How much savings are you allowed when applying for JSA?

[donnygreenjeans]

What is the amount you are allowed to have in savings and still be able to claim JSA? I have got an interview tomorrow at the job centre and i lost my job because of gross misconduct so i have to tell them why i lost my last job so i am 100% sure i will get sanctioned but i don't know for how many weeks. I have got £11,000 in savings but £3000 belongs to my parents! and the £11,000 is in 3 accounts all at the same building society, Will that amount affect me?

Edited January 26, 2010 by donnygreenjeans

[privatehudson]

Which type of JSA have you applied for, income or contribution based?

[donnygreenjeans]

Well here's the confusing bit ( i think), i have a meeting tomorrow at the job centre to see if i can get JSA as i was sacked for gross misconduct and i believe i will or might be sanctioned, i have worked for the last 11 years!

[ErikaPNP]

Full time for the last 11 years as an employee, you are likely to qualify for contribution based JSA. This will not be affected by your savings, and is payable for a total of 26 weeks. Once contributions are exhausted, you my be eligible for income based JSA. The amount you receive wil be reduced by £1 per week for every £250 or part thereof of savings between £6000 and £16000.

 

A sanction for misconduct can last up to 26 weeks. The jobcentre will not be the people who decide on whether a sanction will be applied, they just gather information in relation to some JSA claims. The decision in regard to a sanction is made by the benefit delivery centre.

[donnygreenjeans]

A sanction for misconduct can last up to 26 weeks. The jobcentre will not be the people who decide on whether a sanction will be applied, they just gather information in relation to some JSA claims. The decision in regard to a sanction is made by the benefit delivery centre.

 

I've read somewhere that i can apply for hardship payment? So am i right in saying that my £11,000 savings wont affect me? (sorry for sounding dumb) By the way i don't suppose you know (roughly) how long the decision will take to be decided by the benefit delivery centre regarding my sanction?

[ErikaPNP]

I very much doubt that they will accept you are suffering hardship whilst you have £11000 in savings. Your savings will affect a claim for hardship as hardship is payable only when there is no other means and the claimant or their family will suffer hardship without payment of the benefit, as the name suggests. You can apply though, but the onus is on you to demonstrate you are suffering hardship.

[donnygreenjeans]

I very much doubt that they will accept you are suffering hardship whilst you have £11000 in savings. Your savings will affect a claim for hardship as hardship is payable only when there is no other means and the claimant or their family will suffer hardship without payment of the benefit, as the name suggests. You can apply though, but the onus is on you to demonstrate you are suffering hardship.

 

Ok, i can see where they are coming from but it seems a bit unfair that people (like myself) who save money and don't waste it and get in debt get penalized? So i am right in saying that i will have to spend some of my savings until the sanctioned ends?

[loopinlouie]

Yes you will need to use some of your savings.

[ErikaPNP]

Most likely. You are not being penalised as you have a means to survive. Hardship exists for people who would be placed at hardship, i.e; have no means to eat or to heat their homes. I've come across some very genuine hardship cases where people are sitting in the dark in their homes as they have no electricity, they are wrapped up in duvets as they have no means to heat their homes, they are becoming malnourished as they have no means to buy food and no means to cook it, and boy have these people had to fight for hardship payments - some unsuccessfully, and it is heartbreaking to deal with. With savings of £1100 you would not fall within the category of a person who would expericence hardship.

 

Not everyone is lucky enough to have the means to save. There are plenty of people on this forum who through disability are unable to work or are restricted in the work that they can do, meaning they cannot earn very much and have little left to spare to save.

 

Bad things happen to good people and many end up with nothing, and find themselves on benefit. I'm sure most of them would gladly swap places with you if it meant they could work and have no restriction on their abilities.

[ozzywizard]

Ok, i can see where they are coming from but it seems a bit unfair that people (like myself) who save money and don't waste it and get in debt get penalized? So i am right in saying that i will have to spend some of my savings until the sanctioned ends?

