad for a few months and now has to prove she's entitled to live and work in the UK. Another had to finish work to look after a sick relative, the relative got worse and is now in a nursing home so he went to sign on and they've disallowed the claim because he gave up his last job voluntarily. Others just don't claim because of the stigma and hassle of it all.

I know the system has to be rigerous enough to try to detect/deter fraudulent claims but when it's putting off and not paying those people who are entitled to it there's something wrong that needs sorting out.

Whilst i appreciate times are hard, and i am by no means the worst off or in the worst situation at the moment i want to have a little rant.

Both myself and my partner were made redundant last year, my oh last summer and me 3 days before xmas. I got no redundancy pay as worked for company under 2 years and got 1 week notice from my employer. Same as my OH.

We had a holiday booked which was paid for but we were told if we tried to cancel it or change departure date we would loose all our money, as we were too close to departure. I then tried to claim on our hol insurance but was told i couldnt as had worked for cmpany under 2 years. So we still going but on an extremely tight budget.

I have never ever claimed a benefit in my life, no council tax benefit, housing of job seekers. I have worked continuously for the last 10 years , i have no debt and at some points worked 50 hours plus a week to earn enough to pay my student debt off and buy a house, and not rely on credit. Things havent been easy over xmas, so thought whilst looking for a new job i would sign on. I have managed to secure a new job to start in Feb by getting of my backside and doing everthing possibly known to man over the last few weeks.

So job centre tells me as i will be out of the country my claim will stop !! and i will loose my money ( all 120 quid)!! which every penny helps at the moment. All because i will be classed as not able to actively looking for work... even though i have a job to start. I sat in the job centre hearing people being told off as they had done b***er all to contact employers , apply for jobs and had been on the jsa for nearly 6 months. I have no children, so do not get anything at all from the government , im unemployed for 4 weeks and i cant even claim for that !!! Why bother ???

I appreciate i am lucky to have a holiday, a new job and so on and so forth, but why should i be denied this money , when i have done everything right , never claimed a penny, had no debt been sensible etc etc and at some points paid 40% tax to get absolutely b***er all back from this goverment. But its fine for the chap infront of me still to get his money( my tax money) when he hasnt done anything to look for a job!!

Job seekers, why bother

And we have a Labour government in power as well who are supposed to help the less well off.