Hi,
Looking for help from any benefit experts here if possible as I'm pulling my hair out trying to contact JobCentre. It's been 6 weeks with no income for me now. 😥
I put in a new claim for contribution based JSA on 24/03/20 and received straight back an acknowledgement email confirming my application has been accepted and that I would be contacted within 14 days. On 14/04/20 I'd received no response and so tried calling to chase it up. After trying many different numbers I finally got through to someone on 0800 169 0310. They couldn't give me any specific information about 'my claim' only that they were obviously unindated with applications and unless I heard back from them to query my application I would receive my benefit payment(s) in due course. She couldn't put a time on how long it would take at that date, only saying, I would get it. It's now been over 6 weeks I've still still not received it.
I've been using my savings for incidentals and my husband's furlough pay has been covering all bills and food and thus basically wipes his pay out. I've tried getting another job but not having much luck with that due to the pandemic. I'd been temping for an agency at a University doing admin work for the last 6 months. Ironically my contract was due to end the week lockdown struck and so not entitled to furlough and my savings take me out of the Universal Credit bracket. I wouldn't be worrying about it too much with having 'rainyday savings' but who knows how long this will go on and wiping my savings out. 🤷