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Original poster

No job, but DH doesn't want to sign on, should he?

34 replies

Flum · 05/10/2005 21:57

Heres the background. Dh comes from a pretty privileged background but has had an unusual career mostly because no degree and he spent 10 years as professional sportsman. Then he started a business which failed due to cash flow problems after 4 years.

It went into liquidation 2 months ago. He is looking for a business development type job, but is difficult as he doesn't have a 'classic' CV background.

Anyway I want him to sign on in the mean time as I figure:

  1. He is entitled having paid tax etc for years.

  2. Any money we get from JSA or housing benefit will not have to be paid back unlike the alternative - loans from institutions or family, which will have to be paid back.

  3. We both have very supportive families (v. lucky) but don't want to ask them as we are in our 30's and figure we shouldn't still need bailing out now.

He is worried about signing on because he thinks:

  1. We are not as much in need as other people ( I disagree as we have no income and v. high rent and council tax to pay and no savings)

  2. He thinks it will count against him in the future ie in looking for credit, eg Mortgage application or Insurance policies. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THIS IS TRUE?

  3. A bit of pride makes him not want to go down and sign on.

I come from a much more ordinary family and see no stigma in signing on while you are looking for work. but, IS THE STIGMA REAL? Can it count against you.

DH is convinced we will end up super wealthy some how. I admire his confidence but am more worried about current state of finances.

Should I continue to mither him about it or drop it and let him do it his way. I don't want to be nag and it is becoming a bit of a rift between us and we have only been married for 2 months

This is my first post like this, opening out my heart, but really need the advice. Spose should go to Citizens Advice Bureau or something really.

OP posts:
SenoraBruja · 05/10/2005 22:01

well, remind him that there are two benefits drawable by the unemployed - one is unemployment benefit, which is payable for 16 weeks (or so) and is an insurance based benefit: you get it because you paid NI, not for any other reason. After the 16 weeks you have to cliam income support, which is income based and does potentially have a bit of a stigma. You will not get that if you have more than about 3k of savings.

your dh is entitled to the benefit and should claim it if you need it. as for credit: you probably won't be able to take out a loan while he doesn't have a job (regardless of benefits) but it doesn't affect your credit history as far as I know.

doormat · 05/10/2005 22:02

Flum I can understand how the both of you must be feeling.
I dont know about the credit bit regarding a mortgage etc
but I think he should sign on as he is ENTITLED to JSA.
Most people have had hard times and there is no shame in signing on.IMO it is just a fact of life sometimes but I can understand he has his pride also.

startingtobehalloweenylover · 05/10/2005 22:02

i think it will help in terms of future jobs. ie, if they require a work history then he will be able to say he was signing on rather than having this big gap of nothing.

you will get a bit of money

he will be able to get free dental treatment!

doormat · 05/10/2005 22:05

senora when dh was unemployed and on JSA we were offered a loan from the bank

charliebat · 05/10/2005 22:06

Is his insurance stamp or something not paid for him and you while you are signing on at the JC? Can you persuade him that way? Some thing like that anyway...and theres no point borrowing when you are enetitled to HB and whatever benefits.

jane313 · 05/10/2005 22:06

I signed on for periods of my life and it has never come up when getting a mortgage or credit cards or insurance. They only ever want to know about current jobs.

iota · 05/10/2005 22:20

was he self-employed? if so he might not qualify for contribution based JSA

see here

Original poster
Flum · 05/10/2005 22:40

mmm. no he was a director of a limited company. so effectively he was made redundant.

thats good if they pay your NI while you sign.

The free dental treatment might pull him in, he has toothache and keeps muttering about having to find a dentist. will mention that.

anyone else signed on and had any further effects?

OP posts:
NannyL · 07/10/2005 09:18

Yes, why not 'sign on'?

when my uncle came back from america he was 'unemployed' and had to sign on.... the thing is he is a VERY proffesional person who is paid alot of money...

he had to show he was activelty seeking work and on the form he wrote for minimum salary £60k!! (he wouldnt work for less!)

anyway after about 8 weeks he had another very well paying job!

