[LornaF]

I just a moan really. I lost my job in December and signed on after this. I broke my ankle in February so had to go on ESA as my sick note was for longer than 2 weeks, I tried arguing that having a broken ankle doesn't prevent me from doing desk based work but to no avail.
After waiting 2 weeks for a decision I was told I couldn't claim ESA as I hadn't paid enough contributions in the qualifying years as their tax years from January to January.
I was really narked with this as the years in question where one year when I took maternity leave for 9 months, and the second year i went back to work part time but doing 21hrs.
Prior to this I'd worked full time since I was 22, and before this had temped and done short term work. I have only ever claimed JSA before, this was for 6 weeks or so in 2001!!
I am mortified that I can't claim anything, but I've just had to bite my tongue and luckily i've just found work.
The next problem I come to is childcare, as our income dropped dramatically trying to find a months worth of nursery fee's upfront isn't an easy fete, although WTC pays some back this is in arrears and after you actually start work, so to secure the nursery place you generally needs 4 weeks of fees, and at nearly £40 a day that's a lot of money to find, whilst living on one income and child benefit. Luckily I only need to a for a day a week at the moment.
All this annoys the hell out of me, as some people do claim for years and don't contribute anything, yet myself and others at this moment in time just need a little assistance to get back to work. Surely it would be better for the benefits system to intervene at this stage rather than allowing people to risk losing everything.

[Ms Macbeth]

Its always difficult when one half of a couple who both work loses their job. I can remember feeling very similar to you when my children were young. My OH was self employed and in a previous recession couldn't find much work, but wasn't entitled to JSA/unemployment benefit, even though he'd paid a self employed Insurance stamp for years. Self employed people just aren't! Similarly, after he recovered from heart surgery and was due to return to work, he signed off incapacity benefit, but wasn't entitled again to any JSA as, of course, it was income based and I was working. We never had huge incomes, but we managed by both of us contributing. When one isn't able to contribute, its very difficult to keep afloat.

The rules are based on a very short time span of paying NI contributions, which I don't understand. Wouldn't it be fairer if someone has paid for 75% of the time they could work - then they are entitled to at least flat rate JSA until they find another job? Only apply the means test if their contributions are less? Just a suggestion.

[eckingtonboy]

Thats for contribution paid jsa, u can claim income based jsa regardless of contributions!

[cll23]

Originally Posted by eckingtonboy

Thats for contribution paid jsa, u can claim income based jsa regardless of contributions!

if you live with someone who is classed as your partner and they work then you can't claim income based.

[craigmason]

you might find this useful
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/...its/index.html

[Mr Gav]

It's a crappy situation to be in, i gotta say.
Got laid off from my last job, a couple of days before i was due to return to work after being signed off with a broken foot.

After 10 mins of the woman at the jobcentre trying to get me to renew my doctors note so i could get more cash, (even though i was able to walk fine),
I finally convinced her that being off work was driving me up the wall, and that i wanted to switch from ESA to JSA and find work.

After doing the JSA phone interview, and returning to the jobcentre the following day to start my new JSA claim and sign on, the jobcentre then decided to tell me that because my partner works 19hrs a week, and i hadn't worked enough hrs last yr (even tho i worked there from March 08 i can't get a penny.

So, basically, until i find some work, i no longer exist