JSA whilst working

[Thunderbox 10]

After signing on for nearly 6 months, at no time whtasoever has anyone mention "a4e".

As far as I know you have to work 30 hrs per week to get WTC. It used to be 16 hrs for the over 50's and I got that for the first year after being made redundant but then they changed that to 30 hrs.

[RWM1967 10]

Eligibility for Working Tax Credit is based on your age, status, and hours worked (and income):

25 to 59 At least 30 hours

60 or over At least 16 hours

Disabled At least 16 hours

Single with 1 or more children At least 16 hours

Couple with 1 or more children Usually, at least 24 hours* (with 1 of you working at least 16 hours)

 

If you are self-employed then you declare your own average hours of work, and your estimated income from self-employment. I believe time spent on training courses attended for the benefit of the self-employment, and travelling times, and the administration/bookkeeping time, can be included in the estimated average hours worked. If you are also employed, then you add this to your employed hours to give the total hours worked, and this could then give you the entitlement to WTC.

[Shogun 10]

I could do with someone to work for me I could not offer full time straight but off may be part time employment,the job is unpredictable when it comes to hours,so I have been reluctant to advertise for anyone as I know that the DWP would give them a lot of problems,I think if I could get the right person the job could work up to a full time position,I can't do the job myself now as it involves some physical work and I'm just getting to crotchy to do the job fully now..would I be better approaching the job center to see what they say..

[snoopjiggy 10]

After signing on for nearly 6 months, at no time whtasoever has anyone mention "a4e".

As far as I know you have to work 30 hrs per week to get WTC. It used to be 16 hrs for the over 50's and I got that for the first year after being made redundant but then they changed that to 30 hrs.

 

The A4E work program comes after a year.

 

Basically means the job centre passes you off onto one of their programs and you visit them instead of the job centre and they train you in how to get ready for interviews etc ....

[donsmoobabe 10]

i work 10 hours minimum wage earning £61.90 a week in wages i receive £7 a week in jsa i also get full housing benefit and help towards my council tax if i go over the amount i earn now i will lose all the benefits even if i worked 16 hours i would get some of my rent paid but not all of it and would be no better off i would love a full time job and believe i look and look but hardly anyone is setting on full time employees lately i must send my cv off to 30 odd people a week and probably receive one responce i have worked since i was 15 it kills me sat at home doing nothing ...

[poppet2 13]

i work 10 hours minimum wage earning £61.90 a week in wages i receive £7 a week in jsa i also get full housing benefit and help towards my council tax if i go over the amount i earn now i will lose all the benefits even if i worked 16 hours i would get some of my rent paid but not all of it and would be no better off i would love a full time job and believe i look and look but hardly anyone is setting on full time employees lately i must send my cv off to 30 odd people a week and probably receive one responce i have worked since i was 15 it kills me sat at home doing nothing ...

 

Do the job centre still put you on courses for 30 hours a week, or any courses?

Can you refuse to go on them if you are working part-time?

What if your sign-on day or time clash with your working hours?

[cheesemaster 10]

Jsa make living and working part time/casual near impossible. Mainly if you are working casual hours.

[999tigger 10]

i work 10 hours minimum wage earning £61.90 a week in wages i receive £7 a week in jsa i also get full housing benefit and help towards my council tax if i go over the amount i earn now i will lose all the benefits even if i worked 16 hours i would get some of my rent paid but not all of it and would be no better off i would love a full time job and believe i look and look but hardly anyone is setting on full time employees lately i must send my cv off to 30 odd people a week and probably receive one responce i have worked since i was 15 it kills me sat at home doing nothing ...

 

It is complicated. You can work under 16hrs. They then let you keep the first £5 and they deduct £ for £ any more money up to the extent of your jsa. You still get to sign on and thats useful for HB and CT.

 

I got a bit concerned donsmoobabe when you said you are sending out 30 applications a week. Thats 120 a month +,

 

To have an effective strategy you need:

 

1.To be looking in the right places.

2. You need to have a skillset suitable for the job.

3. Your covering letter needs to be correct.

4. Your cv and or application form need to be up to scratch.

5. You need to interview well.

Your applications need to be targeted, which means research who you are applying to and to make it relevant by targeting your cv and covering letter to that job and employer.

 

I'd be pushed to be doing one or two a day assuming the jobs acctually showed. Thing is if you show them why you are the right person then they are more likely to take an interest in you.

 

If you just have one cv and one standard covering letter and are sending them out on spec then thats the least effective way you can apply for a job. Thirty a week sounds too many. I think you would find it helpful to talk to someone about your job hunt strategy and maybe run through points 1-5 with you. Alternatively buy a book as many of the advisers can only provide basic advice. Richard Nelson Bolles, John Lees, James Innes, Richard Maun all produce good books that will give you a better perspective on things and show you how things work.

 

Ive seen this a lot. Quality over quantity imo.

 

The questions you need to be asking are.

 

1. Did a job exist?

2. Why do they choose other peoples applications instead of mine?

Edited October 5, 2013 by 999tigger

[kal el 11]

I've applied for almost 200 jobs in the past 10 months. I'm attending Matrec 3 times a week studying for different courses, I'm also volunteering and doing my job search. The JCP are still complaining that I haven't got a job. what more do they want from me apart from the obvious. :loopy:

 

What's going to happen when we are forced to go to the job centre every day and annoy the advisors. what a load of b######s.

[999tigger 10]

I've applied for almost 200 jobs in the past 10 months. I'm attending Matrec 3 times a week studying for different courses, I'm also volunteering and doing my job search. The JCP are still complaining that I haven't got a job. what more do they want from me apart from the obvious. :loopy:

 

What's going to happen when we are forced to go to the job centre every day and annoy the advisors. what a load of b######s.

 

Job centre doesnt have capacity to deal with people visiting more than an hour every fortnight. It would be chaos to have people from work programme there.

 

I would look at the quality of your applications. Ofc I have no idea whether you are getting interviews or not.

[kal el 11]

Job centre doesnt have capacity to deal with people visiting more than an hour every fortnight. It would be chaos to have people from work programme there.

 

I would look at the quality of your applications. Ofc I have no idea whether you are getting interviews or not.

 

I've had 2 meet and greets in the past 6 months.

[RiffRaff 10]

Job centre doesnt have capacity to deal with people visiting more than an hour every fortnight. It would be chaos to have people from work programme there.

 

Chaos guaranteed.

Interestingly, Chesterfield's job centre has been running a weekly (as opposed to the normal fortnightly) attendance scheme for some months now, and the staff can't cope with it.

Knock-on effects of this are unusual reporting times - e.g. 10.13; not 10 minutes before, not 10 minutes after - and double the cost of "signing on" because of having to attend every week.