Linking claims, total amount of days?

fbn_53

So I'm trying to hit the one year mark (312 days) to be eligible for something but the staff member I've been in contact with is adamant it's not possible to link claims to get the total number of days, which is confusing as the operational guidelines say the exact opposite...pointed that out and still no luck.

Continuous Periods of Unemployment (CPU) & Linking

The duration of a person's JA claim is recorded in terms of days of unemployment. This cumulative total (CT) is the total number of days of unemployment paid on JA in one continuous period of unemployment.

JA claims are made up of continuous periods of unemployment (CPU). These are periods of at least 4 days of unemployment, whether consecutive or not, within a period of seven consecutive days. Any two such periods not separated by more than 52 weeks shall be considered the same continuous period of unemployment - this is known as linking the claims. Where two claims are linked the cumulative total number of days is carried from the first claim to the second.

There was 6 months of a gap. Am I in the right here and I should press it further? Is there any cases in which the above does not apply? Pretty confused on this!

Thanks

eastbono

Are you on JB rather than JA if that is the case then if your new claim is outside of 6 months then it will not link. If your previous claim was JA and this repeat claim is JA then once its within 12 months then it will link.

fbn_53

eastbono wrote: »

Are you on JB rather than JA if that is the case then if your new claim is outside of 6 months then it will not link. If your previous claim was JA and this repeat claim is JA then once its within 12 months then it will link.

Nope, all JA. For BTWEA if that makes any difference.

My second claim was suspended for a week or so (which from reading posts on here I should have been notified of prior to being suspended) due to a couple of missed payments a few months prior to that, but surely this counts as the same claim and hasn't been split into a third. (the guidelines don't mention linking 3 claims within the time frame if that happened but presumably that'd be fine?)

The staff member was adamant the two wouldn't be linked even when I brought up the subject on a previous meeting (prior to the suspension so would definitely be just two claims), even when I asked her to look up the previous claim - which she found after pressing on the subject, feels like she didn't know claims would be linked but seems to think it's not possible even after mentioning the guidelines clearly states that.

Any ideas?

eastbono

If doesnt matter how many claims you have if they are within 12 months on ja then they will link. Was your claim suspended or were you disqualified...if you were disqualified then the time on disqualification wouldnt count. A suspended claim when the suspension is lifted is a continuation of the same claim. You need to speak to someone else and push the point. What I cant understand is the person you were speaking with would be able to see on screen the cumulative total of days on the claim... perhaps who ever awarded this claim did not link it.

fbn_53

eastbono wrote: »

If doesnt matter how many claims you have if they are within 12 months on ja then they will link. Was your claim suspended or were you disqualified...if you were disqualified then the time on disqualification wouldnt count. A suspended claim when the suspension is lifted is a continuation of the same claim. You need to speak to someone else and push the point. What I cant understand is the person you were speaking with would be able to see on screen the cumulative total of days on the claim... perhaps who ever awarded this claim did not link it.

will head in next week to try someone else!

"time on disqualification wouldnt count."
there was only a week or so between sorting that out but should still be on the year mark regardless of that so it shouldn't matter.


whenever I mentioned it should be higher she'd just press "computer says [number of dates on 2nd claim]", she could find the previous claim after pressing the subject but it felt to me like it was bother doing so.

if the two claims weren't linked even though they should have been, is it possible to back-link them? shouldn't the cumulative total be used regardless even if someone had forgotten to link them for purposes of eligibility?

the btwea guidelines page states

Be 12 months (312 days) getting Jobseeker's Benefit or Jobseeker's Allowance.

it doesn't state it has to be in a row anyway? (regardless of linking claims)

the same page states

From 1 March 2006 the following consideration will be given to persons who do not have the required period in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment:

Qualifying from JA
1 out of 2 years in receipt of a qualifying social welfare payment.

I understand this is for a combination of different payments over 2 years but even if the linking claims thing didn't exist, (or was outside 6 months & JB as you stated) surely this would qualify me for consideration?

she claims to have ran a "overnight check" to check eligibility for btwea, any ideas on this? surely it's a yes or no? not sure why adding the days up isn't the extent of that check...
lastly we had this discussion just shy of hitting the one year mark so if she ran a yes/no check it'd have failed as there was still one more payment needed....if that's the issue it's easily sorted with another trip.

Thanks for your help with this!

eastbono

No problem. When you go in next week ask them if this claim was linked to the previous claim and if not why not. She should be able to see at a glance the stop date of previous claim and start date of present claim and if within 12 months should link. Maybe shes a temp and just not experienced enough. Yes they can back link the claims if an error was made. With regard to BTWEA the norm is that you have to be in receipt of a payment for at least 12 months...Let me know how you get on. Just so you know the procedure for BTWEA is you fill out the application form and you have to have a business plan in place and then you are seen by a case officer who decides if its a viable business opportunity or not.