To think paying tax on jobseekers allowance is just crap

@XenoBitch I used to work in benefits . They are supposed to be a safety net but unfortunately many claimants see them as a way of life . I temporarily transferred to UC during Covid . I spoke to many people who had never had to claim benefits before . They were shocked how little help they were entitled to .

I was in a similar position to you & claimed for 5 weeks at beginning of the year , if you claim for the entire 6 months depending what you earn for the other 6 months of the tax year it may be tax exempt , but in short I knew it was taxable , also it’s a massive pain in the arse visiting job centre weekly, hence why I didn’t bother for long .
But I totally agree that you’re entitled so why shouldn’t you , too many people on the fiddle , if you can legitimately claim then you should

And yet people on means tested benefits often get far more and don't pay any tax assuming they are just on benefits of course.

Its not unreasonable to pay tax on your income the same as everyone else , regardless of the source . After all it’s the tax that we all pay that enables the welfare system to exist !

Some people do have to claim it though, even if they have savings because of the NI credits. The contribution based JSA doesn't matter how much savings you have.

I would not have expected to pay tax either!

She has money because she WORKED for it, it didn't just land in her bank account!

Yes, I didn't bother with it as I had already earned the tax allowance when I was made redundant so wasn't really worth it, I had a DC under 12 so didn't matter about the NI credits. I wasn't in hardship and the whole process seemed more trouble than it was worth.

The benefit system is set up for people who know how to play the system. We were the same, my husband (and I) have always worked but when he was made redundant we were shocked by how little he was entitled to.

Same with care home fees, if you have never saved you get it for free, if you have they take it off you. It's crap.

You'll only pay tax on your JSA if your income exceeds £12570 a year. Just the same as any other income. Why would income NOT be taxed if the total exceeds £12570?

What confuses ME is why ALL income over the threshold isn't taxed.

YANBU. I don’t think it should be taxed either, as you’ve paid in far more than you have taken out.

I would hardly call having £16k in savings being in a position of “privilege” either, it’s just not being utterly destitute, which sadly seems to be the where the bar is set for a lot of the country these days.

No you have money, so you receive less than someone who doesn't, that seems 100% fair. Actually, of course, if your savings ran out you would be re-assessed, because what benefits you qualify for is currently limited by your savings, which it wouldn't be if your savings were gone.

I used to work in Housing benefit and you are exactly right. I used to get loads of people complaining about this. Reality does not match up with what they have read in the newspaper.

You don't get lots of money on benefits.

My husband and I worry about this. He has a dry period from work every April- June and when we were renting we always had the safety net of 'benefits will pay if we really cant'. We never even applied because we dodnt need it but knowing it was there was enough to just paper over the cracks from our worries. Now we own a house and have 20 years left on the mortgage, wow. every year we have such a worry because there is no help. if work was bad for even just a few more weeks we would be done for. Who has enough savings to pay the mortgage and bills for more than 2 or 3 months? Not any other working class person I know.
It's given us the motivation to pay down our mortgage as fast as we can though, almost a year down already.

I'm surprised the pp didn't know this was an anonymous forum.

This. If you'd happened to start your claim at the start of the current financial year, you wouldn't pay tax on £93 a week. You're effectively still being taxed for what you earned before you lost your job.

ETA - or it's become taxable since because you've got another job that takes you over your tax-free allowance for 25/26.

Well I'm guessing you chose to live your life the way you have for a reason. If you genuinely think it's a sweeter deal to spend without saving, and to rent, so as to be potentially eligible for more benefits in the future, you probably still have that option. Most likely you wouldn't choose that because even though you're not eligible for much in the way of benefits, you're still "winning".
Fwiw, I didn't realise you could even claim JSA if you have any savings, so your post has made me realise the system is "more generous" that I thought!

A lot of people won't get this kind of package though. I am on a fixed term contract which ends next year so there will be no redundancy pay at all. Fortunately I've managed to save a bit for when I have no job but it won't last long.

That's not the case though. I have just been made redundant and my partner has to fund me. I can't claim housing benefit for my half of the rent etc. I will be able to claim unemployment benefit when my garden leave runs out though. After 30 years service did you not have about three years salary tax free? We got a month for every year worked plus the enhancement for being over 42. Although I won't get that for several months have to do garden leave first

I agree. It is rubbish.

You're doing better than most with 16k of savings. Just use that in dire straits. Hardly worth getting JSA for such a short time.

Savings do not need to have run out to claim means tested benefits. As soon as savings are under 16k a person can claim assuming they aren't ruled out by earnings/ other income.