Job Seekers Allowance and continuous cruising

[Horsehorn]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm bracing myself for redundancy in a couple of months and am wanting to check out what my chances of getting JSA while job hunting are. I am a cruiser without a permanent or winter mooring. There are a lot of very helpful posts that relate to Housing Benefit possibly covering the cost of the boat licence (seems to depend on the whims of which ever local authority you apply to), but I've not found any that refer to JSA.

 

Of course I could try and add my name to a correspondence address in the area, but this is disingenuous and would rather be honest if possible!

 

Any advice?

 

Cheers, Lucy

[carlt]

I did sign on, briefly, whilst ccing. Bedworth and Rugby just did the standard 2 weeks signing thing, Daventry insisted on daily signing on (as NFA) and I don't know about Banbury because I got work within 10 minutes of finding the Job Centre.

 

It varied from office to office, apparently so it may have all changed, since I required their services.

[DaveG]

I guess it's going to be a case of whether you can satisfy your Jobcentre's increasingly stringent rules of what qualifies for "actively seeking work" whilst at the same time meeting the Continuous Cruiser guidelines. As Carlt says, Jobcentres appear to interpret the rules differently, but given the focus benefits are currently receiving from the DWP it is likely the "rules" will become more stringent and less open to "blurring".

 

In reality, you won't know until you approach the Jobcentre.

 

Good luck

[cotswoldsman]

As you suggest just be honest, I would have thought moving to other areas to find work ticked quite a few boxes.

[Caprifool]

People have succesfully travelled for work for centuries. Surely it could be made possible in these digital times also by open a job seekers account to be able to log into it at any job center? Instead of forceing people to stay put where there's no jobs?

 

Just thinking out loud..... I have no clue how it works IRL.

[DaveP]

I signed on as CC for a year - in 2009. Most JCP's were happy for me to use their address as a correspondence address. They were happy that they could get me on a telephone. I had a problem with Congleton who insisted on daily signing - and wouldn't relent even though the journey took up to 5 hours (buses from Bosley Locks were very inconveniently timed and they wouldn't pay for the diesel for me to commute with the boat; that said, they did refund the fares and it did mean that I could pick up the shopping.) Everyone else was happy with two-weekly attendance - Kidderminster, Skipton, Huddersfield, Stafford & Banbury.

 

There seems to be a difference between No fixed Abode (ie homeless and therefore seen as needing to sign on daily) and No Permanent Address (ie moving around but not needing to sign on daily) - I complained about Congleton's attitude but didn't get a reply (which didn't answer any of the points I'd raised) until after I'd got a job (funnily enough just as I went ot sign on at Banbury).

 

Another useful bit of paper is an ES90 - this is used to allow a signee to be away from their 'home office' to look for work; it enables them to sign on at another office on their signing day. Needs to be agreed in advance with the advisor and nominate which office you will sign at. I was able to use up to 2 of these befroe either returning to my 'home' JCP or starting a new claim at a new JCP. But an issue was raised (fortunately just as I got a job) as to whether the ES90's were limited per claim (ie use twice and then move to new office claim, or only two in your whole period of unemployment).

[wrigglefingers]

As you suggest just be honest, I would have thought moving to other areas to find work ticked quite a few boxes.

 

Apparently not. I am required to sign on every day at Stourbridge as I am 'homeless'. They won't rehouse me though as I have somewhere to sleep and they won't pay me housing benefit because I don't live in a house. Daily discussions are going on.

 

All this despite the fact that they know I am about to be registered as the full-time carer for a terminally ill person in another place (Peterborough) and therefore cannot work for more than 16 hours a week and not all at all in Stourbridge. It's driving me bonkers ... The MacMillan team are going in to fight on my behalf next week as everyone agrees that none of it is my fault and that I'm on the wrong end of a bizarre set of circumstances. In the meantime, I am completely without any money as it's being withheld pending some kind of a decision. Bet it's not going to go my way though ...

[DaveG]

You could try writing to Grant Shapps, though I doubt it would achieve much.

[CV32]

Sorry..... I know i am going to be flamed for this, how can you be 'seeking a job' if you are constantly cruising? you are trying to claim a benefit that you should not be entitled to.

[carlt]

Sorry..... I know i am going to be flamed for this, how can you be 'seeking a job' if you are constantly cruising?

Simple.

 

I continuously cruised and, when I needed money, I went into a JobCentre and signed on as a jobseeker.

 

In all the times I did that I received one Giro because I got a job before the paperwork was complete (usually within a couple of days).

 

In what way was I not a Jobseeker?

[peasant]

I can sympathise with Wrigglefingers. I'm registered as the full time carer for swmbo.but that means nothing to ATOS healthcare ,who have summoned me to a medical assessment.They threaten to stop my esa,(they don't actually pay any because we have small pensions)they threaten to stop my nic stamp altho this is paid as part of my carers allowance.they can't even help me find a job I already have one but can't go because i'm caring for the wife full time.still must attend or alsorts of dire threats are promised.

