advice on unemployment benefits in Uk?

Question

the situation is this - a couple living together as man and wife with one young child.

Wife has stayed home for most of the time to care for and bring up child. She has had part-time jobs while child is a school.

Man is made redundant so wife moves from part time job to full time work, but has since found that she is having a hard time adapting to working 48 - 60 hours per week (plus travel), and has now found that if she was also unemployed they would be better off financially if she claimed benefits. This goes against wife's pincipals, but misses having time with her family greatly . (wife has only been working full time for 5 weeks)



Can anyone advise what she should do - if she gave up work now would she be eligible for benefits or not?

wife is in 'training period' for 12 weeks, and I was thinking that would be kinda a 'get - out -thing ' for employer and her - dunno how benefits agency would look at that though.

Basically, the man has been like a headless chicken looking for jobs-going for interviews, and not to be racist or against anyone, it's the Polish people who are getting all the manual labour jobs around here, so he is having a really hard time as he wants to provide but cant because the jobs are all taken by in-comers

Answer 1

Hypothetically ..........

If she left she'd have to convince the DSS that she did so for a good reason (and no reason is usually good enough). This would have to go to ajudication and that can take anything from 6-12 weeks; and while waiting no benefit is paid.

HOWEVER... If she was fired, forced to leave, was unable to work due to illness, family illness, etc then that would be a different story all together.

If she wanted to go back to p/t hours only, it would be an idea for her to speak to her employer and have them reduce her hours on the grounds that the increased hours were only a temp situation for the christmas period.

This would allow her to sign-on, get her benefit and have her payments come through more or less immediately (dep on the hours worked , money earned, etc).






.

Answer 2

Anyone found to have deliberately given up paid employment inother to go on benefits will not be helped by the DWP,The only way to go about it without it being so obvious is to use the child as an issue because as a mother i know what that mother is going through leaving her child, even with dad, to go to work all day.They should plan that dad should find full time employment as quickly as possible, then mum can find part time work as before, apply for Working and Child Tax credits which will bump up their income, get off benefits and gain control of both your financial and personal life because belief me the government really owns you in all totality whilst you are on benefits.I wish you all the best.Remember do not get on the wrong side of the law for a temporary gain, apply for your benefits because you are fortunate to have a still young child, he/she is your tool!

Answer 3

If you've been working and paying taxes you can usually claim contributions based JSA when you first become unemployed which is not means tested so it is not affected by savings or a partner's income. However it can be only paid for up to 26 weeks and it goes solely on your NI contributions in the two financial years immediately preceding the current calender year, after that you have to go onto income based JSA if you can which is means tested so the savings rule kicks in. It isn't massively fair if 26 weeks is assumed to be a reasonable time to find a new job, it may have been once but with the current unemployment levels and the financial crisis the average is likely to be longer but no government is likely to change it accordingly as the aim is to cut welfare spending not increase it, plus anyone on a high enough income with assets to protect is expected to take out private insurance against loss of income, so state provision is kept as a safety net for really only the lowest earners without financial commitments such as a mortgage or assets to protect.

Answer 4

Because they have a young child they will be allowed to claim benefits. The parents will be entitled to Income support, they will also receive childrens tax credits, housing benefit and council tax benefit. I'm finding it difficult adapting to 30 hours work, I can't imagine how difficult 48-60 hours would be. Hope it works out ok, it's sad days when we are better off on benefits than working.

Answer 5

the only way that you will get benefit if she was laid off or made redundant , so if she is on a probation period she could get laid off for not being suited to the work , then she has not left on her own accord and she has not been sacked so she should qualify for benefit but , the benefit office seem to have their own rules, it is like the minimum wage you are allowed to work for 16 hours , on benefit but if you do the minimum wage takes you over the limit that they allow you to get benefit. they have things worked out that if you try to better your self that you get penalized

Answer 6

Look into her working part time as you can get help and top ups with working family tax credits and so on from the inland revenue if she really does want to still work, hope this helps and good luck

Answer 7

If she left her job voluntarily she would not be entitled to benefits. However if she protected her benefits before entering back into full=time employment she might be okay.. but still very dodgy ground.

Answer 8

If she gave up work now, ie not sacked or made redundant, I think she would have to wait a qualifying period for any benefit.

Where is "man"? Why is he not back in work also?

Answer 9

no, as far as i know you would claim as a family, or if she can cut her hours down to 16 and claim working tax credit, child tax credit and rent rebate etc.

Answer 10

I dont know UK rules, but in Canada that one would be iffy. I'd contact your unemployment office directly on that one; before she does it.