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No Jobseekers Allowance, No UC - help!


EveOwes
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Hi

 

I have been trying to sign on since April but have come across a few obstacles. I have been unemployed for about 2 years now (despite good CV etc - ageism/can't get interviews). I am renting a house with my daughter who is also unemployed and is a new mum.

 

We are joint tenants on the rental agreement.

 

I own a small flat near the coast and have had to borrow in order to get this done up and ready for sale, and hope to get it on the market in the next week or so. There's no profit left in this, it's going to give me just enough to put by for future housing I reckon???

 

I paid the rent up front here for six months, but that six months is over in a few weeks time and we will have to pay a full months rent up front each month.

 

What problems am I/we likely to face in claiming housing benefit? Do I need to declare the property? Will they say that, as joint tenants, we need to look to each other to pay the rent or will they give us each our half without too much hassle?

 

I'm really worried that this won't be in place in time for next month and we'll be threatened with eviction. The landlord/agent stipulated no DSS so we hope the council won't contact them if we provide a copy of the agreement. It's impossible to get DSS housing around here Surrey/Sussex.

 

Any advice?

 

thanks

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Yes must declare all assets valued at over 16K.

 

Social Housing is provided by local authorities and housing association as your daughter is a 'new mum' she should be eligible for help.

 

I'll see if there is an expert around to help you, please be patient.

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Yes you must declare the property. It can be disregarded for a number of weeks if it is on the market and being sold so you may be eligible for HB anyway even if there is equity in it. Once it is sold you must inform the LA/DWP of any capital/equity that you gain from the sale and this may affect the levels of any benefit you receive depending on the amounts. Has your dd placed a claim for HB for her half of the rent?

 

Does your tenancy agreement request that you inform your landlord if you place a claim for HB? If so, then you must. The council may make contact with your landlord, sometimes for routine checks. Previously my LA requested my LL provide them evidence of where my deposit was held and in what scheme, they went direct to them and didn't ask me for example.

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Hi

 

As has been stated you will need to declare the property for HB & CTB purposes.

 

It is not DSS Housing it is classed as Social Housing - Council Housing, Housing Association, Housing Trusts etc, I would advise going round all of them in your local are and completing the housing application form that way at least you will be added to the list for housing.

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stu, when the OP mentioned DSS they were refering to their landlord had stipulated no DSS which means they don't want any tenants who claim housing benefit or JSA or anything so the OP wasn't refering to social housing at all when they said that.

 

OP, even though some landlords are nervous of DSS tenants, often once you are in and they can see you are caring for the property and paying rent on time, if you then become a DSS claimant they are usually ok about it.

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Hi

Thanks for replies. I am putting in a claim today for JSA and HB. My daughter is also going to put in a claim for HB today.

 

As joint tenants, can DWP say something along the lines of "if one can't pay the rent, then the other is responsible for paying all of it"? Although we are broke at the moment, I am hopeful of getting some work soon, or at least selling the flat. Either of these will make me ineligible for HB, but will they still pay my daughter's?

 

Our tenancy agreement is for the full monthly rent in both our names. Should we make new agreements in two separate names showing half the rent on each?

 

I'm just worried that I will get knocked back by them. Rent is due in 3 weeks and we are totally broke now and cannot pay it or anything else for that matter. Don't know what will happen about all the other bills.

 

Any quick replies would be most appreciated.

thanks

 

ps just had a horror thought - will I (without any dependents) actually be eligible for HB at all??? Really got myself worried now.

 

Just checked the benefits advisor site and the 'what if' tool. I won't get any housing benefit. All I can get is £86 a week. I added the asset, and I also did it without the asset.

 

Have I understood this correctly? Am I going to lose my home and end up on the streets? I feel like topping myself. There is no hope.

 

re-read some stuff and I think the Benefits Advisor site was telling me what I might get in addition to housing benefit??? Still a big question mark over the asset though. I am putting it on the market this week but it could be months before it sells and I have some cash in the bank.

 

I have a job interview Thursday but my luck has been sh*t so far on the job front.

 

I'm just panicking but after working for 39 years and having nothing to show for it I expect the worse to happen.

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If you can show that your second property is on the market, it can be ignored for HB purposes for 26 weeks, and longer if you demonstrate that it's still up for sale. This isn't something that online benefit calculators deal with very well - you should speak to the council that covers the area where you wish to claim.

