Looks like I won’t be getting any more work this year and knowing from past experience that January/February are pretty much dead months I might as well prepare to go on JSA. Do I need P45 from my current/last agency or do I need to stay with them as proof that I’m ‘actively looking for work’? Would i be obliged to take any work the job center may offer me even if I’m a (theoretically) qualified job seeker i.e. looking for a specific type of work (HGV driving)? I’d rather take the £76 per week or w/e they’re paying than work the 1 day a week I usually average this tiem of the year for less than that once I’ve paid for fuel/food/drinks on the job
You know, forget that. It seems JSA doesn’t exist anymore. I tried to check my eligibility and they said I need to apply for Universal credit instead unless I claim disasbility 
Oh well, I hear Ocado agencies are hiring for warehouse staff, 4 out of 7 @ £10.90 night shift + overtime (no premium rate though). Time for a change 
(temporary of course)
See you in March/April
I thought you limpers spend winter in the Bahamas?
msgyorkie:
I thought you limpers spend winter in the Bahamas?
I went to…
Madrid, does that count?
msgyorkie:
I thought you limpers spend winter in the Bahamas?
How would you be able to claim universal credit if your living it up aboard is there a special limpers universal credit you can claim
Everything has been merged into universal credit these days which I believe includes waiting 6 weeks for first payment after you get approved.
Honestly, its more hassle than its worth as you have to sign up for courses and training sessions where all the doleites go to see how much you have looked for work, writing CVs and a whole lot more of crap.
Of course you have to make your own way there, which in my case was 20 mile round trip, per trip. Going to spend more on fuel than getting off it esp as there were these 3x a week for different stuff.
In my case because I lost one job, I wanted this as a buffer until agency got me proper work (limited experience). But working one day agency was also going to screw it up and potentially suspend the claim. Luckily got lots of agency work.
In essence, unless you’re a skilled doleite, never paid any tax in your life and ideally have lots of kids, benefits aren’t there for you…you don’t think you pay tax to be helped do you. 
n
trevHCS:
Everything has been merged into universal credit these days which I believe includes waiting 6 weeks for first payment after you get approved.Honestly, its more hassle than its worth as you have to sign up for courses and training sessions where all the doleites go to see how much you have looked for work, writing CVs and a whole lot more of crap.
Of course you have to make your own way there, which in my case was 20 mile round trip, per trip. Going to spend more on fuel than getting off it esp as there were these 3x a week for different stuff.
In my case because I lost one job, I wanted this as a buffer until agency got me proper work (limited experience). But working one day agency was also going to screw it up and potentially suspend the claim. Luckily got lots of agency work.
In essence, unless you’re a skilled doleite, never paid any tax in your life and ideally have lots of kids, benefits aren’t there for you…you don’t think you pay tax to be helped do you. :shock:
Yeahhhh, here I was, thinking JSA was a way to help someone temporarily through times of hardship between jobs etc. turns out it’s now UC, which is pretty much you do it ‘full time’, all the time. What a messed up system in this country. It’s like they want you to commit to this lifestyle. I mean I could easily prove looking for work etc. just show them the txts I send to agencies every day asking what’s available and the 'sorry’s responses and possibly claim travel expenses too (although my local JC is fairly close…I think) but with UC you have to pretty much prove that you’re poor and promise to commit to remain poor for the near future to even qualify, lol. F-ed up
Claim it, don’t listen to these idiots. Better having the money than not plus it’s a gateway benefit so free prescriptions and NHS dentistry as well. Beauty of UC is at least you won’t need to keep signing on and off again when you get the odd couple of days here and there like you would with JSA.
As far as I know they would ask about what you were most recently doing and if you are still registered with the agency. I think you can go on contribution-based JSA and then if you do get any work you just report it to the Job Centre. They may make a deduction as appropriate. If you go over a certain number of hours they would take you off completely.
Contrary to posts here, contribution-based JSA exists and can be claimed for six months if you have the correct contribution record.
Universal Credit is more complicated and would take into account a lot of factors. By the time it was sorted out you would probably be back in work.
If you did go down the Housing Benefit route with the old system, this would still have taken time to sort out and it would also take into account a number of factors.
Noremac:
As far as I know they would ask about what you were most recently doing and if you are still registered with the agency. I think you can go on contribution-based JSA and then if you do get any work you just report it to the Job Centre. They may make a deduction as appropriate. If you go over a certain number of hours they would take you off completely.Contrary to posts here, contribution-based JSA exists and can be claimed for six months if you have the correct contribution record.
