Query about signing for the first time and partners income.

[1stlifeline]

Morning all.

 

I work for agency and have been told that there will be no work for at least the next 3-4 weeks. So yesterday I rang to enquire about claiming JSA. I have an appointment with them tomorrow and have been told to take in several things.

 

My circumstances are a bit confusing

-My partner is on Employment Support Allowance and Industrial Injuries Benefit. He had to take ill health retirement a few months ago and was given a severance payment. When he went to claim he was told that he could claim on his contributions so the payout he recieved was not taken into consideration. Its not a great amount but is still money in the bank.

 

I have only worked and been paying contributions since Sept 09 so dont know if I have enough for contribution based JSA. When they went through my claim on the form she told me that there was no way to tell if I would get contribution based JSA until the processed the claim and so took me through the full claim process because she said that as I had a partner his benefits may be affected by my claim.

 

The upshot is that tomorrow they want me to take mine and my partners bank statements amongst other things in to show them. My partner is really annoyed about htis and says he dosnt want them looking at what he considers private. I have told them he has the money in the bank, we are not trying to hide anything.

 

I think the questions Im really asking are-

 

From Sept 09 would I have enough contributions for JSA. (If i have then surely I can claim on my own and my partner shouldnt come into it)

 

If I dont and have to go down the means tested route then can I withdraw my claim- Its taken so long for my partner to get his sorted out, neither of us ever having claimed before!, so I dont want to mess his up as I may well be back in work in around 6 weeks time if I dont find another job beforehand. We would have to go through it all again then get his sorted when I sign off. My partner is waiting for an operation and just getting to the ofice is hell for him at the moment so if by me claiming JSA its going to impact him then I dont want to do it.

 

Any advice please.

[leemack]

Hi firstlifeline, I'm a bit rusty on contibutions, but from the depths of my memory, I think its based on the last two tax years before the benefit year you claim in, so in your case, I think, your claim would be based on contributions for 09-10, and 08-09. If you've only been working since sept 09 then its unlikely you'll qualify for contributions. (if I've got this wrong, can someone correct me)

 

I don't see how you claiming could cause problems for your husband, as long as his claims are above board. If both your savings are below £6000 then they won't be counted. If they're above £6000, then they subtract £1 from any means tested benefit only for every £250 you're above £6000. If the total savings is above £16,000, then you won't be entitled to any means tested benefit.

[1stlifeline]

Thank you for the reply.

 

The savings are actually 10,000. That was a severance payment for him having to leave his job through ill health retirement. Its not a lot considering he was on twice that per year whilst working and will never be able to return to the same kind of work because of his accident.

 

His claim was above board, he hid nothing and was advised at the interview that his money didnt count because it was contribution based.

 

Because I may be signing on on and off qhite a bit in the next few weeks I dont want his payments messing with. he has them set up to go into an account with direct debits coming out and its been so messy getting at all sorted that I dont want them stopping and starting his payments just because I have put a claim in. I thought if I was claiming on contributions it would be nothing to do with him.

Can I cancel my claim if Im not geting it contribution based?

 

If both your savings are below £6000 then they won't be counted. If they're above £6000, then they subtract £1 from any means tested benefit only for every £250 you're above £6000. If the total savings is above £16,000, then you won't be entitled to any means tested benefit.

The savings are in my partners name and his sole account. Does that mean that a deduction would be taken from my claim as he isnt claiming a means tested benefit?.

Edited January 6, 2011 by 1stlifeline
adding text

[leemack]

With a means tested claim you're counted as a couple and any income and savings you have between you is taken into account. If you are awarded a means tested benefit, you signing on and off will only affect your benefit and not his - his contribution based benefit and iidb will not be affected by anything you do with your means tested claim. They need to know details of his income and savings in order to assess your claim, not to make any changes to his claim.

[1stlifeline]

Thank you very much.