First Time JSA Claimant

[davehsug]

Hi all. Just been made redundant, & I have a few questions regarding claiming benefits.

Firstly. I have a partner, but we are not & never have been "financially linked". Is it compulsory for us to claim jointly? He was made redundant at the same time as me.

I am considering whether ESA may be what I ought to be claiming. I was holding on to my last job by a thread, due to repeated sickness absence & decline in work standard, due to medication I'm taking. I would almost certainly have been finished if redundancy hadn't come around anyway. I'm fairly sure my doctor would sign me as sick if I asked. As it is, my choice of jobs is likely to be limited & the chance of me getting through a probationary period are pretty slim. Would I be better advised to get a sick note & try to claim ESA?

Even as it is, I'm not looking to start work immediately. I got a reasonable redundancy payment & after 40 years working, I am going to take a couple of months off anyway, to reassess & charge the batteries. I would not be entitled to contributory benefits at the moment, due to a smallish amount of savings, & a small pension from a previous job, although it will get used up pretty quickly, so should I claim anything at all or wait until I need the money desperately?

Thanks in advance

[Lapsed Workaholic]

This link should answer some of your questions at least. You could then re-ask any that remain unanswered

https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/overview

[antone]

If you are not looking to start work immediately then we can't advise you to claim JSA. That's partly because of JSA rules (which state that you must be fit for, available for, and actively seeking employment), and partly because doing so is a whole lot of hassle that you really don't want if it can be avoided.

 

But in addition to the link provided by Lapsed Workaholic above, which you should read, there are a few issues to consider.

 

1) Are you actually fit for work?

 

It sounds like you may not be, in which case ESA would be the appropriate benefit to claim. At the start of an ESA claim, a doctor's note is sufficient, but note that you would be referred for a Work Capability Assessment at some point, probably within the first few months of the claim. In that case, you would need to show that you can score 15 points from the list of LCW Descriptors (see page 18 of this PDF file). This isn't particularly easy, as many here with experience of the process will tell you.

 

2) Your partner

 

Do you live together? If you do, your partner will be expected to support you or, of course, you will need to make a joint claim. Even if you have no joint accounts or other joint financial commitments, this will be the case. In effect, the question will be "Are you living together as husband and wife?" - or as civil partners if you are the same sex.

 

3) Contributory benefits

 

You say you wouldn't be entitled because of your savings, but I think that may be based on a misunderstanding, as contributory benefits don't take savings into account, nor would they consider they income or savings of your partner when working out your entitlement. Note, though, that contributory JSA is limited to 26 weeks from your initial date of claim, and contributory ESA to one year unless you meet the conditions to be placed in the Support Group.

[davehsug]

Thanks guys, just a bit naïve after not having to claim for so many years. It was so long ago, people in job centres thought they were there to help you find work & sort out problems, not look for an excuse to take your benefit away, which seems to be the case now, judging by what I read & hear!

[Chester6]

Thanks guys, just a bit naïve after not having to claim for so many years. It was so long ago, people in job centres thought they were there to help you find work & sort out problems, not look for an excuse to take your benefit away, which seems to be the case now, judging by what I read & hear!

That depends on whom you see as a minority are still decent