I feel your pain; this sounds like the student loan consolidation fiasco I had to go through last year.
And then, a few months ago I thought to myself that, since I don't intend to continue in my current job much longer anyway, I'd like to cash in my pension plan, pay off some credit card bills, and start a new pension plan once I get started in my new career. I knew that you couldn't make a withdrawal from a pension plan unless you had some dire need (understandably so), but I thought perhaps you could close out the account entirely if you decided that perhaps retirement saving isn't as high a priority as it used to be. Nope. So, basically, my hard-earned money is now being held hostage until (a) I have some dire, qualifying need, (b) I reach retirement age or (c) I leave the company which, hopefully, will be in the very near future.
For what it's worth, it's probably better to be registered to be on the safe side. I don't know exactly what the regulations are for Austrians, since you're old-EU, but we had a story just last week about a Polish guy who has been working here, had to stop due to cancer, and didn't qualify for benefits because he somehow hadn't been properly registered. It can't hurt to make sure you're properly registered for things now, lest it bite you later.
And if you were getting JSA, you would still have to report to them to prove that you are seeking a job...
I know it sucks to think long-term, but if you have any thought at all of staying in the UK it will be good to have the National Insurance continuity (assuming I understand what's happening there). And it's bloody nice to have someone paying that for you! Costs me about £1200 a year.
Just because the money isn't going into your pocket, doesn't mean it's not a benefit.
I knew that I'd have to report back once a fortnight if I got JSA, which is exactly why I felt so screwed over by suddenly being expected to do so without them giving me any money.
And I know I mustn't be ungrateful in the long run, I was just so frustrated by the combination of crushed expectations and feelings of helplessness from being forced to deal with a system I don't quite understand (yet). I was also really worried initially because the savings we've been living off are almost gone now and I'm not sure how to pay for food from this point on without JSA. I know we'll find a way to make do, but initially it felt like quite a blow.
Exactly. You want to make sure it's getting paid somehow, because if it isn't, you're ineligible for anything like the benefit which is paid if you become disabled and can't work at all. That's aside from state pension eligibility. They are still giving you money; you just won't directly see it.
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And then, a few months ago I thought to myself that, since I don't intend to continue in my current job much longer anyway, I'd like to cash in my pension plan, pay off some credit card bills, and start a new pension plan once I get started in my new career. I knew that you couldn't make a withdrawal from a pension plan unless you had some dire need (understandably so), but I thought perhaps you could close out the account entirely if you decided that perhaps retirement saving isn't as high a priority as it used to be. Nope. So, basically, my hard-earned money is now being held hostage until (a) I have some dire, qualifying need, (b) I reach retirement age or (c) I leave the company which, hopefully, will be in the very near future.
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And if you were getting JSA, you would still have to report to them to prove that you are seeking a job...
I know it sucks to think long-term, but if you have any thought at all of staying in the UK it will be good to have the National Insurance continuity (assuming I understand what's happening there). And it's bloody nice to have someone paying that for you! Costs me about £1200 a year.
Just because the money isn't going into your pocket, doesn't mean it's not a benefit.
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And I know I mustn't be ungrateful in the long run, I was just so frustrated by the combination of crushed expectations and feelings of helplessness from being forced to deal with a system I don't quite understand (yet). I was also really worried initially because the savings we've been living off are almost gone now and I'm not sure how to pay for food from this point on without JSA. I know we'll find a way to make do, but initially it felt like quite a blow.
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