# Working only every 2nd week



## indebtedgal (27 Aug 2008)

a friend of mine has just been told that due to the work patterms in her job , she will now only have work every second week. if it suits her better the employer can facillitate her by offering 3 days one week and 2 days the following, one way or the other it will be 10 days every 4 weeks. 

In terms of getting SW benefits ( it won't be too easy to pick up something else in the line of work she is in) would she be better off working a week on and a week off, or a 3 day and then 2 days over 2 weeks. She is not on huge money, about 25k/26k per annum just in case that makes a difference.


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## Welfarite (27 Aug 2008)

SW will be paid at a daily rate so it won't make any difference what days/pattern she opts for.


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## indebtedgal (27 Aug 2008)

she is just concerned that if she went for the 2 day then 3 day week, they don't count the 1st few days each week or something like that..


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## dereko1969 (27 Aug 2008)

isn't there something about working on a saturday or sunday not counting for SW? if her work pattern could include one or other of those days that could benefit her, I'm sure welfarite would be able to clarify that.


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## gipimann (27 Aug 2008)

Sunday is not counted, but Saturday is (Jobseekers is based on a 6-day week).  
There are waiting days at the beginning of a Jobseekers claim, which might be what the person is thinking of, but her claim will be continuous, even if she's only claiming every second week.


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## Berni (27 Aug 2008)

Welfarite said:


> SW will be paid at a daily rate so it won't make any difference what days/pattern she opts for.


But it would make a difference to getting her stamp paid each week if she goes for the 3/2 pattern, but only getting one paid and one credited per fortnight on the week on/ week off.


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## Welfarite (28 Aug 2008)

Berni said:


> But it would make a difference to getting her stamp paid each week if she goes for the 3/2 pattern, but only getting one paid and one credited per fortnight on the week on/ week off.


 

A difference to what exactly?


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## Berni (28 Aug 2008)

As I understand it, paid and credited are largely interchangable for most schemes, but don't some schemes like treatment benefit require that you have 260 paid contributions?


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## Black Sheep (28 Aug 2008)

I assume she is talking about her contribution record. If working week on week off she would have 26 payments and 26 credits (in a year) while if she was working 3/2 she would have 52 payments.


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## NHG (2 Oct 2008)

Going to hi-jack this thread instead of starting a new one, a young friend of mind who has recently qualified as a plumber and as been in fulltime employment since he started his apprentiship has now been informed that he will have work when his employer has work which is fair enough.

He did'nt have any work for the last two weeks and has work again this week and hopefully next week, he does'nt know what lies ahead no more than anyone else does, should he sign on the week's that he does not have work in order to build up his credits, or is there anything else that he should be doing.


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## Black Sheep (4 Oct 2008)

He should sign on for jobseekers benefit any *day* that he has no work. The first 3 days will be disregarded but after that he should get JB for any days that he has no work.
Once he signs on SW will send him weekly dockets to be signed by both parties (him and his employer) showing the days he worked


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## Celtwytch (6 Oct 2008)

Black Sheep said:


> The first 3 days will be disregarded but after that he should get JB for any days that he has no work.
> Once he signs on SW will send him weekly dockets to be signed by both parties (him and his employer) showing the days he worked


 
Unless things have changed since I had any dealings with JB, the days he doesn't work will be counted on a '3 in 6' basis. (ie he needs 3 days off in any period of 6 days to qualify for payment)  This means that he may not get paid for every single day that he doesn't work; it will depend on his work pattern.  But he should definitely sign on, and complete the weekly dockets, as a day that can't be paid one week may become effective the following week.


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