To think I may have just dicovered one of the reasons why so many people are on benefits and don't work?

[Hando]

I have always worked. Always. I was made redundant 11 weeks ago so have been on Income Support (I have a 5yr old dc) since then.

I start work next week in my new job. My employer has said all new starters will receive their first pay 24th Feb as we will have missed the payroll for this month - which is fair enough. They are a huge company and very well known, they have told me they do not give pay advances under any circumstances.

I just called the benefits helpline and have been informed that my Income Support stops the day I start my job. Surely it should be the day you get paid? That is the day you actually have your wages in order to support yourself. That would make far too much sense.

But... if you have been on Jobseekers or income support more than 26 weeks you get given a "back to work bonus" to help cover your bills/food etc until you get your first pay. If you have been out of work for over a year not only do you get this but you also get regular monthly payments for a set period as part of an extra back to work bonus. WTF? How unbelieveably backward is that? It would cost them more to pay me I/S until I get to the 26 week date (another 15 weeks) than it would to pay me I/S until I get paid (6 weeks).

So, if I sat on my bum watching Jeremy Kyle, sitting on MN and eating cookies (as I have been) for another few months at the tax payers expense I'd be entitled to a bonus for this, but as I got a job quickly and will be paying back into "the pot" much sooner I get left with nothing. When I said I had a child to look after, bills to pay etc she said "but you get your monthly child benefit, couldn't you use that?" Oh yes! £80 a month child benefit - that wouldn't even pay the food bill.

As it happens, I do have some money I can use to tide me over and pay it back. BUT that's not the point. Many people - especially parents do not have spare cash or even friends and family to borrow from.

Annoyed me a bit.

Anyone agree with this?

I don't see what the problem is really. You got paid income support starting from the day you were out of work didn't you? Or should they have waited a month till you'd used all your wages and then paid out?

Try social fund but I doubt they will pay as you have already said that you have enough money to last you until you get paid. Incidentally, your benefit will stop on the day before you start work.

But you only get the payment when you go back to work so how is that a reason to stay on benefits and not work?

congrats on the job, no mean feat in this climate!

You also have a valid point about not having the money to tide you over.

I expect this thread to kick off though because it mentions benefits IS jobseekers and watching jeremy kyle !

Sorry but it is your employer who is in the wrong, not the Benefits system. Absolutely unreasonable to pay 7 weeks in arrears. Are you in a union?

Hando Your employer is being a twat. I work for a multinational who "won't do anything out of the ordinary"... until I cried in my manager's office a couple of years ago and he phoned payroll... within 6 hours I had 300 quid in my account...

Yeah - there's not a lot of incentive to get a job quickly is there! Stupid bloody system!

Come on, name and shame the MNC who can't sort out their payroll. Of course they can pay before the 24th Feb. They wouldn't still be in business if they couldn't!

YANBU, it is all arse over tit

Great point famished - didn't think of that. They did pay, but wouldn't have if I'd have got redundancy pay if I remember correctly. Perhaps they should swap it round. You get paid your first I/S 4 weeks after your last monthly wage (as that's how long you usually go without being paid) and then keep paying 4 weeks after you start your new job.

If anyone who makes that sort of decision for "the government" is reading, please stand up and make yourself known

Actually it's 5.5 weeks as it's the week after next that I start. I have no union as of yet - not that organised.

I would never go in and cry I'm afraid. Just not the sort of thing I'd do. Although i'm sure I'd feel differently if I desperately needed the money and had no food to feed my dc and nobody to borrow from. I do have money to cover me btw, so thanks for advice about "social fund". It's more the whole way it works that has annoyed me. Just imagine loads of people being left with sweet FA!

Thefartshow- That is what I've been doing. Taken a well earnt rest. Dd is at school, so I've sat on my bum, lazed around my flat, donw lots of cleaning and had benefits paid into my bank account! I don't feel bad I've always worked so am entitled to a bit of help just this once. I was really lucky in that I got my job 2 weeks after losing last one, I've just been waiting for my start date as they do group training.

famishedass is right.

