# Jobseeker's  Benefit/Jobseeker's Allowance.



## blowin (24 Jul 2014)

I was made redundant and am just starting jsa. I am renting at the moment but with my redundancy I am planning to buy a house. This will use up most of my redundancy so my savings will be below 20k when finished. I am married am over 50 with a school going child and I fear that I will find it hard to find employment because of age. Is this bad idea using up all my capital buying a home and will this affect if I need to claim JSB. There is no other income coming into our family.
Thanks for the help.


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## Gerry Canning (24 Jul 2014)

blowin; 

Using redundancy to buy a house and live forever rent free sounds eminently sensible.

Buying  home will not affect your JSB in any way.You mentioned JSA , so I assume you have used up your JSB term.
I think in JSA the first k20 in savings is ignored , so if you had more thn k20 in savings your jsa would be reduced.Makes another good reason to buy house as house is ignored in JSA assessments.

Good luck in the job hunt!


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## Branz (24 Jul 2014)

Cant help with the jsb  but just wonder what pension arrangements do you have, if any, on top of the redundancy payment.
will  your State pension and your spouses state pension  be means tested?

The reason I ask, and this is NOT MY AREA, is that I think your private dwelling is not part of the means test whereas cash in bank would be.
There are a series of rules and thresholds
this  will get you started

keep well.


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## blowin (24 Jul 2014)

Sorry I am new to all this. I have have just started JSB so I have 9 months before I will be means tested. Hopefully a job will come up in the meantime but at 53 age is a against me. That is true Gerry about the home the only really good thing to come out of been made redundant after 30 years is being able to buy my own place. My private pension won't kick in till I reach 65 so that a few years down the road. Thanks for the advice.


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## wbbs (24 Jul 2014)

Pop into your local Citizens Information for any advice they may have in your situation.

If I was you I would buy the house otherwise you will just be disallowed JSA until your savings are below 20k so savings gone and no house.   While I don't encourage people drawing social welfare however I presume you have been paying tax and contributing to this economy for a long time at your age and yes I agree it will be hard to find another job at your age.  Obviously don't know what area of work you are in but in general I do find age matters.


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## eastbono (24 Jul 2014)

Solid advice given by wbbs.... I would also purchase a home out of the redundancy package. When your benefit exhausts you will be means tested and will need to show how your redundancy was spent. You will have a roof over your head for your family...mortgage free and should be able to survive on jobseekers.


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