National Insurance gaps (a rant!)

[cravenmaven]

I just need to get this off my chest, as I am feeling severely p*ed off right now. I've been looking for work for the past 4 months, with no luck so far. I hadn't signed on for JSA because I was hoping to find something reasonably quickly, but also because I had a bit of money and by just cutting back a bit, I could get by for a while. The same happened around this time last year - lost my job, didn't sign on, but found something 3 months later.

Apparently when you are signed on, National Insurance contributions are made on your behalf. It is these contributions that decide whether you can get one type of JSA - contributions-based JSA. And with the two spells of unemployment inside the last two years, I now find out I do not qualify for contributions-based JSA.

Which leaves income-based JSA. I have some savings, so I don't qualify for that type of JSA either. Yes, I do understand why - why should the state pay money to someone who has savings? Though I'm not sitting on a massive pile by any means, I'm only just over the threshold. It's the contributions-based bit that winds me up. Is this common knowledge - was it just me that didn't know this? And the insulting thing about being told "you haven't contributed enough" is that I've calculated... between Sept 2000 and now is 167 months of National Insurance contributions. And I have missed a total of 11 months in that whole time. That makes me a scrounger? Thanks.

The part that pisses me off is that the two things I've done that I thought were responsible and sensible - saving money instead of frittering it away, and believing that benefits are for those who are desperately in need of them - are now being used to just kick me in the face.

[PourquoiTuGachesTaVie]

I agree that this information should be more widely known, but if you still have enough savings to not be eligible then you don't really need to sign on do you? The cap is £16000 isn't it?

[17leftfeet]

The cap is there for CBJSA too

[AnnoyingOrange]

It's difficult to find up to date information about the contribution conditions for JSA, but this link looks like it explains it well.

www.cpag.org.uk/content/contribution-conditions-esa-and-jsa

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

It is just you sorry. You must sign on also because it may affect your State pension entitlement depending on your situation. It is very very important.

[amyhamster]

Do you claim child benefit ? Because they should pay your NI if you do

[cravenmaven]

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie > the cap starts at 6,000

OneLittleToddleTerror > it is just me that didn't know? It's common knowledge? How did other people find out?

amyhamster > will look into that, yes i do get Child Benefit

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

That's because I'm not so 'righteous' about job seekers entitlement! I will get whatever I'm entitled to. And also I have always been aware that NI is linked to certain benefits and stare pensions.

I was made redundant last year and the first thing I did was looked at contribution based job seekers and NI credits. As far as I understood from the websites, contribution based job seekers are paid if you paid enough class 1 NI in the last two years. Child benefit is class 3 so won't entitle you to contribution based job seekers. See the following on the different types
www.hmrc.gov.uk/ni/intro/credits.htm

I won't be entitled to income based one so I didn't look into it.

The case that intrigues me is the one you mentioned. If you have too much savings to get income based job seekers and you don't get child benefit or carer allowance, how do you get credits for your NI?

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

Um actually job seekers is probably class 3 now I think about it. You might not be entitled even if you have claimed! It is very complicated certainly.

[cravenmaven]

I had no idea if I could get the credits, as I mentioned I would look into it. I'm afraid I don't have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the benefits available.

I did more research last night, and if the online calculators are to be believed, I'm not entitled to any benefits whatsoever. As I said above I know I'm in a more more fortunate position than a lot of out-of-work people, the only purpose of the post was to get a rant off my chest (it isn't fair to load it onto my other half). I just feel a bit insulted that after working almost constantly for 14 years, contributing throughout, I'm effectively being branded a scrounger. It's a knock to my confidence that I really could do without right now.

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

You certainly have my sympathy about benefit bashing. It's so unfair. I hope you can get through this quickly.