Stopping JSA allowance

I've been offered a job but yet to get a start date as they doing the administrative side of things but also completing a DBS check which could potentially take time to complete.

It was submitted last Friday so not sure when I'll get it (Although doing a DBS check for my voluntary work - I got it back within a week. My new employer say might take longer for some reason) but if I tell Jobcentre then they'll stop my claim immediately and I may not start work for another 2-3 weeks? Do they give you a final payment after you've landed a job? (I think that's only done if you've had a 100% attendance?)

Not sure what to do as I'm not sure when work will begin and what to do regards to my JSA.

Any advice appreciated.

Thank you.

Reply 1

ForgetMe

I went to my JCP and told them when I start working and they did stop my claim on the day I did start working. However, I did get my last payment which was for one week before I have started working. You basically fill in the green booklet and put in the date when you start, so I believe they stop the claim on that specific date and then pay the remaining amount of money that is left.

Reply 2

ginger.

Original post by Aky786UK

I signed off the day before I started my new job and I got a final payment after that.

It's probably best not to sign off if you don't have the official start date yet. I did 2 CRB checks (for different jobs) and they both took about a month. I was able to start my second job straight away though because I had a recent CRB check. They only asked me to do another one because the first job was in a different county.

Reply 3

Aky786UK

Original post by ginger.

Well I did a CRB check at my voluntary place and I asked before I did my CRB check for the job whether that would help speed things up and they said for me to fill the form out anyway but that it might help. But I called today and he told me to scan it in if it might help.

So I'm currently doing my Jobmatch online, so shall I just carry on pretending that I'm looking for work?

Reply 4

ginger.

Original post by Aky786UK

Hopefully the second one will be faster!

Personally I wouldn't lie to them but I wouldn't sign off until you've got your contract and a start date. You could always apply for temp jobs in the meantime, they will understand that you have to pay your rent somehow :redface:

Reply 5

alibee

I would keep applying for work and sign off the day before/on the day that I started my new job. This way, you may have a backup incase there is some issue and this job falls through. You can claim your JSA right up until the new job's start date. Also, if it takes a while to get sorted, you could actually land some temporary job in the mean time and make some extra money.

Reply 6

River85

Original post by Aky786UK

So I'm currently doing my Jobmatch online, so shall I just carry on pretending that I'm looking for work?

Speak with an advisor and get your agreement changed to looking for temporary work, if you can, and look for temporary employment (recording this as usual).

Don't sign off.

Reply 7

Aky786UK

Original post by River85

Speak with an advisor and get your agreement changed to looking for temporary work, if you can, and look for temporary employment (recording this as usual).

Don't sign off.

Might not need to now. Got DBS check through today; so start date soon hopefully.

Out of interest, would they still let me do that, i.e temporary work as I thought JSA was for full-time, permanent work?

Reply 8

River85

Original post by Aky786UK

Might depend on advisor, some could be arsey. I intended to change my JSA agree to temporary work myself, as I was only waiting on a medical report before starting a job, but forgot to ask when I had the one appointment with an advisor. I know others who have done this, however.

JSA is for searching for full time (over 16 hours) work, but not necessarily permanent.

I believe it is possible to sign on to JSA even if a person has a job starting in a few months time. People do need to still meet living costs until they start that job, after all.