[CV32]

Simple.

 

I continuously cruised and, when I needed money, I went into a JobCentre and signed on as a jobseeker.

 

In all the times I did that I received one Giro because I got a job before the paperwork was complete (usually within a couple of days).

 

In what way was I not a Jobseeker?

Carl,

How can you cc and have a job for any period of time? Within two weeks you are surely out of the area and therefore unable to continue working? At which point you should not be entitled to sign back on because you have chosen to make yourself unemployed.

[DaveP]

Sorry..... I know i am going to be flamed for this, how can you be 'seeking a job' if you are constantly cruising? you are trying to claim a benefit that you should not be entitled to.

 

Of course one can seek employment whilst continuously cruising - it's when you _get_ a job that the issues start occurring. I was looking for posts that bore some relation to my knowledge, experience and skills - which meant nationwide.

 

Once the year was up, I took a job that had nothing to do with my previous employment, paid a fifth of my previous income and was only going to last eight months. But it was employment, it was a great experience, and I've learnt a lot from it (and met a lovely bunch of people to boot).

 

It was during the last month or so in the job that I started having 'interesting' conversations with local BW licence enforcement...

[matty40s]

Sorry..... I know i am going to be flamed for this, how can you be 'seeking a job' if you are constantly cruising? you are trying to claim a benefit that you should not be entitled to.

 

not sure why you see this as an issue,

I was made redundant, and took jobseekers allowance, as was my right after working for almost 30 years without a break.

The Daventry jobcentre(plus) struggled to cope with my home address, but as I managed to appear every two weeks and sign on with a big spreadsheet of what I had applied for and what was the result of various interviews, they paid me.

I searched for jobs for two hours each morning, and then cruised the network seeing places I either hadn't seen before, or hadn't been to for a long time.

Rather than sitting in one place getting screwed up about things.

I since found employment, and have succesfully CC'd through two jobs since, over a very wide area and three years. BW have no issues with my progressive journeys.

Edited October 21, 2011 by matty40s

[carlt]

Carl,

How can you cc and have a job for any period of time? Within two weeks you are surely out of the area and therefore unable to continue working? At which point you should not be entitled to sign back on because you have chosen to make yourself unemployed.

I didn't need a job for any period of time, until my son was born. Then I cced around Rugby whilst working full time for a year before taking a mooring.

 

Just because you choose to make yourself unemployed does not stop you signing on.

 

I'm not sure why you should think that.

 

Norman Tebbitt suggested that we get on our bikes and travel to find a job. I got on my boat.

Edited October 22, 2011 by carlt

[Caprifool]

And for what it's worth; most of the jobs I have had I found by asking around on site. "Hello Sir, are you hireing at the moment?"

[zenataomm]

To add to the requirement of DWP to keep you in their sights, the new obligatory addition for unemployed is called Work Programme and can see you being called in weekly to a Prime Contractor in order to be supervised during your job search. This could last 2 years and is as well as your signing on.

[macc]

peasant why not ditch esa and only claim carers allowance the money is the same.

[homer2911]

I didn't need a job for any period of time, until my son was born. Then I cced around Rugby whilst working full time for a year before taking a mooring.

 

Just because you choose to make yourself unemployed does not stop you signing on.

I'm not sure why you should think that.

 

Norman Tebbitt suggested that we get on our bikes and travel to find a job. I got on my boat.

 

Calling all taxpayers who continue to fund the lifestyle of the Carlt's of this world

[carlt]

Calling all taxpayers who continue to fund the lifestyle of the Carlt's of this world

If you read the post above you will see that, in all the time I have signed on, I have received one Giro, to which I was entitled. I was probably entitled to many more but I started work so signed off again.

 

You sign on as a JOBSEEKER and use the facilities to SEEK A JOB (capitals provided for the hard of thinking)

 

My lifestyle has always been funded by the jobs I sought and found.

 

If I need to find work then I will go into a Jobcentre, sign on as a Jobseeker and make it absolutely clear that I am not entitled to JSA and have no interest in claiming Income support (or whatever it is called, these days).

 

 

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.”

Edited October 24, 2011 by carlt

[casper ghost]

To add to the requirement of DWP to keep you in their sights, the new obligatory addition for unemployed is called Work Programme and can see you being called in weekly to a Prime Contractor in order to be supervised during your job search. This could last 2 years and is as well as your signing on.

This work program does not move location with you, you must always stay with the same office once you have been made to join the scheme, even if you move house 100's of miles away, so could be a problem if you truely cc, or it could be a good excuse to moor in a nice spot and not be able to move..

Casp'