[newwoman]

I took redundancy a few weeks back. I've been on gardening leave for a few weeks but now been given my official leaving date as next Friday.

I have been given a decent settlement and don't really want to work again until the new year.

However, I have been told that it's best to sign on for national insurance purposes.

Does anyone know if this is correct? Also, am I entited to any benefits even though I've got a redundancy settlement.

It might sound daft to some but I've never been out of work before and still worried about the stigma of claiming. I know I've paid in all my life but it just feels odd.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[CTUaholic]

Think it entirely depends (a) how long your redundancy money will last (b) therefore do you NEED the dole cash and (c) how long you think it will take to get a new job.

I have been made redundant twice. Once I had a new job to go to, the other I was out of work for four months but didn't sign on as I didn't need to financially.

Don't think it will effect your NI etc if it's only a few months.

[newwoman]

Thanks for your comments.

No, I won't need the money for quite a while and really don't want to claim if I don't have to.

Do you need to just advise DSS (or whatever it's called these days) that you're out of work but not wanting to claim or is there no point?

[CTUaholic]

No you don't need to. Your P45 gives your leaving date from work so you would be entitled to anything from that date anyway.

I wouldnt bother....

[bondgirl1]

Yes it is correct you have to sign on so that your stamp continues to be paid for you as you are not paying national insurance whilst out of work you do need to claim your stamp which means signing on still.

I was made redundant in august and was lucky enough to find a new job straight away as this is what I wanted as I really did not want to have to sign on.

It is different for everyone. There is a terrible stigma associated with going to the job centre to sign on that seems to be getting worse all the time. I don't know why. You just need to hold your head up high know that you were not to blame for losing your job and know that you will be getting another one in the new year.

[CTUaholic]

That is true but to be honest for 1 or 2 months there is no need and there is nothing that says you HAVE to...

[woodbush]

I would still sign on just to get your NI stamp. If you don't work for a long time it can affect your pension.

I see you only plan to be out of work for a few months so it probably isn't worth it.

[Minky_Bum]

So if someone gets a redundancy payout, they are not entitled to any benefits whilst they look for another job?

[Yosemite]

Originally Posted by newwoman

Does anyone know if this is correct? Also, am I entited to any benefits even though I've got a redundancy settlement.

Yes.

If you have a paid National Insurance contributions for the last two years, you are entitled to claim Jobseeker's Allowance for up to 6 months. The fact that you have received a redundancy payment is of no consequence here, as you are claiming "Contribution-based Allowance".

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/...nce/index.html


You must of course be actively seeking work to qualify for this allowance, but unless you are happy to forego the allowance and also certain that you will be able to find a job easily in the New Year, I would suggest that registering would be the sensible thing to do.

[starman700]

Originally Posted by Minky_Bum

So if someone gets a redundancy payout, they are not entitled to any benefits whilst they look for another job?

It depends on how much your settlement is,if it is over 3k then no you wont get anything straight away.

If your settlement is under 3k,i personally would sign on,NW as it takes weeks for them to process your claim,you will then have benefits being paid to you when your money runs out.


I was made redundant in feb,i signed on and didnt get any money under mid april and my settlement was 1.5k

[starman700]

Also dont forget to claim for council tax beneifit and housing as well if you rent.

[newwoman]

Originally Posted by starman700

It depends on how much your settlement is,if it is over 3k then no you wont get anything straight away.

If your settlement is under 3k,i personally would sign on,NW as it takes weeks for them to process your claim,you will then have benefits being paid to you when your money runs out.


I was made redundant in feb,i signed on and didnt get any money under mid april and my settlement was 1.5k

Originally Posted by starman700

Also dont forget to claim for council tax beneifit and housing as well if you rent.

Thanks but my OH earns too much for me to claim plus we own our own home.

My settlement is quite a bit more than 3k tbh and I could realistically probably survive for at least 18 months before it ran out.

Tbh, I was more worried about the NI thing than anything else.

[darkone338]

dunno about it taking weeks to sort out the claim, i called on a monday, signed the forms on the thursday, signed on on the friday and was given the money the following week.. Less than 10 working days from start of claim to getting some money.

Look at it this way, if you paid your taxes while you were working, then you were entitled to it. I get about 64 quid a week and its 64 quid i wouldnt have if i didnt go and sign on, and more importantly, theres no interruption in my NI payments.

[Yosemite]

Originally Posted by starman700

It depends on how much your settlement is,if it is over 3k then no you wont get anything straight away.

This simply isn't true if you are claiming "Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

From the link that I provided in the post immediately preceeding your own :-

"Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobcentre Plus can pay this for up to 182 days. It’s based on how much National Insurance you have paid in the last two tax years."

Originally Posted by newwoman

My settlement is quite a bit more than 3k tbh and I could realistically probably survive for at least 18 months before it ran out.

Tbh, I was more worried about the NI thing than anything else.

Registering a claim with Jobcentre Plus would secure payment of NI contributions on your behalf for the duration of your unemployment.

I'm puzzled though that you seem disinclined to claim a weekly cash payment of up to £64.30, to which you are fully entitled.

