Can you claim job seekers allwoence if your partener is working?

[LynetteScavo]

I'm half wathcing Dispatches, half mumsnetting.

Is it right that you can claim Job seekers Allowence if your spouce is working?

I would have thought you couldn't.

DH and I tried discussing this last week, but both knew too little about it.

yes you can as it isn't means tested. You have to be available and looking for work. You may not be able to claim income support , tax credits , council tax benefit etc as those are based on incomes and savings of both partners/spouses.

Thanks.

it was a strange programme
the woman bemoaning her finances while having a manicure.....

Yes!

DH lost his job last year and claimed. I was working but NO WAY would my wages pay the bills.

Actually, no way did JSA & my wages pay the bills, but as that is all we could claim, we were very grateful we had some savings to live off.

You can claim contribution based JSA not income based, thats where people get confused

Now I'm confused!

There are 2 sorts here. Most people would have paid enough NI to get contribution based JSA in their own right but those who haven't may still get income related JSA which has similar criteria to IS ie means tested but taking into account partners/spouses assets and income.

Contribution Based is for 6 months, I was not aware of that when I first signed on in December! If you are as unlucky (hopefully not) and are on it for more than 6 months and it gets stopped and you are still unemployed you still have to go and sign on every time so you get your card stamped and just in case (this is what I got told at the Jobcentre) you need to claim any benefits in the future e.g Housing Benefit or Incapacity Benefit. They said that if I didnt continue to sign on until I found work and if in the future I had to claim any other benefit it would go against me cos I didn't continue signing on. I hope that made sense!

Tip for you: Take young DC with you, so if they kick off you will be seen and sent on your way quicker! I do this and they cant wait to get me out the door cos DS throws superb strops if he is parked up in his pushchair for more than 2 minutes! Does that make me bad?