Closed petition Allow discretion to give JSA where missed NI contributions

Closed on 9 January 2014

I want the government to give a discretion to Tribunals when deciding whether someone is entitled to Job Seekers Allowance after missing National Insurance Contributions for a short period.

My mother, 58, in between bringing up four children, worked full time, never claiming JSA all of her adult life, always paying NI. in 2010 She was made redundant and her husband diagnosed with chronic leukaemia and money was tight. She tried to ride the storm and avoid asking for benefits but things did not improve. She applied for JSA only once she was desperate and was told that because she did not sign on the year before and her NI contributions were unpaid, she is not eligible for JSA.

The Tribunal at Appeal said no NI = no benefits, and that they have NO discretion to consider the facts. The Tribunal should be given the discretion to judge each case on its merits. We all know that there are some more deserving than others. I'm not sure that I can think of a more deserving case.