The Student Room Group

Job seekers allowance/Sickness benefit question.

Me and my girlfriend have recently started to claim Job seekers allowance, now I will be going to the doctors soon for a bad back as it is getting to the point now where i can hardly get around. My doctor may give me a sick-note to claim sickness benefit, if he does will my girlfriend still get Job seekers allowance or will it be stopped?.

I'm new on here to i do appologise if this is in the wrong forum, I wasn't sure if I should put it in here or the money section but I thought there would be more change of it being replied to here as this seems like a busy part, so if it is in the wrong part I am very sorry.

Thank you for any help you can offer me.
Reply 1
Is there anyone that can help?
I think if you claim incapacity benefit you lose your job seekers allowance as you have to prove that you are fit to work and actively looking for work. But you incapacity benefit covers that
Mayowa
I think if you claim incapacity benefit you lose your job seekers allowance as you have to prove that you are fit to work and actively looking for work. But you incapacity benefit covers that



thats not what shes asking, shes asking will her partner still get JSA if she gets sickness benefit not her herself

OP sorry, cant help you i dont know anything about sickness benefit
tinktinktinkerbell
thats not what shes asking, shes asking will her partner still get JSA if she gets sickness benefit not her herself

OP sorry, cant help you i dont know anything about sickness benefit


Oh yeah she will still get it as long as she carries on signing on. I did and my mum was on it :rolleyes:

sorry
Mayowa
Oh yeah she will still get it as long as she carries on signing on. I did and my mum was on it :rolleyes:

sorry

but your mum isn't your partner.
Reply 6
I don't know for sure, but I am currently on ESA - employment and support allowance, which is the new "incapacity benefit", and it works out much more for me than JSA (which is the benefit reserved for job seekers with no health problems holding them back).

ESA is also not assessed as much. With JSA you have to sign on regularly and they will try and steer you back into full-time work as quickly as possible, with ESA you are given more leeway as they recognise you have a health condition preventing you from joining the employment force straight away.

So in all likelihood you will not be penalised as a pair because one of you has shifted from JSA to ESA. If anything you will be better off, and the person who is not ill may possibly also, in addition, be able to claim carers benefit, which is more money.

However I should note that there is a long assessment period for what is "long term" ESA. However this shouldn't bother you, as soon as you have a doctors note that gives you right to ESA, then present it to the job centre, and say you want to claim ESA. Then you will get paid ESA benefits while they are assessing your claim to 'proper' ESA :smile:

It's a complicated system, and to be honest the job centre advisors should explain it, and tell you all of what I just said. But they never do, they are often too busy, and often you need to do your own research to find out what you are entitled to. At least as a student, this should be easier for you to do than for some people :smile:

There are quite a lot of pools of different money available from the university (hardship funds), and also you may be able to get some educational funding from the government that you may be entitled to if you haven't graduated, stuff like sponsored courses.. possible assistance via the open university, etc. I don't know your exact situation because I don't know you, but the best advice I can give apart from the above is to go ahead and research these things on the internet, using google. You often have to be your own job centre advisor, sad to say, but the information is definitely there, and there is help there for the taking.

Also if you are at university, consult the university - they have professionals dedicated to helping you out; student advisors and mentors. They are often really good at finding university funds for you to access that will help you, and also other support that you might be entitled to but not know it.
Reply 7
It depends if you're on income or contributions based JSA?
I'm not sure you can claim both at the same time, i think if you claim ESA then your partner will have to go on that claim instead of being in JSA.

Also depends if you're on contributary based or income based.

Contributory ESA [footnote 3] will contain only a basic allowance during the assessment phase, which is paid at a personal rate for the claimant only. There is no couple rate or any dependent or age additions like there is in IB. But where both members of a couple are entitled to contributory ESA they will each get a basic allowance:

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95

Income-related ESA [footnote 4] is calculated in a similar way to IS. It has an applicable amount made up of allowances for single claimants and couples, premiums, and eligible housing costs:

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95
Couple, both aged 18 or over: £94.95

After 13 weeks you'll be assessed and either put in the work related activity group or the support group (or deemed fit to work in which case you'll have to go bac on JSA)
Reply 9
xXMessedUpXx
I'm not sure you can claim both at the same time, i think if you claim ESA then your partner will have to go on that claim instead of being in JSA.

Also depends if you're on contributary based or income based.