Universal Credit is more complicated and would take into account a lot of factors. By the time it was sorted out you would probably be back in work.
If you did go down the Housing Benefit route with the old system, this would still have taken time to sort out and it would also take into account a number of factors.
Nope, that’s what I thought, too but then I read this:
You can only apply for contribution-based and income-based JSA if you either:
get the severe disability premium, or are entitled to it
got or were entitled to the severe disability premium within the last month and are still eligible for itIf not, you can only apply for ‘new style’ JSA.
Thanks ETS, that is new information for me.
However, correct me if I am wrong, ‘New Style’ JSA seems to operate in exactly the same way as contribution-based JSA used to.
It still seems to be the case that you can claim JSA on its own if your contribution record over the last 2 years is satisfactory.
It seems reasonable to not make the system entirely based on need. If someone has paid in faithfully to the system and finds themselves out of work for a short time then they should be able to claim based on their contributions.
I think that some people here are missing the point of “out of work benefits”.
They are (well, should be…) a safety net for people who find themselves temporarily out of work, because of reasons BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, and not because of their OWN CHOSEN WORK SITUATION.
Get a job you lazy twunt
ETS:
You know, forget that. It seems JSA doesn’t exist anymore. I tried to check my eligibility and they said I need to apply for Universal credit instead unless I claim disasbilitySee you in March/April
It may be slightly harder, but there are still jobs to be found in January and February, the trick is to look for work in sectors which are not seasonally affected.
the nodding donkey:
I think that some people here are missing the point of “out of work benefits”.They are (well, should be…) a safety net for people who find themselves temporarily out of work, because of reasons BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, and not because of their OWN CHOSEN WORK SITUATION.
Get a job you lazy twunt
Well said that man!
yourhavingalarf:
msgyorkie:
I thought you limpers spend winter in the Bahamas?I went to…
Madrid, does that count?
Nope. You have to be spending 2 months under a coconut tree sipping pina coladas with a bronzed amazonion on yer arm if you are a real limper according to the fat, smelly, scruffy, slob sat near me a few months ago!
In the brief three week period I spent without a job, having not signed up to an agency by that point back in 2011, I decided NOT to ever sign up for JSA “declaring my licence” after hearing the horror stories of truckers forced to take 50+ hour week minimum waged work - or be stopped the benefits straight away.
I didn’t fancy being told “where to work” by the DSS rather than an agency, - so I shopped around for those agencies paying the better rates, and finally settled on one “good enough” after 5 months spent around 9 different agencies, over half of which - never gave me any work.
The 3 weeks I’d signed on for, actually got me 6 weeks worth of cash, as I signed off with 3 of the agencies (that is, 3 seperate experiences the same with 3 different agencies) throughout the summer of 2011), having offered me 35 hours of work for the following week, only to cancel it at the last minute, leaving me needing to scramble back to the DSS to get my stamp paid for that week.
You need to get your stamp paid though - or it’ll affect your state pension in years to come. 
ETS, you can make a claim , but if you have more than £6000 in savings , this affects the amount they pay you , if you have a partner , tell them and declare their earnings .
As said the job seekers allowance has gone and you will claim Universal Credit , to do that , go to the job centre , they will give a free phone number to ring , the call will take about 30 minutes .
You then get an appointment date and time , an advisor in the job centre will help making an online account with passwords for emails .
You then may see them every two weeks , in the meantime, you write notes on your online journal to say what you have done to look for work .
Winseer:
You need to get your stamp paid though - or it’ll affect your state pension in years to come.
“Stamp”■■? What century are you living in?
It depends on your NI contributions and you only need 35 qualifying years to get the new full State Pension.
I agree that ‘signing on’ is far more trouble than it’s worth if you are able to get even a minimum wage job somewhere. Working in a warehouse may not be exciting like driving a lorry around the country, but at least it’s warm and dry, and it’s always a lot easier to get a job if you already have one. Employers don’t much like taking people who are on benefits for all kinds of reasons.
Winseer:
In the brief three week period I spent without a job, having not signed up to an agency by that point back in 2011, I decided NOT to ever sign up for JSA “declaring my licence” after hearing the horror stories of truckers forced to take 50+ hour week minimum waged work - or be stopped the benefits straight away.
Oh god why do people automatically believe stories people tell them, especially in haulage where we all know every RDC is chocker full of the biggest bull manure speakers you’ll ever encounter…
UNDER THEIR OWN RULES you can turn down any job without sanction in the first 6 months where the pay and position does not match your last position.