Are you simply philanthropic by nature, or is there another reason?

[newwoman]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I'm puzzled though that you seem disinclined to claim a weekly cash payment of up to £64.30, to which you are fully entitled.

Are you simply philanthropic by nature, or is there another reason?

Stigma pure and simple. It might not make sense to some and I know I've paid in for 20 years but I suppose I've always been brought up to think claiming benefits is something to be a bit ashamed of.

It's more the thought of physically having to go to the JobCentre that puts me off.

[Bezmina]

Originally Posted by newwoman

Stigma pure and simple. It might not make sense to some and I know I've paid in for 20 years but I suppose I've always been brought up to think claiming benefits is something to be a bit ashamed of.

It's more the thought of physically having to go to the JobCentre that puts me off.

Honestly I think you should forget about the stigma and claim your entitlement - you are more entitled than most.

Good luck in the job search and the future and don't worry about the stigma, loads of white collar workers have been made redundant and honestly you won't have to spend too much time in the Job Centre, I have done it before and I did feel weird about it but honestly it's like not visiting your GP because you can afford to go private. Donate it to charity if it makes you feel better maybe?

[Smokeychan1]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

This simply isn't true if you are claiming "Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance.

From the link that I provided in the post immediately preceeding your own :-

"Contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Jobcentre Plus can pay this for up to 182 days. It’s based on how much National Insurance you have paid in the last two tax years."

Registering a claim with Jobcentre Plus would secure payment of NI contributions on your behalf for the duration of your unemployment.

I'm puzzled though that you seem disinclined to claim a weekly cash payment of up to £64.30, to which you are fully entitled.

Are you simply philanthropic by nature, or is there another reason?

I believe that if you get a redundancy payout greater than the statutory amount payable, then it will not be counted as "capital" and could effect the qualification for even contribution-based JSA.

I think we all agree that whether the OP is entitled to benefit, the very least he needs to do is sign on and continue to have his stamp paid?

[Yosemite]

Originally Posted by newwoman

Stigma pure and simple. It might not make sense to some and I know I've paid in for 20 years but I suppose I've always been brought up to think claiming benefits is something to be a bit ashamed of.

I understand, but you really shouldn't feel this way.

Think of it in the same light as the NHS. You contribute towards the cost of provision throughout your working life. You may (if you are lucky) have no need of the service for many years, but you are certainly entitled to use it if it does become necessary, even if you have funds available to pay for private treatment.

Originally Posted by Smokeychan1

I believe that if you get a redundancy payout greater than the statutory amount payable, then it will not be counted as "capital" and could effect the qualification for even contribution-based JSA.

It's possible that the rules have changed, but when I last enquired (on behalf of a client), all redundancy payments (other than pay in lieu of notice) were deemed to be capital. Furthermore, there was no need to discuss/declare the amount of capital held by the claimant, as it wasn't pertinent to a contribution-based claim.

Are you able to supply a link to more recent information?

Originally Posted by Smokeychan1

I think we all agree that whether the OP is entitled to benefit, the very least he needs to do is sign on and continue to have his stamp paid?

Yes, but I suspect that "he" may be a "she".

[Dan Sette]

I think (i may be wrong, this is remembering from a few years ago) that as long as you pay 38 years NI you will be entitled to full state pension. A friend of mine took ten years off work to raise children. On returning to work she had to make a payment to equivalent to 2 years NI to ensure full payment

If your contributions look like they are falling below that you can top it up with a lump sum. Accordingly if you plan to start work in the New Year, you may be willing just to stay off work and when back in employment call the tax office to find out if you have to make any top up payment.

[Terry Wigon]

You should call the job centre on your first day of unemployment so that the NI stamps can be paid from that date. I was made redundant a few years ago and had a fairly decent settlement but I was still entitled to claim JSA (contributions-based, I think) which I did. I couldn't claim housing benefit though as savings are taken into account.

If I were you, I would consider claiming what you are entitled to. Should you decide that your redundancy payment is not enough to live on (or you are out of work longer than you anticipated) it won't be backdated.

No one knows what the future holds so why make life difficult for yourself? I got a job just over a month after I was made redundant but it could easily have not turned out that way.

[Lushness]

You should claim and just stick the cash into your son's savings or something, it all helps!

[Yosemite]

Originally Posted by Dan Sette

I think (i may be wrong, this is remembering from a few years ago) that as long as you pay 38 years NI you will be entitled to full state pension..

It's now been amended to 30 years (Pensions Act 2007, which received Royal Assent on 26.7.07).

[School of rock]

When I signed on, I did it over the phone. They ask a lot of questions to try and work out what you're entitled to.
You then get asked to see a personal adviser at the job centre, which will confirm what it is your entitled to. I've been signing on for about 4 months now. (I'm waiting to start a new job).
Can't say I look forward to signing on. But the jobseekers allowance is definately helping.

[newwoman]

Thank you to everyone for their comments.

Sorry if I sounded clueless but it's all new to me.

I'll give them a call next week and take it from there.

Thanks again

[darkone338]

the sooner you call them the sooner you can backdate your claim to..