You only get jobseekers' allowance over the period you are actually out of work. If you get paid JSA until your first pay check, you will be doublepaid over the period your job starts to the day of the paycheck - which is patently unfair.

You are describing a cash flow problem, not an entitlement to JSA.

You should sort it out with your new employer.

Does your personal adviser have any contacts with outside organisations?, here it's Working for Families? They can pay out when you don't qualify for the Job Grant, Advisers Discretionary Fund or In Work Credit. Our local one is fab, they pay living expenses if necessary, i.e. food, heating, etc.

"You get paid your first I/S 4 weeks after your last monthly wage (as that's how long you usually go without being paid) and then keep paying 4 weeks after you start your new job."

Sorry, I don't understand your logic, I'm afraid. Salary is paid in arrear. So is JSA.

When you start work, you get paid nothing on day 1 and your first paycheck on, say 4 weeks later. When you end work, you get paid on the last day of work, no more. Nothing 4 weeks later.

JSA is exactly the same.

No overlap. No doublepayment.

Are you working full time and over the limit for CTC and WTC because if not they should fast track your claim and pay this out weekly as soon as possible.

The only other thing I can recommend is asking your bank for an/larger overdraft to tide you over.

Good luck on your new job.

Oh yes blue shoes. Duh duh duh. I was right the first time then - famished I think you were wrong . Salary paid in arrears, therefore I/S should start the day of your last wage?

Thanks for all helpful tips guys, thing is i have money to keep me going, just mad about the fact that many others don't. Bit of a pointless moan really.

abouteve - no I don't get CTC or WTC.

Hando, i see where you are coming from and but I am not sure it is the central point.

There are two types of people that claim benefits.

Those choosing to not work; and those who need benefits because they have families to support, proper disabilities.

The main point is that those who choose not to work would not go back to work for any amount of money. I think it should be harder to get benefits so that those choosing not to work can't claim easily and those who need support can get what they need.

If you do find you need to be paid earlier, wait until you start and then find out the name of the payroll person and give him or her a call direct. I'm sure they'd be able to help.

Aigrylls - I agree.

Single parent with 1 child gets £20 per week child benefit, £120 per fortnight Income Suport and £45 child tax credit. This is without any child maintenance (I do not get any personally). PLUS my full rent and council tax paid for me. I have not felt like I was living in povery and not been buying cheap food. If I didn't want to work I think I'd be content to not work for a while. Being on income support means I have only once had to go to job centre, no letters, no visits, not phone calls. It was VERY easy and no hassle at all.

Give less to those who don't need it and more to those who do - such as DLA!

I 'm sure it felt like a holiday because you knew you have a job to go after few weeks. So you havn't really experienced long term poverty and insecurity.

From what i have read in other threads there are people in freezing homes who cant afford the heating all day or who have to fill the fridge with £10. And who cant find a job. I imagine they are not having fun. Especially with this weather.

However i do sympathise with you regarding having to fund the weeks until your pay.

Laquitar - you are right, my post was flippant. However, I don't see how anyone in my situation (generally mitigating circumstances and disabilities etc aside) would not being able to live off what I have listed. Most single parents get maintenance from other parent too.

Finding a job isn't easy - I got lucky to get one quickly, but wouldn have taken almost anything really. But the papers are full of jobs, the councils website has loads and places like total jobs and monster jobs have loads too. All types, all skills or pay bands.

Yay - Youwillnotwin... you have proven my thread was not in vain!!!

(not yay - you had shit time)

It is a crappy cashflow situation, however the benefits system in itself isn't wrong (if they paid you up to pay day you would be double paid for those 7 weeks) and the employer isn't wrong because it certainly isn't wrong to have to wait 7 or 8 weeks. I missed the payroll time when Istarted my new job, so had to wait about 7 weeks. I did get paid for the month + the 3 extra weeks, though.

I don't find the ammount you mentioned big for a mother and child. Maybe it seems ok-ish for food only and low bills. But all you need is one thing to go wrong and you are fucked.
Last month my mum got very ill and i had to fly home in short notice. I guess someone on benefits would be totally fucked with this. I don't think is fun for long term.