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thanks Antone. That's useful to know and puts my mind at ease.

 

The house we are living in has three bedrooms - although one isn't big enough for a bed. But will be for a cot. How do we split the claim? half and half or 2/1 for my daughter and me. Or shall we just let the housing people decide. This is a situation I'm not used to and don't want to let the system trick me out of what I might be entitled to. I've paid in enough and now I need the State's help.

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I didn't notice who has signed the lease - is it you, your daughter, or do both of you have separate rental agreements for the property.

 

In any case, you should be entitled to the three bedroom rate for your area as there are two adults who are not in a relationship and one child. In the scenarios I mentioned above, here are the possibilities:

 

  • You signed the lease. In that case, you must make the claim for the household, and a small weekly amount will be deducted for your daughter (I assume she is over 18) as she will be considered to be a "non-dependent".
  • She signed the lease. If so, basically, reverse that - she should claim and you will be her non-dependent.
  • You each have a separate lease agreement with the landlord. In that case, you must each claim for your own shares of the rent.

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  • 3 years later...

Hi

I received my first UC payment in November.

I also received my first monthly (I think) pension payment in December.

 

I didn't find out about the pension until this week as I hadn't opened my post (as it's always bailiffs or some other horridness).

 

I haven't got round to notifying UC people yet but when I went for my JCP meeting yesterday the woman mentioned "have I been getting pension yet" and I said yes, and said that a payment had just come through.

 

She is reporting me to UC people because she thinks I haven't been looking for work as I missed my appointment mid December due to illness.

 

She asked me about my illness and asked me to describe my symptoms. I tried my best.

I also said that even though I had been ill on and off for several weeks I had still been job hunting, but my illness has now limited the types of jobs I will apply for, etc. I also suffer from hearing loss and she made a snide comment about that. She's not my usual advisor but she's booked me to see her again next week. I'm dreading it.

 

She is still reporting me and said I may get a sanction even though I am struggling on the amount I get each month.

 

I'm now thinking I should just not go back, the woman got me so upset and stressed with her attitude towards me. I am desperately seeking work and have worked all my life. I sold my house due to redundancy and used the equity to live off - totally stupid decision possibly but there you have it.

 

I've read several posts and stickies but struggling to find the info I need which is, how much aggravation do I have to take from this woman, can I just not speak to her? She made me sign my 'excuse' for not demonstrating how I had been seeking work since mid December and I think she doubted I had been ill.

 

I am on universal credit and this started in late October 2016.

 

I missed an interview with the job centre in December because I was unwell. I was unwell for weeks on and off but during that time was still looking for work.

 

I eventually spoke with the control centre and got a new interview date for mid Jan. I went in with details of the job hunting in the week prior to my interview. It seems that was a mistake and I should have taken in 4-5 weeks worth of info. I have some email evidence etc to support my search for work.

 

I've also found that most of the jobs are the same and few new ones are coming to the market so I keep reapplying for roles. I'm losing the will to live.

 

this awful woman at the job centre said I had not given her enough evidence of seeking work and she was going to raise a 'doubt' with the centre and a decision maker would write to me.

 

Well, today I received five letters - one for each separate week, including xmas/new year - and each saying I would be sanctioned at £10.40 a day for 28 days.

 

I am speechless, totally speechless, and just want to either curl up and die or pick up the phone and tell them what I think of them. What can I do about this? My universal credit just about covers my half the rent and heat/light - nothing else really.

 

Oh, and just to make matters worse, they put me on fortnightly interviews and I have missed my first one.

 

I'm tempted to try and go self-employed so I don't have to suck up to these disgusting jobsworths.

 

Help, anyone? I'm wondering how I can appeal this, and also whether it is £1500 or have I misunderstood the letters. thanks

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  • 4 weeks later...

there are some benefit guru's on here but as its voluntarily manned, people pop on site when time allows, please wait until one or more of the more knowledgeable are available.

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Help, anyone? I'm wondering how I can appeal this, and also whether it is £1500 or have I misunderstood the letters. thanks

 

Don't know much about this, but if the sanction is for 28 days, then it means they don't pay the unemployment benefit of £10.40 per day for the 28 days. If you are in receipt of housing benefit or other benefits that are on top, then these are not affected.

