Jobseekers Allowance

[ladybird49]

If someone is made redundant can they claim jobseekers allowance till they find another job if they have savings ?

[dzug2]

They can claim contribution based JSA regardless of savings

Don't know how long for - certainly not forever.

[Milvus]

About 6 months
Details here https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/what-youll-get

[factor-fiction]

Yes, as the others say, provided he/she had paid enough NI contributions in the qualifying period (which may be some time ago - something like the 2011/12 tax year) then CBJSA can be paid. It's about £74 a week.
Also, they need to be actively seeking work and will be expected to complete logs of job searches, applications, progress. Any income from pensions may lead to a reduction in the JSA.
Receipt of CBJSA doesn't entitle you to things like free dental treatment or free prescriptions

[EDDIE51]

Contribution based JSA is paid for 26 weeks, then you have to go onto income based JSA.

[sara3]

(but only if you qualify for JSA(IB) )

[Winstan3549]

Also you can not claim if you are in full time education or if you volunteered for redundancy , such as some armed forces personnel did.

[Connemmara]

This is for another friend - she had to medically retire from a care home after I think 33 years - I think she got £100,000 (maybe that is too much) redundancy - but she admitted to the Jobseekers - so she doesn't get a penny of benefits. Would that be correct. She lives off the redundancy and few pounds from the care home. CAB told her to bring her savings book down to the JSA

[kat1]

Nothing if you have savings!!

[Connemmara]

Thanks Kat for your answer isn't that so unfair as she worked for 33 years of hard slog to get that savings/redundancy. she would be special needs.

Kat how much of savings would be allowed to have to receive benefits like I said £100,000 on a whim there - must truly find out what she did get.

[ubasses]

For Contributory based claims savings are ignored. If there is any other income, ie occupational pension that will be taken into account. When I took EVR I went armed with all my paperwork for savings and investments and they did not even want to see it.

[AlwaysConfused]

I'm pretty sure than you cannot get any benefits if you have over £30,000 in savings. I may be wrong, I am only going on my memory of when I was made redundant.

[ubasses]

I have had a google around and I cannot find any limit to the amount of savings you can have. I was completely honest with the amount I had, but they were not interested for NIC based. If you go for Income based then all savings are assessed.

Connemmara, if your friend was medically retired and is receiving an occupational pension this could reduce her claim down to nothing depending on the amount of her pension. This was what happened to my husband as he received his pension 2 months after redundancy.