Job Seekers Allowance

[Dizmo]

Hey, apologies if this is in the wrong section.

My query is: When claiming JSA do you get paid for the previous 2 weeks or the 2 weeks to come? For example, I sign on the 20th of January and get paid on the 23rd. Is that money for the two weeks commencing or for the 6th - 20th January.

Sorry if I've made this sound complicate.

Thanks in advance.

Dizmo.

[murraymints]

in arrears Diz

[Dizmo]

So technically they owe me from the Friday before Christmas up to the 10th January. Obviously with being in hospital I couldn't attend. I've filled out a sick form. Is that correct? they owe me money?

[murraymints]

if you didn'n sign on then JSA will not be paid ..you need to claim a sickness benefit for that period..you will probably have to supply a certificate from doc to confirm ..you need to ask at job centre..things have changed so much since I worked there...

[Rosetta]

If you have problems Diz, go to CAB as it sounds like you have a mixture of JSA and Incapacity Benefit (or whatever it is called now). Did you have a sick note when were in hospital?

[Dizmo]

I spoke to my advisor and he said gave me a sick form. I dated with 2 weeks which was actually when I went into hospital on the 27th December and left hospital on the 22nd January. As the sick period can only cover 2 weeks I've dated it 27/12/13 - 09/01/14 and put a claim for ESA in from the 10/01/14. I'm just wondering how long it takes to close down the claim for JSA and when I'll get paid. I've been paid £10.58 by JR1*****C DWP EESA so the claim for ESA has gone through. Looks like it's a waiting game!

[murraymints]

fraid so Diz...too many benefits now with the introduction of ESA things have got very complicated....

[Rosetta]

Have another word with your advisor as the sick note should cover the whole period you were in hospital

[Dizmo]

Rosetta: It's Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) I can claim. I've got a discharge note and the doctor has given me a sick note from the 27/12/13 - 27/02/14. If I need the note to go on any longer he will just keep extending it. With it being pancreatitis nobody knows how long I'm going to be in recovery for.

[Dizmo]

Rosetta: I can only claim sick on JSA for 2 weeks, after that I have to claim ESA. I just wondered if anyone had recently had to do this and how long it took for them to get what they were owed. Even though I was flat out on a hospital bed my debts and everything else were, and still are, accumulating.

[murraymints]

then you should be paid ESA for the entire period you were and are covered by sick notes...you only usually sign on for JSA..

[Dizmo]

I think it's because I missed the sign date and they were not aware of my current condition at the time. As far as they are concerned it was a 'Did Not Attend'. What makes me laugh (it obviously didn't at the time) is that my mum rang them to tell them what was going on and my advisor insisted he speak with me. My mum replies "He's in Intensive Care with a breathing hood over his head, he has respiratory failure. I'm not allowed to take my phone in there and if I could he wouldn't be able to communicate with you because he can't breath without help let alone discuss why he missed his sign on date".

[murraymints]

It used to be , in my time, if you failed to sign your claim was closed ..looks like that may have happened so you need to ensure you have doctor certificates for entire period you were out of action for retrospective and current ESA claim, but it's been a while since I worked in benefit so don't take my word for it...your adviser should sort it all out for you...make an appt to go in and get it dealt with..

[Rosetta]

As MM says, it sounds like you need ESA for the whole period you have been sick, from when you first went into hospital until your sick notes end. Have another word with your advisor or CAB

[Dizmo]

Rosetta, Murraymints: Cheers,

I'll give it another couple of days first. My advisor says JSA up till the 9th and ESA from the 10th - his advise and instructions. I'm on ESA now as they have confirmed. If I've not been paid my 2 weeks of JSA in the next couple of days I will go straight to the CAB :)

Thanks again x

[Rosetta]

your advisor sounds like he is clued up so I hope you manage to get it sorted. Sorry, but I'm a bit out of date with changes in benefits

[THECORBYLOON]

JSA claimants can have up to two periods of incapacity in each complete twelve months during their jobseeking period and the incapacities can be for up to two weeks each time. If a claimant declares even one day as sick, that counts as one of the two periods. If the incapacity is more than fourteen days or if it's the third period of sickness, the JSA claim will end and a claim for ESA should be made.