Are there any disadvantages with singing on?

I'm in exactly the same position and have been claiming JSA for about a month. So far I haven't come across any disadvantages, but I guess that in the longer term there might be pressure to take a job that you consider unsuitable. (I was told that if you had an established trade/profession, then for the first 12 weeks you need only look for jobs in that trade/profession - but that if you hadn't found amything after 12 weeks you'd be expected to consider other work.)

I was also told that I'd get an automatic tax rebate at the end of the tax year (next April) if I was still on JSA then. I'm not sure why it's necessary to wait, but I guess it might be something to do with JSA being taxable income.

Chris Jobson

Yep, any rebates are paid out normally in the few weeks after the end of the tax year if you are still on JSA as a normal giro or whatever your payment method is on JSA.

In message id on Thu, 23 Dec

The rules must have changed. I first signed on in April 2003. It took "them" 10 weeks to get their paperwork in order such that I could get what I was entitled to. When I signed on again after that 10th week I was told that I would have to take on ANY work that THEY deemed suitable from the 13th week. When a totally remote possibility came up, my choices were less than 3 more weeks on the dole and then become a bus driver or accept this loosely related finance position.

Choice used to mean something.

Since JSA is taxable you can't get any tax rebate until the end of the tax year.

Claim JSA until they insist on you taking a job you don't want then drop of the system. You get about 115 a fortnight of your NI contributions back!

Mark BR

could you explain that a bit ?

it sounds very interesting . . .

thanks