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Advice : Going back to work from JSA, no money till pay day 5 weeks away any ideas how we are ment to live?

12 replies

daisychainXX · 30/10/2009 11:09

Me and partner have had no choice but to claim JSA for the past year after his job went over night and Im a full time mum to our son.

After a lot of thought we are setting him up as self-emloyed and he has work to start in the next few weeks.
We have been tring to get answers from the jobcentre for months now but we dont fit the normal paper work.
Basicaly he will work 4 weeks full time invoice them for the work and wait max 5 days for the payment by cheque...making it 5-6 weeks before we get the first lot of money ....the work is on a % of the jobs worth not by the hourly rate.

The problem is that the JSA claim stops as soon as he works. They said it could take any thing upto 4 weeks to send the finnal payment plus the job grant. The rent and council tax are paid for 4 weeks but that still leaves us wth no bills or food money for 5-6 weeks and 1-2 weeks with out rent money.

we have no over draft and we cant have one. If we did borrow money then all it will do is take money out of next months bill money.

Has any one got any ideas how are are ment to go back to work fom JSA???

Even if it was employed work you still have to work 4 weeks in hand normaly????

Any ideas???

OP posts:

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SqueezyCheesyPumpkin · 30/10/2009 18:36

Bump.

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fedupofthis · 30/10/2009 18:39

crisis loan?

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littleducks · 30/10/2009 18:39

if you have been out opf work for 6 months or more there is an extra 'back to work' payment ask about that

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Katymac · 30/10/2009 18:44

Tax credits- your claim should be (used to be) fast tracked so you got it sooner

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onadietcokebreak · 30/10/2009 18:53

You are going to need to apply for a crisis loan to cover the cost of living until he receives his wages. Normally a employed person would need to get a letter from their employer stating an advance of wages isnt available. As your partner is self employed I dont quite know what Social Fund will ask for.

Personally I will apply for the maximum budgeting loan I could. Say its for clothes for something and when awarded then start work. You will still have to pay it back but at least you will have some income.

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Divvy · 30/10/2009 18:56

I thought you could still claim jsa for the first 4 weeks of employment

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daisychainXX · 30/10/2009 19:00

I rang and asked the job centre if there was any 'back to work' payment but they said that they had not hear of any thing like that.
Do you mean the £250 back to work grant? cus we will get that but they said it would take up to 5 weeks for it come though cus it all done by post to another office.

The crisis loan:
yes it would work but if we go for that we will have to us any money he get from the first months work to pay it back and we will have no money for the next month as being self/employed we dont thng he will make any more then JSA but at lest he will be working.

Sorry to be so down Im very greatfull that that you all answered...(but I dont understand the bump answer, sorry)

This is dont my head in how do you get from JSA back to work I thought the goverment want people to go back to work?

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onadietcokebreak · 30/10/2009 19:00

No it stops as soon as you start work. Housing benefit runs on in full for the first 4weeks of you have been in receipt of income based JSA of 26wks.

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onadietcokebreak · 30/10/2009 19:02

The "bump"answer was the posters way of trying to keep your thread in active conversations as she didnt know the answer but was hoping someone else may click on thread and be able to help

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daisychainXX · 30/10/2009 19:05

I thought you could claim for 4 weeks too but they say we cant dont know why?

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daisychainXX · 30/10/2009 19:11

Thanks onadietcokebreak: Im not up to date on these things.

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daisychainXX · 30/10/2009 19:32

I just did online check for tax credits and it says the money is £20 less then the Jsa so as long they put claim change though asap we will be ok ish. And if the money takes to long I cant take a crises loan for the tax credit money. That way at least when the tax credit money comes though the loan back and the wages from the work will be there for the next month.
Sounds like a plan.... thanks for the help I have been so worried about this I just couldnt see though it all..plus I could belive that they would leave us with nothing but I guess that is why so many stay on JSA

Thank you all.