Contributory ESA [footnote 3] will contain only a basic allowance during the assessment phase, which is paid at a personal rate for the claimant only. There is no couple rate or any dependent or age additions like there is in IB. But where both members of a couple are entitled to contributory ESA they will each get a basic allowance:

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95

Income-related ESA [footnote 4] is calculated in a similar way to IS. It has an applicable amount made up of allowances for single claimants and couples, premiums, and eligible housing costs:

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95
Couple, both aged 18 or over: £94.95

After 13 weeks you'll be assessed and either put in the work related activity group or the support group (or deemed fit to work in which case you'll have to go bac on JSA)


Hm. You see, I get ESA, and I'm over 25, and yet I don't get £60 per week.. I get a fair bit more.

I had to go for a full medical assessment, and after that I have to fill in questionnaires now and then, just to reassure them that yes - I am indeed still ill.

So I think the ESA amount is dependent on your medical condition. That said, if you don't have a major medical condition, then the numbers given is probably a good rough guide.
Its not dependant on your medical condition, but you can get more if you satisfy other criteria.

Carer premium
Paid when the claimant or partner is in receipt of Carers Allowance or would be but for the non means tested benefit overlapping benefit rules.


Disabled child premium
Paid to a claimant with a child or young person:
who is blind or
is getting Disability Living Allowance and in either case,
has capital of less than £3,000.
Has not been included in claims for Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance - income based made from April 2004 due to the effect of Child Tax Credit.


Enhanced disability premium
Paid if any member of the claimant's household is getting Disability Living Allowance care component at the highest rate. Also paid with Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (income related), Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit if the claimant gets the ESA support component. Paid at three different rates depending on whether the qualifying person is:
a lone parent or member of a couple, or
single, or
a child
It is not payable with any of the pensioner premiums (ie where claimant or partner is 60+) unless qualifying person is a dependent child.
Child rate has not been included in claims for Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance - income based made from April 2004 due to the effect of Child Tax Credit.
Family premium
Paid if claimant has a least one child or young person. Paid in addition to other premiums. Has not been included in claims for Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance - income based made from April 2004 due to the effect of Child Tax Credit.
Additional rules for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit only:
Addition for child under one
Paid at a higher rate for lone parents if:
continuously entitled as lone parent since April 1998; and
not entitled to a disability premium or pension premium

Pensioner premiums
Paid if claimant or partner is aged 60 and over. Can be paid in addition to other premiums except the disability premium. Not paid with Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.
There are three pensioner premiums:
- Pensioner premium
- Enhanced pensioner premium
- Higher pensioner premium
They are all paid at the same rate. Since Pension Credit replaced Income Support (IS) for people aged 60+ few IS claims include pensioner premiums. They are only relevant if an IS or ESA (IR) claimant is under 60 with a partner aged 60+ and has chosen not to claim Pension Credit.
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Severe disability premium
The severe disability premium (SDP) can be paid in addition to other premiums. To get the couple rate, both members of a couple must satisfy the conditions.
Single claimant
The SDP is paid if the claimant:
is getting Attendance Allowance or the higher or middle rate of Disability Living Allowance care component; and
no non-dependants over 18 live with them; and
no-one is getting Carers Allowance to look after them
Couples
The SDP is paid if:
Both members of the couple get Attendance Allowance or the higher or middle rate of Disability Living Allowance care component; and
no non dependants live with them; and
if someone is paid Carers Allowance for looking after one of them - only the single SDP rate is payable
if someone is paid Carers Allowance for both, no SDP payable for either at all
If a person actually receives Carers Allowance, that would prevent the SDP being payable for the disabled person. However, they may be entitled to it but not receive it due to the non means tested benefit overlapping benefit rule. This is known as having an underlying entitlement. In which case the SDP is paid to the disabled person. Moreover, the carer premium can be paid whether the carer actually receives it or has an underlying entitlement to it.


I get the severe diablity premium as i get MRC on DLA, live alone, and no-one claims CA for me. So i actually get £134 per week
Reply 11
xXMessedUpXx

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95

Income-related ESA [footnote 4] is calculated in a similar way to IS. It has an applicable amount made up of allowances for single claimants and couples, premiums, and eligible housing costs:

Single claimant aged 25 or over: £60.50
Single claimant aged under 25: £47.95
Couple, both aged 18 or over: £94.95


These are the rates from last year. For under 25s, it's now £50.95 and for over 25s, it's £64.30.
Reply 12
xXMessedUpXx
Its not dependant on your medical condition, but you can get more if you satisfy other criteria.



I get the severe diablity premium as i get MRC on DLA, live alone, and no-one claims CA for me. So i actually get £134 per week


Thanks for this, and Titch89's post.. I didn't know this, and couldn't find a concise explanation like this, in the past. Although I'm not the OP, it's definitely helped make it clearer for me, and probably them.
Titch89
These are the rates from last year. For under 25s, it's now £50.95 and for over 25s, it's £64.30.

Ooops, thanks for pointing that out. Not sure if they are also due to go up after April?

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