 

You can appeal these from what i have read. You can make a complaint to the job centre decision maker, but would need to show why the decision maker was wrong i.e that you have fully met the terms of your commitment that you signed up to. If you did not attend a review meeting to check your job searching/application history, then i should imagine that you failed your cpmmitment terms and 28 days in the normal sanction they apply.

 

Others are more knowledgeable on this. Surprised that the job centre/DWP have not given you documents explaining the whole process.

We could do with some help from you.

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You can also look at applying for recoverable hardship payments of UC, it is repayable if you are entitled to it.

Did you keep evidence of all your job searching for the weeks in questions as on UC if you are sick you are still required to follow your CC as usual, if it is going to be a long term illness you can have you CC reviewed to take some reductions into account however until you have had a WCA that states you are in the WRAG or SG you are required to continue to provide the evidence.

If you have the evidence you can request an appointment to have the information copied and sent to eh Service Centre for a reconsideration of that decision.

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Hi. Thanks for replies. I don't know what a WCA, WRAG or SG is. I didn't go to the GP as the illness was on and off but it was quite serious in that I could hardly walk and my arms felt numb and so on. I have a GP appt for next Monday. I am going to ask to be signed off sick for a while maybe. I didn't take lots of job search evidence as I thought it was a bit overkill. In my opinion the 35 hours a week requirement to hunt for work is overkill.

 

Nevertheless, I am actively seeking work but not even getting interviews. And these horrors that work in the job centre look down on you like you're beneath them because you haven't found anything yet. It is very depressing.

 

So I've had FIVE letters each saying I will be stopped £10.40/day for 28 days. That is either £291.20 or £1456. I just don't know which. It is disgusting that they can do this to someone. My half the rent is £775 and I only get £974 a month so their stoppages will severely affect me.

 

I will find out about the hardship payments but they are the ones that put me in hardship to start with. I don't know if I can demonstrate 175 hours of work search for the period I was sick but I will try. Do we get bank holidays off?

 

It will take me a while to sort out a written appeal on this basis.

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I don't know what a WCA, WRAG or SG is.

 

WCA: Work Capability Assessment.

WRAG: Work Related Activity Group.

SG: Support Group.

 

The three abbreviations are generally used in connection with Employment Support Allowance claimants. On applying for ESA, an assessment would be made of the medical conditions or underlying disability. Based on the results of this WCA, the claimant would then be placed in one of two groups (either SG or WRAG), or if they failed to meet the criteria, placed on JSA/UC.

 

The ultimate aim of Universal Credit is to replace both Job Seekers Allowance and ESA and combine it with Housing Benefits. WRAG and SG would still appear under UC to differentiate between those capable of working, those that need additional support, and those that can't work for health/disability reasons.

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And can I request a new work advisor before I go back there? thanks

 

MR P, Thanks for the explanations. I am capable of working, but no longer able to commute into London or work long hours - so I'm looking for about 20 hours a week at the moment. I will never be able to go back to what I did before as I lost my last job because of stress, depression and illness. I'm just old and worn out now. But I'm going to ask GP for sick note for a few weeks and hope it will give me some breathing space, unless they stop me for it which will not help at all.

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Apologies for the abbreviations it is the DWP speak in me, I use to work front facing in a JCP office and worked as part of the UC team but don't classify myself as a horror :( (I left the front facing side of DWP/JCP last year as to be honest I was verbally abused and threatened in front of my child when out of work by someone who simply recognised me from working in that particular office and not because of anything that I had done as I had no interaction with that particular claimant and I now work in another part of DWP)

If you get a fit note from your GP you need to call the Service Centre number and book an appointment to see your work coach to discuss reviewing your claimant commitment.

With regards to changing your work coach you may need to have an appointment with the Jobcentre Manager to discuss the issues of why you want to change it is not done automatically and there needs to be a reason to do it.

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Thanks Flumps.

I can imagine it must be awful at times being recognised as somebody who worked at the job centre.

I would not do that to somebody but I would have no hesitation in saying to their face, at their desk, what I think of them.

 

I've read on one site (but can't find it again) that staff are expected to put forward so many people for sanctions each month or whatever. If that is true then those staff should be ashamed of themselves for getting sucked into that scenario.

