JSA4 - Rapid Re-claim clarification!!!

[akman786]

Hi

 

I recently made a claim for JSA on the 21 Sep 2009. I had previously made a claim which ended on 23 March 2009. When I called the JSA claim line I was quite certain that I had to make a new claim. However, the person who I spoke to actually advised me to make a rapid re-claim as I was within the 26 weeks period, so I went ahead with it.

 

I was booked in with an appointment at my local jobcentre and I signed all the papers and was given my sign-on book and timings. Now I have received a letter from DWP stating that I have incorrectly completed the JSA4 form and in order to process my claim I need to complete a JSA1 (new claim) form.

 

So I tried to calculate if I was actually within the 26 week period (182 days) and this is how I did it:

 

March: 8 days (my claim ended on the 23rd March)

April: 30 days

May: 31 days

June: 30 days

July: 31 days

August: 31 days

September: 21 days (date of my re-claim)

 

Total = 182 days

 

Finally, if your last date to claim falls on a Sunday then what is the position? Will it be the next working day i.e. Monday - or would be expected to make your claim on Friday?

 

Any guidance and comments will be very much appreciated.

 

Thanks!!!

[insyder]

A rapid reclaim is worked out using a 26 calendar week period.

 

So 24 March being the first day, 1st week ends on Monday 30 March, then 25 weeks from that Monday takes you to:

 

28 September

 

Should be a rapid reclaim then. The problem is that if the processing office request a form it's difficult to change their minds. Contact them and explain the 26 week calculation and see if they can see your point of view.

 

Finally, if your last date to claim falls on a Sunday then what is the position? Will it be the next working day i.e. Monday - or would be expected to make your claim on Friday?

 

I think what you are asking is whether you can claim on Friday if, say, you finish work on Friday. The answer is yes, and you should. If you claim Monday it is usual practice not to backdate it past the previous weekend.

 

It's a complicated rule but backdating would be acceptable for an unexpected event where you could not claim (such as a flood closing the jobcentre - some of you may want to picture this for a bit) and a weekend which is not an unexpected event.

[Jan4a]

I think what you are asking is whether you can claim on Friday if, say, you finish work on Friday. The answer is yes, and you should. If you claim Monday it is usual practice not to backdate it past the previous weekend.

 

I didn't know this. I've just done a rapid reclaim but rang on the Monday as I finished my temp job on the Friday. didn't think about the weekend at all. I'm likely to do another one when I temp again so next time I'll ring on Friday.

[james86]

It depends on the type of JSA (Conts or Conts/IB). Can't remember which way round, but one of them is done by the week, and the other by the day, so the actual days, including saturdays (not sundays) is relevant.

 

You wouldn't be able to make the claim over the phone on the last day you worked, as the computer won't allow it, but you can start it the very next day, including saturdays on the internet.

[insyder]

It depends on the type of JSA (Conts or Conts/IB). Can't remember which way round, but one of them is done by the week, and the other by the day, so the actual days, including saturdays (not sundays) is relevant.

 

No, it is worked out as seven calendar weeks, not days. You might be thinking about how unemployment benefit used to be paid against income support. Since JSA arrived it has paid for Monday to Sunday (182 days). But that has nothing to do with a rapid reclaim.

 

 

You wouldn't be able to make the claim over the phone on the last day you worked, as the computer won't allow it, but you can start it the very next day, including saturdays on the internet.

 

You can make a claim on the phone on a Friday. Which computer wouldn't allow it?

 

The new internet claiming system will, of course, allow you to claim on a Saturday now.

[james86]

You can make a claim on the phone on a Friday. Which computer wouldn't allow it?

 

The new internet claiming system will, of course, allow you to claim on a Saturday now.

The computer they use to take the claims won't allow it, as you're technically employed on the friday if that's the last day at work and the claim starts from the first day of unemployment. The computer won't accept a future date.

[insyder]

Just to reiterate, you can make a claim on the last day that you worked.

 

The claim will be taken on the Friday but the TAM (treat as made) date can be Saturday.

 

Even if the computer system (that's called CMS) can't accept a future date the Friday can be disregarded at the processing stage. There are certain times when days can be disallowed whilst allowing the claim process to continue and one of those is "employed".