(he works in the pharmacutical industry developing and inventing drugs (as in medicine!))

His theory was that in his time working over here he had paid ALOT of tax, and might aas well the claim back the tiny portion to which he was entitled!

gigglinggoblin · 07/10/2005 09:30

i have ever heard that signing on can affect your credit status. i have had a job where i had to account for all my previous employment and and they required proof of being unemployed so you couldnt just say you were unemployed when you had really been sacked.

there is also the benefit of possibly being eligible for free training courses if you sign on. my uncle as just got a job with british gas through the job centre (might not sound exciting but he has always wanted to work for them so is v pleased). he wouldnt have got it if he wasnt registered with them.

you can talk to the job centre over the phone. you could ring up and find out more then tell him when you have all the info

gigglinggoblin · 07/10/2005 09:30

never heard. doh!

anorak · 07/10/2005 09:43

There is no shame in signing on if you are using the system as it is intended to be used. He's paid taxes for years and years. Of course he should sign on.

Mytwopenceworth · 07/10/2005 09:53

Your situation is why benefits exist! A short term help while your dh looks for other work. You pay in when you are working, you take out when times are tough - if it helps him, he should see it as insurance.

He has been paying his premiums, now he is making a claim.

LadyFioOfTipton · 07/10/2005 09:58

it doesnt affect your credit status at all

get him to sign on NOW as it takes months and months to actually get the benefit

Trickorflum · 19/10/2005 22:01

Finally persuaded him to. We have further complication though. We borrowed a substantial amount of money to see us through from family so our bank balances are reasonably healthy,. But it is not savings.

is it worth caliming housing benefit do you think?

doormat · 19/10/2005 22:02

yes yes yes go for it girl

doormat · 19/10/2005 22:03

and council tax benefit too

NannyL · 19/10/2005 22:14

absolutely... im sure you've paid enough taxes over time, so calim ANYTHING you are entitled too...

when he worked again he'll be back to paying taxes again!

colditz · 19/10/2005 22:19

another point, if he can't prove he was unemployed, a would be employer may think he was in jail

Trickorflum · 19/10/2005 22:56

Bloody hell colditz.

Tommy · 19/10/2005 23:08

Haven't had time to read all the posts but he should sign on as his NI contributions will need to be kept up.
My DH was made redundant twice 2 years ago (I was pregnant ) and we got milk tokens for DS1 and me. I was a bit embarrassed about using them in Tescos at first TBH but after the first time I realised I didn't give a monkeys what anyone else thought and we'd both paid enough into the system to get out what we were entitled to.
Good luck

colditz · 20/10/2005 14:21

Oh God sorry, just realised how that read!

It's true though, an ex p of mine had 6 months of nothing on his cv, and he got asked a couple of times if they could do a crb check on him to prove he wasn't in jail, as to them it seemed the only reason someone would just vanish from the system.

Didn't mean to imply in anyway that your dp is a criminal type, or comes across as one

Trickorflum · 20/10/2005 23:38

I know, I was just shocked. All this benefits stuff just leaves a nasty taste in my throat.

Just been filling in the housing benefit form and you have to put down all the money you have in banks and building societies etc , yet they don't appear to want to know what debts you have. THey clearly don't net it off. Seems unfair to me. I don't think we are going to be eligible, we borrowed a lot of money from a relative to see us through so bank balance looks frighteningly healthy. Can't see how we can prove its not savings though.

Oh sod it.

Anyway found out I'm 'strongest candidate' for a job I interviewed for so crossign fingers for that. DP thinks he might have some freelance consulting work too. God help me am so married to a posh Delboy

Tommy · 20/10/2005 23:42

Flum - I also felt it was unfair when DH had to sign on that, because we'd been pretty thrifty and saved, we got less as our savings were taken into account (we had been saving to be a more family friendly car)DH was re-employed then made redundant again a few months later - so we bought the brand new car..... which, to me, makes a mockery of the system but I guess we were thinking "you can't beat the system so might as well play along with it"

bobbybob · 21/10/2005 00:36

But if you have debts and savings and are entitled to a benefit if it wasn't for the savings you would be better off to pay off some of the debts - surely?