Employment settlement

[flamingo40]

I'm in the process of an employment settlement. Currently trying to find work quick! Does anyone know if in the mean tome I can claim benefits like job seekers?
It's all new to me I've never been out of work in 25 years.
Many thanks

If you are still employed then no..... is your settlerettlement going though payroll? If it is then that is earnings. If it's not but above 6000 that will count as savings which will impact on benefits

Thanks for your reply.
No I'll be redundant after I sign the agreement if that helps?

And it's a tax free payment not through payroll?

Depends on the package? Tax free or payroll?

You’ll probably want to ask your solicitor. Settlements are complex - the first £30k can be tax free, as long as it doesn’t include contractual payments like holiday pay, but it’d be counted as income for benefits, I believe - and you’re usually counted as employed until the agreement is finalised and you’ve been paid. You’d then be unemployed, but you’d have received the payment, which would then be taken into account for benefits.

New style Jobseekers Allowance is contributions based, not means tested. If you have paid enough NI, and are unemployed through no fault of your own (eg redundancy), you qualify.

Savings etc such as your redundancy and settlement payment are not taken into account, nor are any partners earnings.