Can anyone advise me to job seekers allowance please ?

[poppy1973]

Hi I thought I would ask here first before I telephone the job centre.

I was a SAHM for many years. My children are now at school and therefore I decided to get a part-time job. Did this for a year with the same company. Went on a summer holiday, came back to find that they had employed someone else and are keeping that person on at minimum hours and me.

I am not on a contract. Seems to be flexible hours. I asked for at least 10 hours a week to keep me going, they agreed. Now for the last two weeks the hours have been barely 6 hours a week.

My husband has a fulltime job, apparently well paid ??? If I have paid enough stamp from last year. Am I entitled to ask for income job seekers allowance? or can I not claim because I have a husband and family. I claim no other benefits apart from child benefit. I want to work extra hours and need the extra hours for the household bills (as we are starting to struggle)

Has anyone else been in the same position ?

There are 2 kinds of job seekers allowance, contributions based and income based.

If you have paid enough NI contributions in the previous 2 tax years, you can claim contributions based for 26 weeks. If you have been a SAHM for many years and only worked PT for 1 year, chances are that you haven't paid enough NIC's and won't qualify.

Income based will take into account your husbands salary and as you say he has a well paid job, chances are that you won't qualify for that either.

If you have been working there for a year you are employed by them, are you on a zero hours contract? You don't normally get anything if you leave a job voluntarily. Why do you day your husbands job is "apparently" well paid?

You would be better off just looking for another job. Dealing with the job centre is a nightmare and I think you would be unlikely to get anything, so would put yourself through a lot of stress for nothing.

You don't normally get anything if you leave a job voluntarily as a pp says
Ds did but that was because he had a zero hours contract and went from 40 hours a week to 0 for several weeks
Once you sign your life will be consumed by jumping to the job centres tune
They will set up numerous appointments whixh you have to attend or you lose your money
Its all designed to be as unpleasant as possible