Claiming unemployment benefits between roles

[Dandyman]

Hi, was wondering if working through a limited company means you should forget altogether about any of these entitlements, especially NI based ones when presumably you will be paying little or no contributions towards this when employed?

Or will it be tricky if they start delving into your affairs if you try to claim?

[cojak]

If you run a Ltd, then you're an employee of the Ltd which will pay you irrespective of whether you are working for a client or not.

That's what your warchest is for.

[SueEllen]

This forum has a search facility and I suggest you use it to find a more comprehensive overview of what I will post below.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.

[Dandyman]

This forum has a search facility and I suggest you use it to find a more comprehensive overview of what I will post below.

If you have a partner then their income is taken into account. If that income is over something like £110 a week you get sod all. (I can't remember the exact figure but it's really low.) By partner I mean girlfriend, boyfriend, husband, wife or even a sibling you live with or a best buddy. They have actually stopped people's' benefits when they have been found house sharing with a long term friend where they share things.

You have to give the DWP a breakdown of your company income this year so far and if it's too high i.e. over £16K you will get some questions asked.

Finally at the moment the Job Centre have targets to get people into jobs or on schemes to get them off the unemployment figures, and they sanction people by withdrawing benefits if they don't obey their instructions. So unless you have a really good reason why you can't take a permanent job expect to be hassled.

If your company income is under £16K (and you have paid your corp tax bill) , you have little savings and your partner doesn't work then claim. You will also be entitled to other benefits like council tax benefit and housing benefit if you rent. However the housing benefit guidelines have changed.

Thanks for the info.

As I suspected, too much hassle for what it's worth. About to finish up my contract and people telling me to claim what I can etc.

[billridley]

Thanks for the info.

As I suspected, too much hassle for what it's worth. About to finish up my contract and people telling me to claim what I can etc.

As far as I am aware, if you have paid NI for six months in the previous year you are entitled to contributions based JobSeekers Allowance of £67 per week for 6 months. Not much, but would you walk past it if it was lying in the street.

[Support Monkey]

As far as I am aware, if you have paid NI for six months in the previous year you are entitled to contributions based JobSeekers Allowance of £67 per week for 6 months. Not much, but would you walk past it if it was lying in the street.

This is true, however you have to be unemployed to get jobseekers, if your LTD you will still be employed by your own company

[petergriffin]

Hi, was wondering if working through a limited company means you should forget altogether about any of these entitlements, especially NI based ones when presumably you will be paying little or no contributions towards this when employed?

Or will it be tricky if they start delving into your affairs if you try to claim?

All that matters to the DWP is:
1) You're available for work
2) You have less that £20k in savings (I think)

If you have less than £6000 in savings you'll get the full amount, otherwise you'll get less. Mind you when I was on JSA I was never asked any evidence of my savings.

[northernladuk]

I tried this when I got benched first time. It takes 10 days to kick in and I got a gig 4 days later! Mehh...

Anyway, the process was traumatic. Salford jobcenter is just the pits, the people, the staff etc I wish I hadn't gone. I went in a suit as well and was convinced I was going to get mugged in the middle of the jobcenter and no one would lift a finger to help although they did have 3!!! security gaurds on.

You do the business and get a list of jobs I wouldn't let my dog do and then get a letter back telling me what I can't claim and so on.... I just felt dirty and angry

I just wouldn't do it again on prinicple, 67 quid a week or not. It just wasn't enough to justify the experience.

Just my personal opinion but HTH.

[Support Monkey]

I tried this when I got benched first time. It takes 10 days to kick in and I got a gig 4 days later! Mehh...

Anyway, the process was traumatic. Salford jobcenter is just the pits, the people, the staff etc I wish I hadn't gone. I went in a suit as well and was convinced I was going to get mugged in the middle of the jobcenter and no one would lift a finger to help although they did have 3!!! security gaurds on.

You do the business and get a list of jobs I wouldn't let my dog do and then get a letter back telling me what I can't claim and so on.... I just felt dirty and angry

I just wouldn't do it again on prinicple, 67 quid a week or not. It just wasn't enough to justify the experience.

Just my personal opinion but HTH.

Agree x 10000, Jobcenter staff spend most of their day dealing with the great unwashed scroats of society who they see week in week out they follow the same script day in and day out, they have no way of dealing with anyone half intelligent, its degrading and humiliating, its worth going just for the experience when you come out you will have iron resolve to never go in again

[dbigalow]

Agree x 10000, Jobcenter staff spend most of their day dealing with the great unwashed scroats of society who they see week in week out they follow the same script day in and day out, they have no way of dealing with anyone half intelligent, its degrading and humiliating, its worth going just for the experience when you come out you will have iron resolve to never go in again

so true..I hated every moment of it..gradually I managed to wean of benefits, but going back to that life scares me so much..you feel like a human piece of sht