Joint claim for JSA - a true joint claim or is there a lead claimant?

Client was on JSA, moved in with his partner (before UC roll-out) and she was added to his JSA claim and both have been subject to jobseeking requirements, partner now gets PIP SRDL/SRM, can my client claim Carer’s Allowance with JSA top-up but his jobseeking requirements being switched off and Carer Premium added or would this lead to a UC claim? They would be nearly £100 per month worse off on UC due to loss of dis prem so I don’t want to risk telling him to do this if the JSA would end. TIA.

Hi Tricia,

My two cents would be that claiming CA will not end the JSA in and of itself, but that the job seeking requirements would continue regardless of the CA award. If they can hold on to the JSA until a migration notice then this would be worth doing. Although they’d then go on a WCA journey so worth comparing where they’d end up financially after the TP erosion.

I think this may be ok because they are a joint claim couple.

There are circumstances in which one person in such a claim does not have satisfy the jobseeking conditions for a number of reasons, one of which is being a carer.

The partner would have to continue to meet them, so I hope that is possible and JC+ don’t suggest she isn’t capable of work & try to push them to UC early.

There is no need for him to push himself to both meet the jobseeking conditions & the caring conditions.

Another approach would be for him to continue meeting the jobseeking conditions and her to provide medical evidence of LCW

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1996/207/schedule/A1

As long as one of them can meet the jobseeking conditions & the other can meet an exemption condition, they can hang on with CA & ibJSA (incl carer premium) topping up.