JulieW Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Hello everyone. I know we've got people from all walks of life on this forum, with a huge variety of jobs, so I'm hoping there's someone who works for the Job Centre or similar!! If you're claiming JSA and then sign up for a 6 week course, I think I'm right in saying that you can still claim JSA if the course is less than 16 hours a week and you can show that you're still available for work. So, leading on from that I have a couple of questions: Can you change your day/time of your fortnightly interview if it clashes with the time you should be on the course?What about if the course is over 16 hours a week? Does that mean you can't claim any financial support at all? Seems a bit rough that you can be doing a course (at great expense) that is to help improve your career prospects but can't get any financial support. How are you supposed to support yourself financially?I had an inkling you could get Income Support, but that seems to only be if you've got a child (it's no wonder there's the urban myth about getting pregnant so you can get support!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I don't work for the Job Centre Julie but will it be Universal Credit now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 I'd forgotten about Universal Credit!! Will look that up (JSA still exists though, so I'm a bit confused - that's not difficult!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Hi Julie. A bit of educated guesswork from me, since it's a few years since I was last on JSA. - You should certainly be able to change your appointment time, in the same way that you can do so if you have an interview which clashes with your signing-on time. (I'm not even sure that you're not entitled to sign on when you like, but I don't think it goes down very well if you do!) - I'm not sure where we stand now on the 16-hour rule. It used to be, many moons ago, that you would lose out proportionately if you went over the 16 hours, but I now suspect you might lose it all. I was always careful not to work more than 16 hours per week. I know they had great fun trying to work out what to do with me when I submitted amounts billed, because the system just doesn't cater for people doing intermittent freelance work, with unpredictable payment periods (if at all) at all. And of course Income Support is means-tested only ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Just had a quick look, and Universal Credit's being "rolled out" so only available in some areas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Thanks Alison. It's not straightforward is it?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna C Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 Here's the summary from Gov.uk: "Part-time students You can get JSA while studying part time (including part-time Open University Courses) as long as: you take a job if it’s offered to you you do everything you can to look for work, as agreed with your work coach If you want to take a short course (2 weeks or less), check with your work coach before you start." Part-time still seems to be under 16 hours p/w and if you could get a letter from the tutor confirming the the course is part time, that should be fine. Income Support is means tested and seems to be mainly for low-income parents, but Housing Benefit might be an option. Rather than speaking to an individual at the local Job Centre, it seems to be vastly more consistent info if you phone the DWP helpline - explain the circumstances and see what they say. The CAB is also very good for telling you what you can and cannot claim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 Thanks Anna - I think you're right about ringing the helpline rather than speaking to an individual at the Job Centre - the various bits I've read while researching seemed that the Job Centre people seem to vary a lot in what they say. I'll pass on the info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 If you want to take a short course (2 weeks or less), check with your work coach before you start." They have "work coaches" now? I'm not sure I was ever seen by the same person twice when I attended, because I had to keep explaining my personal circumstances all the time. Thanks Anna - I think you're right about ringing the helpline rather than speaking to an individual at the Job Centre - the various bits I've read while researching seemed that the Job Centre people seem to vary a lot in what they say. I'd agree with that: in my day (early on in the recession) I got the impression they'd taken on a lot of new people to cope with the extra numbers, and they weren't always completely up to speed - either that or they'd been told different things from the longer-term people. I kept getting conflicting information about my (admittedly non-standard) case, which the system really wasn't built to cope with, so in the end I dumped them - it was just too much hassle being forced to jump through useless hoops which weren't doing a thing to get me off the unemployment figures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 It may also prevent you from being treated like something the advisor trod in on the way to work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anon2 Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 Does the college have a student support office? Think that is where we got most useful advice about what ds entitled to when doing a part time course. Nothing because of our earnings even though he was an adult as he was living with us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 (edited) I hate to say it Julie but I have, on more than one occasion, have patients tell me they were going to have a baby (or another) because they'd get a house or more money....... There is a definite career route for some girls at 16...... It's very sad. Edited September 12, 2015 by sarahw 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieW Posted September 12, 2015 Author Share Posted September 12, 2015 Sad indeed Sarah. I'll suggest he speaks to the helpline. I suspect he won't be entitled to JSA because the course is pretty full on for 6 weeks, but only fair as he wouldn't be available for full time work while doing it. I just think it's a bit sad that there isn't some support for people trying to better themselves in training. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Years ago I was doing a Nursery Nursing course. Full time,lasting two years. But I was signing on the dole at the time. I really enjoyed the course but had to give it up after just five months. "The Social" stopped every penny of my money,even when I switched to the part time,one day a week version of the course. I tried as I could to explain I was doing it to better myself so I could get a job and come off income support [or whatever it was called]. But they were having none of it. My poor mother [i was still living at home] tried her best to financially help me out so I could continue with the course but one day she burst into tears and told me she was very sorry but she simply couldn`t afford for me to not have any money at all coming in and I had no choice but to give it up. "The Social" seemed quite happy about it. Just unbelievable I know,but true. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahw Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 The priorities in the benefits system seem bonkers sometimes. ..... I'm sure it's not easy to get it right but very frustrating all the same...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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