when i signed for the first time at Ingeus the other day they took my job search diary off me, i got told its to check if i have done enough. does this mean they'll contact every the employer of every job i apply for and write on the diary? :S

Hello, DWP informed me that my income-based JSA stopped after we submitted JSA2 form recently - we were asked to fill-in the form since we have been receiving JSA for long time and they need to review if they are paying correct amount. They said they stopped because we hadn't reported my partner's self-employed income they found in the above JSA2 form. The DWP lady I talked over the phone said we have to report the earnings every JSA sign-in session fortnightly and failure to do so is AGAINST The LAW, which we were not aware at all. My partner's earnings is around £3,000 over the last 3 years, and the above DWP lady said with this amount the decision maker may reinstate our benefit, and currently we are waiting for the decision maker's letter. What worries us is if this is considered as Benefit Fraud because we are now getting increasingly concerned about the lady's comment of "Againt The Law" - surely we never do it intentionally. Can somebody advise me: - is there any chance that DWP prosecutes us / bring us to court because of this (so far we have had no issues related with the benefits - no sanctions, no suspect etc, it's the first time to face such a problem) - if we're prosecuted, do we loose our eligibility to receive other benefits such as Housing Benefit? - probably we have to repay any overpayments, then how do they calculate the amounts? - is there any chance that DWP requests penalty (then what sort amount is usually imposed?) - any possible other consequences we may have to prepare? Sorry for asking many questions, but we feel very scared now. Very appreciate anyone's advice. Thank you. Sarah

Hi all, I'm facing a quandary. I'm currently registered as a postgraduate student, but I was recently bereaved and have decided to suspend my studies for a year. I'm self-funding so I would like to just give up my student status and claim jobseeker's allowance, and look for a job for this year to tide me over. However, if I do that I'm worried that as the only non-student in a house with three students, I would become liable (and not exempt) for the council tax bill for the whole property (this is certainly what would happen if I were employed and living with students). I'd like to assume that I would be exempt because I would be unemployed, but I have nightmare visions of my quarter of the council tax being exempt, but being liable for the remaining three quarters. (To give an idea about the property, each of the four of us pay £350 rent per month). I imagine that this amount of council tax would exceed my jobseeker's allowance and so I'd end up worse off than now if I started claiming. Can anyone help me on this? Many thanks