job seekers allowance vs carers allowance??? will we be better off??

[tallica]

Hi all,

 

Looking for any views opinions on this matter.

 

My husband was up until october last year amployed for 8 years at the same firm. He accepted voluntry redundancy as they had a company " shake up" and told they was no position anymore for him...anyway....we managed on what he had recieved from them and some savings we had until last month when we had to admit defeat and he went to sign on. As i work part time 16 hours, DWP said he could claim contribution based jobseekers allowance of i think its about £65 a week, and he could get it for 6 months, this means in june it will come to an end....i am registered disabled and recieve DLA middle care and higher mobility allowance..... my question is....what will happen come june when the JSA comes to an end....and would he be better off claiming Carers Allowance for me??

My husband has now just been contacted by his old firm offering him a job due to " restructuring" , but he is reluctant to go back" once bitten, twice shy" and all that and they wernt very nice to work for. We have just had some bad news from tax credits, they go on the previous years income when he worked, we have only been awarded £10.35 a week, i said but he is unemployed now and i only work part time, we have a child and a house to run, bills to pay....but they say until the new tax year 4th April that is all we can have. After looking at such sites as benfit checker and the like, we both feel a bit downhearted....it seems with all the benefits we could claim, if he returns to work will will be better off be just £35 a week....i think for getting up everyday and travel and all the stress that goes with the job....is it really worth it? Weres the incentive?? We have both always worked full time until last year when bodged surgery left me disabled and i had to return to work after a year off sick at just 16 hours...its only your own feeling of self worth that keeps me in work. I am thinking while we are only getting £10.35 a week off tax credits, my husband should return to work til at least april, then we would get a decent weekly income, then leave when the tax credits renewal come into play beginning of april and our money would go up??

What are peoples views on this situation.... what would you do??

[ptol]

You can ring up tax credits and give them estimates for this years income, then ask them to base your claim on this. Make sure your information you give them is accurate though.

 

This aspect of tax credits makes it very easy (and tempting) to defraud in the short term, and a few years ago, when the media was full of massive repayment demands, the politicians even made this fraud semi legal by allowing for one year, peoples income to rise by up to £25,000 before tax credits would require the overpayment to be repaid. Some people netted just short of £20,000 because of that. nowadays, under estimating annual income gives little long term advantage as you do have to repay the next year, and it is a form of fraud.

[ptol]

Just one other thought. Since your husband has been offered a job, does it fit the criteria of the work he is looking for in his job seeker agreement? If it does, and he turns it down, he can have his JSA sanctioned.

[tallica]

Hi Ptol

 

 

Yes it fits the criteria he is looking for, its within his JS agreement....but if he turned it down, how would DWP know? His old boss simply foned him up and offered him it, he hasnt applied through the normal routes

[ptol]

One way they would know, his old manager could inform them that he has turned down the job. His motivation for doing that is to make your husband accept the job.

 

The point is not whether they would know, but that if they do find out, they will sanction his JSA.

 

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