 

This woman had only just met me, she couldn't even look me in the eye all the time I was sitting in front of her. Her attitude was patronising, and disrespectful to me.

 

She asked me to explain my medical problems yet she has no professional medical status to be asking such questions, and then raises a 'doubt' because she has no idea what I'm saying.

 

I offered to bring in a sick note/fit note that week and also offered to go home an write up more info about my job searches, but she just blanked me.

 

On our second meeting she asked for access to my Universal Jobsmatch account, which I was going to give her but now I'm not going to. My trust in the system has been crushed.

 

So, do you think I am being stopped £291 or five times that? One letter for each week all saying £10.40/day x 28 days?

 

Do we have to spend 35 hours a week job searching?

There just aren't that many jobs around my way that fit what I'm now looking for.

 

I am appalled that such level of sanctions can be imposed on somebody.

Don't I have any human rights? Eg the right not to be plunged into poverty, the right to dignity and so on. I am so depressed and upset by this. I'm seeing my GP later today.

 

I have now been given a three week sick note by the GP but not sure whether to use it or not?

I am going to have to call the centre today to find out what the sanctions are as I am just not clear on this and nobody has been able to give any info on whether it's £291 or five times that.

 

If having a three week break does not affect my UC claim then I will take it.

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  • 3 years later...

Hi

 

I lost my job at the end of August.  It was a contract which ran for 14 months and they wanted to find me a permanent role but Covid got in the way.

 

I have applied for JSA but have been told I can't get it because I didn't work in 17/18 or 18/19.

I was on UC for a while during these years but that suddenly stopped because my private pensions take me over the monthly threshold for UC. 

My monthly pensions total £640 approx.

 

My rent alone is £800/month then there's all the other bills. 

I have applied for housing benefit but haven't received a decision yet.

The last time I got this it was £264/month.

 

I'm not sure what is going to happen now. 

I am 64 and will be getting state pension in 20 months. 

I'm finding it very very hard to get a job right now as nobody is really hiring, and I'm sure my age works against me.

 

I have 43 years of FULL contributions yet this country refuses to help me. 

I rang the JSA people and they said I could appeal but I doubt that because their letter said they can't pay me because the law does not allow them to (ie can't appeal that!).

 

Does anybody have any knowledge that may help me claim something, anything?

 

Thanks in anticipation of any help and advice.

 

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not my best subject, however my neighbour receives UC and her private pension is almost £700, though i'm not sure what ailments she also suffers from which might change capping figures.

 

have you tried the entitled.to site?

it might pay you to run through their benefits checker to see what gives.

 

if you have 43 years of contributions thats more than many that get JSA...weird!

 

try that site first 

might help

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You're not entitled to claim JSA if were not working during 2017/19 so that would be correct. That doesn't mean that you aren't entitled to universal credit for help with your rent, and possibly a council tax reduction. It's very unlikely your full rent of £800 per month will be paid unless you live in certain areas of London.

 

Complete a benefit check here to see what you are entitled to:

https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou

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I filled in both Benefit Checker and EntitledTo and both say I'm entitled to approx £160/week in UC and c/tax support.  So will be chasing that later and asking CAB to help as I was refused UC during 18/19 because of my pension.  So angry with DWP.

 

My local housing allowance for one bedroom is £172/week but I don't know what that means to me, and it must be included in the workings they both must have gone through to arrive at the £160/week.

 

thank you for your help

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When you applied for UC in 2018/19, did this include Housing rent costs ?

 

Suggest that you send DWP a request for your information, as this may help with any complaint that you are seeking to register.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-your-personal-information-from-the-department-for-work-and-pensions

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We could do with some help from you.

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Hi

It did originally, it was supposed to be 900/month approx of which £317 was a personal monthly allowance. However, they kept finding ridiculous reasons for sanctioning me (eg my list of job apps was insufficient for one day or so) so I never got the personal amount for most of the time, and just got around £560 ish for rent.

 

Then it all just stopped, with no explanation, until I got someone from some agency or other involved and they found out it was because of my pension.

 

So I then applied direct to the council who awarded me £264 a month which, along with my pension, gave me iro of £900/month, until Jul/Aug 19 when I found a job which lasted 14 months until Covid put me out of work.

 

This is why I think I need the CAB behind me this time - it's all so difficult to understand if you're not familiar with any of it.

 

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