How much money do you get on the dole ?

When i finish uni i may need to go on the dole for several months whilst looking for a job ......

does anyone know what the average dole money is (job seekers allowance) i know it may vary from region to region but i just want to know the average

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Reply 1

alibee

Presuming you're single and under 25, you should receive £51.85 each week. You may also be entitled to housing benefit to help with your housing costs.

Reply 2

tweety_2479

Original post by alibee

Presuming you're single and under 25, you should receive £51.85 each week. You may also be entitled to housing benefit to help with your housing costs.

ok thanks would employers generally see this a s a bad thing. Its just that i have no support from my parents so will need help till i get a job/ graduate job

Reply 3

bognor-regis

£50 isn't much at all! Why don't you just get your parents to give you money???

Reply 4

Tyrannosaurus Cal

Also you're paid every two weeks, after you sign on.

Reply 5

alibee

Original post by tweety_2479

ok thanks would employers generally see this a s a bad thing. Its just that i have no support from my parents so will need help till i get a job/ graduate job

If you're unemployed, it's not going to make any difference to any employer whether you sign on or not. I would suggest you sign on because as well as the money, it means your NI contributions are paid by the government on your behalf.

Reply 6

Becca-Sarah

I thought you had to be unemployed for a certain amount of time before you were able to claim, but a search of the website doesn't back me up :dontknow:

The only downside I can see is that you can't be picky about waiting for a graduate job - you have to take whatever job you get offered or you lose your benefits.

Reply 7

fran.ha

Bear in mind that this information might change drastically when the new benefit scheme comes in.

Reply 8

eaasy

i suspended my studies until next year and was denied JSA, anyone else had this?

Reply 9

Jmzie-Coupe

You should have really look at directgov website before you posted this

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Employedorlookingforwork/DG_10018757

Reply 10

alibee

Original post by Becca-Sarah

I thought you had to be unemployed for a certain amount of time before you were able to claim, but a search of the website doesn't back me up :dontknow:

The only downside I can see is that you can't be picky about waiting for a graduate job - you have to take whatever job you get offered or you lose your benefits.

There's a 3 day qualifying period. You should sign on as soon as you leave university though as your claim can still be processed during this time. If you left your last job voluntarily then there is a much longer wait but that doesn't seem to apply here.

Reply 11

Jmzie-Coupe

Original post by eaasy

i suspended my studies until next year and was denied JSA, anyone else had this?

Probably part of the government cracking down. Are you on a gap year or something? Did you defer, or did you not have a uni place?

Reply 12

Becca-Sarah

Original post by eaasy

i suspended my studies until next year and was denied JSA, anyone else had this?

If you're still technically a student, even if you're not at university this year, you aren't eligible for JSA. If you suspended them for health reasons you may be able to get some form of disability benefit, however.

Reply 13

eaasy

Original post by Jmzie-Coupe

Probably part of the government cracking down. Are you on a gap year or something? Did you defer, or did you not have a uni place?

i went to uni but had to drop out because of ill health so suspended untill next september, so yeah im on abit of a gap year

Reply 14

tweety_2479

Original post by bognor-regis

£50 isn't much at all! Why don't you just get your parents to give you money???

no offence you don't know the situation between me and my parents if i could just for money from them i would have without the need of you having to suggest it to me

like it's not the first thing i thought off :rolleyes:

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Reply 15

JustLau

Original post by Becca-Sarah

I thought you had to be unemployed for a certain amount of time before you were able to claim, but a search of the website doesn't back me up :dontknow:

The only downside I can see is that you can't be picky about waiting for a graduate job - you have to take whatever job you get offered or you lose your benefits.

You have to attend weekly interviews at the job centre to confirm you're 'actively seeking work' and attend any interviews you're offered, but you can purposefully screw up an interview if you don't want the job (this doesn't mean I condone this!). How do you think employable people spend years on the dole because they can't be bothered to work? In my town, the job centre is pretty much a hangout for 'youths' with nothing better to do than look intimidating.

Reply 16

Larrabee

Original post by Becca-Sarah

I thought you had to be unemployed for a certain amount of time before you were able to claim, but a search of the website doesn't back me up :dontknow:

The only downside I can see is that you can't be picky about waiting for a graduate job - you have to take whatever job you get offered or you lose your benefits.

Actually, you are allowed an initial period where you can only look for jobs that match your previous experience and qualifications. You will be asked to choose 3 or so job titles that you are aiming for.

After 13 weeks, you will go onto 'stage 2' and that is when you will have to start being less choosy about what jobs you look for.

Reply 17

bognor-regis

Original post by tweety_2479

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No need to thank me :wink:

Reply 18

gateshipone

Original post by JustLau

It's very rare that you'll get an interview through the jobcentre itself. You're more likely to be given details of a job that match what you're looking for. If you don't apply for that you have to have a good reason.

DON'T sabotage an interview! You can be sanctioned by the jobcentre if they find out and that won't go down well.

If you get an interview, go to it and try your best. At least then if you pass it and get a job you can do that temporarily until you find something better. At least you'd be getting more than £51.85 a week! There's no rule saying you can't apply for jobs while in a job, in fact it's actually easier to get a job in that situation.

How do you think employable people spend years on the dole because they can't be bothered to work? In my town, the job centre is pretty much a hangout for 'youths' with nothing better to do than look intimidating.

The majority of long term unemployed don't sabotage interviews, they usually don't get them at all. Employers looking at people with massive gaps in their work history is what lets them down in most cases.

Reply 19

hypocriticaljap

Original post by Becca-Sarah

I thought you had to be unemployed for a certain amount of time before you were able to claim, but a search of the website doesn't back me up :dontknow:

The only downside I can see is that you can't be picky about waiting for a graduate job - you have to take whatever job you get offered or you lose your benefits.