General Chat

Ruth Jackson in Moneyweek this week states that 'the rules change after April 2010. The number of qualifying years required to receive a full state pension will fall to 30 for both men and women next year. There will also be no minimum level of NI contributions - each qualifying year, even just one, earns you 1/30 of the full state pension. It's also worth noting that the retirement age for women will start rising in 2010 too, to be in line with men at 65 in 2020'.

To clarify the tax years used to pay benefits, a claim for JSA for example would depend on the National Insurance contributions paid over the last 2 complete tax years before the benefit year the claim was made in.
A benefit year starts in January (on the first Sunday of that
month) and ends the following January (on the Saturday
immediately before the first Sunday of that month).

Hi Rosolyn, I'm sorry, but I don't know the ins and outs of the benifits system, but I do know that civil servants won't tell you what you are entitled to. When my hard working OH had a nasty accident five yrs ago, we were five weeks without a penny. I went round to the office myself to ask what they were playing at, pointing out that as far as they knew we could be starving. After a lot of form filling (already done before) thay came up with the fantastic amount of £55. Eventually I went to age concern and the citizens advice bureau to get what we were entitled to. Have you noticed that the feckless folk who never work all have an encyclopedic knowledge of the benifits system???

After 32 years working for a large Retail company that has gone off the high street . I have been unemployed since January. I have received Job seekers allowance contribution based since
I recently received my 12 weeks notice payment. from the insolvency dept Who because I had been claiming my benefit with held that amount of job seekers of which i had received . I spoke to the DWP to ask if because in theory I have had my allowance deducted from my 12 weeks notice Would this mean that I would have my benefits extended. First they thought I would. But because the Money deducted does not go back to the DWP I will not get it extended. I also spoke with the Insolvency dept who agreed that it does look like i have lost out somewhere. They said i should write to my Local MP regarding the issue.
Well I think i will but am sure that they have their own problems with claiming benefits etc.
Sorry its long winded but some readers may have the same issue..
PS Good luck at the Job centre,

I have a list as long as my arm of what I`ve to take !

good luck Ros ifits anything like our job centre will be heaving the security guard in ours said hes never known it so busy.

forgot to say when I gave my NI number my name came up with different spelling and different address-very suspicious -will be mentioning it on Monday .

Sorry to hear you have to sign on - have you seen Lin's thread on the general board - have just nudged it up for you.
Liz

Not sure if am right - but have it in my head that NI stamps had to be collected over a higher number of years?
Maybe that has changed though,

Liz

Sorry you have had to sign on - I hope you manage to get all the benefits you are entitled to. I dont know if its a different system in Scotland, but did not know that after gaining 30 years NI stamps you dont need to sign on.
Interesting.

You do learn a lot on this site I must say :))

Tina xxx

Spent 1 1/2 hours on phone to Benefits people , hubby can claim with me joint claim even though he has his flat he rents out , he was told before that cos he had 30 years of NI stamps he didn`t need to sign on anymore so we`ll see what happens