Feel uncomfortable about this

[Seeusoon]

This is not a benefits bashing thread

SIL has voluntarily quit her job (we are in our late 20s, live with our partners, work in well paid roles within our industries) for a short career break. She has also booked an expensive trip to the other side of the world and has told me the cost.

she has now made noises about wanting to sign on while she’s off work as some money is better than none. I’m really uncomfortable about this - surely if that was your intention, which is fine, don’t book a 3.5k trip?

that’s not what the system is there for

I don't think she will qualify for anything/much as she has quit her job of her own volition, rather than being let go.

It's not usually that simple. The DWP will want to know the household income and also why she quit her job. If she's intentionally made herself unemployed she might not be entitled to anything.

Is her partner also in a well-paid role? I doubt she'd qualify -- I just did a quick calculation on entitledto assuming partner makes £35k and it says entitlement is zero.

Your committments to receiving UC are that you agree to spend a huge number of hours each week looking for a job and they want to see some form of proof that you have been doing it. My DS signed on last year, but was put on to a scheme run by a local charity to help young adults like him access the workplace, so as long as he attended their sessions, he was exempt. Which was a huge relief to me as he would have needed my input to achieve the commitments.

I suspect your SIL will decide against it.

She won't be able to sign on of she's on holiday, and will need to show evidence of jobseeking. She also can't claim at all if she or partner combined have 16k in the bank. If these things don't apply and gets the award answering honestly then it kind of is what that benefit is for.

She's entitled to apply but I don't think she'll get very far.
Is she thinking of the old contribution based JSA where you could get it as long as you'd paid your class 1s?