 

Jobseekers allowance is a benifit for people who need benifits whilst searching for work, for you to use your savings is not a penalization it is a statment of proof that at this time benifits are not nessercery as you have the meens to provide for yourself.

How on earth can you possibly expect to be claiming hardship with such savings ? I really do hope you are never in an hardship position as it is not a nice place to be.

[loopinlouie]

Wise enough to save 11,000 good on you seriously. At least you wont need to feel stressed or walk for three hours for not having the bus fair, like another cagger in similar situation.

 

By the way good luck in getting another job.

[ozzywizard]

The other cagger that loopinlouie refers too actually waited 2 months living on savings before making a claim untill it was really nessercery and no other meens of survival.

[loopinlouie]

Yep your right, the other cagger used up all savings prior to applying for jsa. Maybe didnt realise could claim it sooner.

[RaeUK]

To put the question another way, is it right for the tax payer to provide for a person who has the means to provide for themselves? Donny, I don't want you to feel targeted but you raise an interesting point. When you were employed and paying taxes, in honesty, wouldn't you have said 'no' to the above question?

You have worked hard and saved hard, that's a credit to you. But your saving was for a rainy day. It may be about to rain. I hope not, but you get my giste.

Best wishes.

Rae.

[donnygreenjeans]

Jobseekers allowance is a benifit for people who need benifits whilst searching for work, for you to use your savings is not a penalization it is a statment of proof that at this time benifits are not nessercery as you have the meens to provide for yourself.

How on earth can you possibly expect to be claiming hardship with such savings ? I really do hope you are never in an hardship position as it is not a nice place to be.

 

Dont judge me because i have got savings, it's not my fault that for the last 19 years i've been working and have paid taxes, ata young age i was educated to save money and not to waste it, how do you know that these people who are in hardship have squandered their money through their own fault?

[loopinlouie]

The forum is not judging you but in fact praising you for your wise saving. The forum also does not judge others in a variety of situations, who are we or you to judge others. How do we know if someone squandered it or not, maybe they never were in the position to save as much as you.

 

Yes you are upset you need to utilise you hard earned savings but thats life and it does you no good comparing yourself to other possible situations we know no facts on.

 

Yes you hear horific cases in the news of fraud and what they get up to which a tax payer has a right to be furious at, but dont judge all people the same, I am sure the vast majority of claimants are genuine and would love to change postions with yourself.

 

i would love to have 11, ooo and support myself for a while, so the answer is sorry you will have to use a portion of your savings, its just life, take it as no insult.

[donnygreenjeans]

The forum is not judging you but in fact praising you for your wise saving. The forum also does not judge others in a variety of situations, who are we or you to judge others. How do we know if someone squandered it or not, maybe they never were in the position to save as much as you.

 

Yes you are upset you need to utilise you hard earned savings but thats life and it does you no good comparing yourself to other possible situations we know no facts on.

 

Yes you hear horific cases in the news of fraud and what they get up to which a tax payer has a right to be furious at, but dont judge all people the same, I am sure the vast majority of claimants are genuine and would love to change postions with yourself.

 

i would love to have 11, ooo and support myself for a while, so the answer is sorry you will have to use a portion of your savings, its just life, take it as no insult.

 

I understand where you are coming from, i was saving up to hopefully buy a house, that's why i have got £11,000 in savings, as well as working my usual hours i also worked overtime, but i guess i will have to put buying a house on hold, i was always taught at an early age that "if you can't afford it don't buy it".

[loopinlouie]

Your right there, good luck, you'll still get your house one day.xxxloiue

[donnygreenjeans]

Your right there, good luck, you'll still get your house one day.xxxloiue

 

Thank you! x

[loopinlouie]

xxxxx:D

[ozzywizard]

Apologies if I came across as judgemental this was not my intention but to advise you based on the facts you had provided. I do understand that somtimes the hard facts in life is not what somone may want to hear but correct none the less. Seriously good luck in finding work.