Minimum benefit to live on

[BackforGood]

Hi, my friend asked me to ask here, as the 'benefits calculator' says she is entitled to £0 which seems a bit odd.

Does anyone know what the minimum a person is entitled to, or why a person wouldn't be entitled to JSA ?

Single, no dc. Finished degree in the Summer and was told could get no benefits then, as was 'on furlough' (this was from a job last Summer and brought her in £70 per month)

Has since got two jobs since 2nd week of Sept - 2 x shifts a week in a shop and zero hours contract in leisure industry. Not been able to get any shifts in leisure industry for 3 weeks, and looking unlikely for next few months. Still, was able to 'manage' on the shop shifts as wasn't paying any rent.
Shop now saying won't be able to keep her on either.

She has been sofa surfing and being supported by friends.

Is there not a basic amount that you need to live on per week, or per month ? If she didn't have such generous friends, how is she supposed to exist ?

New style JSA is based on NI contributions for the last 2 years and it doesnt seem like she earned enough to be eligible.

If she is no longer a student she can claim UC.

Single claimant under 25 £342. 72 pm.
Rent costs are paid at local council housing rates for the area.

Thank you so much @LastRoloIsMine

That is what I assumed (though I only ever signed on, for 6 weeks, once in 1986, so presumed things had changed )

That is exactly the information I was after. I think she is struggling to get past 'computer says no' (probably as she was assuming 'JSA' = 'unemployment benefit' which is what she assumed was what it would be, as she is unemployed.

I will tell her, and hopefully now knowing it is UC she needs to ask for, it might help get past the first barrier.

Thank you SO much.

Point your friend to the website Entitledto.co.uk it's a helpful indicator of what she may get.

She can apply on line. Takes about 20 mins. She can if she passes the id test ask for an advancement but it will be taken back each month from her award like an interest free loan.

Also if she does earn anything including furlough pay it is taken off her uc award at 63p for tleach pound she earns.

How old is she?

Also as a single childless person she will only be able to claim the housing element on a room in a shared house I believe?

Yes she needs to apply for UC, the amounts are different depending on her age and she will have to wait for 5 weeks for a payment but can apply for an advance once her account is active. Also if she is homeless, present herself to the local housing as the government has just given councils more funding to house the homeless and in my area that includes people sofa surfing.

Thank you all SO much

She is 21.
She first applied on 1st June but was turned down with no explanation or suggestion of turning to UC.

Also as a single childless person she will only be able to claim the housing element on a room in a shared house I believe?

That would be fine. She has been accepting the generosity of students for the last few months. Though I presume they wouldn't want her there officially as that would disrupt their exemption from Council tax ???

Also if she does earn anything including furlough pay it is taken off her uc award at 63p for tleach pound she earns.

That's fine. She would expect that.. Her furlough ended in September, but it wasn't reaching the minimum UC credits amounts when she first applied.

She has also been worried about using any of her friends' addresses as doesn't want to get them in trouble with their land lords, but then she understands she needs an address to make any claim from. Seems a bit of a Catch 22

Thanks again for all your help

She can state a care of address which is basically somewhere her post goes but she has no financial attachment to so will not affect the person who lives there.

Where does she live? Does she not have an address of her own?

Not 100% sure now but when I graduated university you couldn't sign on until September which could explain rejection in June. It's definitely uc she claims and its online