To have my Job Seekers Allowance stopped

[Hammy02]

I am 35 and have always worked from the age of 18. I was made redundant 6 months ago and now that such a time has passed, my JSA is being stopped because my fiancee works more than 26 hours a week and I have some savings. I am so annoyed that there are generations of families that never work yet I am having my JSA stopped. It's only £65 a week but it does make a difference.

Sorry, that should be 'fiance'. I am female.

That's the rules.

So generations of people never work? That's neither here nor there.

Your domestic partner works and you have savings.

You have savings. This is exactly what they are for, why should the government keep paying you so you can keep your nest egg?

YABU and ungrateful that they gave you anything at all.

'It's a shame, though, that partners/fiancees etc are judged as the equivalent of spouses because legally they have no financial responsibility to you.'

This is also to avoid discrimination against people who chose not to marry or who cannot (partner not divorced, same sex partnership).

I wouldn't mind so much if there weren't so many people out there that appear to get so many benefits having never paid a penny into the system yet I have always paid in and don't get support when I need it. Seems a bizarre set of rules to me. Apparently in Sweden they have a system where you receive (the equivalent to) JSA at a similar rate to your last earnings. Month by month this decreases until after a year you receive nothing. At least that system recognises an individual's contribution.

Move to Sweden, then.

The benefits system is being revised and reformed as it is.

Our system is not perfect, but that has nothing to do with your particular claim.

You also haven't answered why you as somebody with capital at their disposal should get a handout just because. You already had that for 6 months!

I know its annoying - it happened to me too. On the other hand, I no longer have to put up with the feelings of humiliation I felt when signing on and attending "why haven't you got a job yet?" interviews.

I got so exasperated with the process, I sent a 2 page letter of complaint - all valid (and acknowledged by the centre manager to be so).

The classic was when I came back from holiday in Devon. "What did you do to look for work while you were there?" - nothing, I don't want a job in Devon. "You should have bought the local paper" - why? I've just said I didn't want a job in Devon! When they checked my paperwork, I'd ticked that I wouldn't be looking, but would still be available, if they called me back.

Mary, that is ridiculous they expected you to look for work in Devon when you told them you were on holiday!

When you go on holiday, you have to fill out a form to say where you are going, whether you will look for a job, and whether you will be available if the job centre contact you. You then have a "back from holiday" interview when you get back. It was at THIS interview I got interrogated grilled asked!

Are the savings part of your redundancy payment? Sorry but unless you filfil the emans test you are limited as to hwo long you can claim , otherwise where is there any incentive to return to work ?

There is a massive incentive to return to work. I used to be on quite good money so the drop to £65 a week has been quite a shock!There is just so much competition for jobs at the moment. I suppose most benefits will be culled soon with all of the deficit cutting cuts so I shouldn't moan.

I'm suprised you got it for 6 months to be honest. My DH was made redundant but he never got any JSA as he had savings. I only worked 3 days a week (22hrs) at a basic admin job. He was told he wasn't eligible even though he'd paid NI for 20 years.

He was out of work for 2 years and we used up maybe 30k of our savings in this time! It did cross my mind that we should have pissed it up the wall and enjoyed ourselves when he was working ratehr than save but thats not in our nature.

I think the tax rate in Sweden is higher there, around 60% with VAT (or equiv) at 25%. So you would expect to get 'more back'.

Thank you for your comments. You've put things into perspective a bit more. Especially people that have been through the same thing for much longer.

stripey your dh was misinformed. If he paid class 1 NI contributions for the last 20 years prior to signing on then he would have qualified for contribution based JSA (as long as he remained available for and actively seeking work)

This type of JSA is not means tested so savings and your work don't count but personal/occupational pensions may

I can understand hammy why you feel that way. The problem is with the current system that it discourages people from providing for themselves.

Like you've found. The fact you have a partner and savings has counted against you. But if you go and blow all your cash then you are then entitled to benefits again.

Ditto with what they are trying to do with OAP's. Basically if you save up and own your own home then your stuffed. But if you don't have a penny then your care is paid for.

But short of throwing the poor into poverty, I'm not sure what the answer is.

does seem unfair, you have worked and saved money for rainy day/emergancys etc and because you saved/looked after your money you are now not entitled to anything

or the other hand i think that all jsa benifits should be paid for max of 6mths and then people can find a job, but sems many dont want to work for nmw and then lose rent/council teax etc being paid for them

'does seem unfair, you have worked and saved money for rainy day/emergancys etc and because you saved/looked after your money you are now not entitled to anything'

Isn't being made redundant a 'rainy day'?

OP - I understand where you are coming from but you do have income coming into the house and you do have some savings. Surely it is better to have a system which encourages people to work? (not that i'm suggesting that you're not keen to work IYSWIM)

rainy day funds are nice but still think its unfair that someone has saved and not drunk/smoked/had exotic holidays etc and cant claim if they have paid ni/tax for years

The thing is that paying tax and national insurance is what we pay to live in a society that ensures that those who cannot work and earn are not destitute, and it pays for everyone who lives here to have access to a health service, and education, and police and fire services etc.

I am not suggesting that any previous posters are taking this view, but some people seem to consider it as something similar to a personal savings scheme "I paid in over x years so I'm entitled".

I would much rather live (and pay taxes) in a society that supports people than one where people are left to rot.