how does it work

[lostfaith]

Hello

I was just wondering whilst on benefits I know they ask if you've worked at all during sign on - obviously if I had something come in I'd tell them, but how does it work - if I had something say over £100, would they take it out of the JSA for that period and I would only be paid for two weeks for that month instead of the four

Thanks

[enaid]

Re: how does it work

Hi, I think you can work up to 16 hours per week and I do believe they take your earnings from your JSA leaving you with a bit of something but can not remember how much.
Enaid x

[enquirer]

Re: how does it work

I was just wondering whilst on benefits I know they ask if you've worked at all during sign on - obviously if I had something come in I'd tell them, but how does it work - if I had something say over £100, would they take it out of the JSA for that period and I would only be paid for two weeks for that month instead of the four.

Ask them - if they think that there's a chance that it will get you off the books (and get them their bonus), then they will fall over themselves to tell you what you want to know.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: how does it work

I was just wondering whilst on benefits I know they ask if you've worked at all during sign on - obviously if I had something come in I'd tell them, but how does it work - if I had something say over £100, would they take it out of the JSA for that period and I would only be paid for two weeks for that month instead of the four.

Hi, I think you can work up to 16 hours per week and I do believe they take your earnings from your JSA leaving you with a bit of something but can not remember how much.
Enaid x

Indeed, this is a tricky one because it's a common misconception that you can work up to 16 hours a week and keep your JSA, and quite a few people have ended up being suspected of benefit fraud when they thought they were doing the right thing, they'd just misunderstood the rule . If you work less than 16 hours a week, you are still considered unemployed and are required to sign on, which means you are also expected to be actively seeking work, even when you may not get any JSA payments at all. Only the first £5 are disregarded (what a joke! :mad2, the rest of your earnings are deducted from you JSA, so even if you only work 12 hrs at minimum wage, chances are, you won't get any JSA payments (as a single person). You may still get other benefits if you have children, as well as housing benefit if you pay rent, etc.

You can find out what you are entitled to here: http://www.entitledto.co.uk/

From other people's experiences, I know the DWP don't always get things right. Someone I know who used to take on short-term work whilst on benefits decided to stop doing so after having endless problems and even being interviewed under caution! :scared: :mad2: He would take work for a day or 2, meaning less than 16 hrs/week but at a high hourly rate (£15-£25/hr) meaning it would take him over JSA level in just one day. The DWD processing centre in Belfast (which handles all London claims I believe) misplaced some of his income declarations, paid him when they shouldn't have, then stopped paying him for up to 12 weeks assuming he'd been working. :mad2:

Things may be different when you work long-term part-time, i.e., say, 10 hrs every week. The question here has to be, is it really worth it?

[FlamingParrot]

Re: how does it work

Ask them - if they think that there's a chance that it will get you off the books (and get them their bonus), then they will fall over themselves to tell you what you want to know.

You only get off their books if you work OVER 16 hrs a week, even if your income is too low to support yourself and your family and still have to relie on housing benefit, tax credits or the new universal credit, etc. In fact, a considerable amount of the total benefits paid out go to people who work (but don't earn enough) rather than the better known, and universally hated, long-term unemployed. This effectively amounts to subsidizing employers who pay minimum/low wage and/or employ people part-time only, at the expense of taxpayers. :mad2:

Unlike other areas where they are largely useless, the CAB seem to be good when it comes to benefits advice: http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/englan...le_in_work.htm

[enquirer]

Re: how does it work

You only get off their books if you work OVER 16 hrs a week ...

If they thought that temporary or part-time work was leading to full time ...