Incapacity benefit and help with mortgage.

pontdugard

zappster,

thank you so much - it really is appreciated.

do you know how it would be dealt with if the current hours increase beyond 16 a week and then go back under 16 hours again ?

I presume that a rapid reclaim is possible but would the 13 week wait for ISMI start again ?


do you think it would be better considering alternate more stable / regular work options as the current situation is very chaotic with childcare too ?
would it be a problem with the JSA if this also meant the working hours were reduced ?

apologies for all the questions

zappster1966

Remunerative work is that which, on average, is 16 hours pw or more. So it depends how the Job Centre views those weeks where you're working 16 hours or more ... and I can't really second guess their decision, unfortunately. If they nil your claim for you being in remunerative work those weeks won't count towards the 13 week linking period, however your period of entitlement before and after that period will link together hopefully meaning you won't go back to square one at the beginning of your second claim/rapid re-claim.

More stable work patterns are always advantageous when it comes to benefit administration ... but you've got to consider your own self rather than the folks trying to work out your own entitlements. Some work is better than no work, even if it's a chaotic pattern from one week to the next, but it will mean delays to your benefit payments while they try to figure things out (shouldn't happen, but does).

Childcare ? Can't really advise you on that my friend, apols. Only advice I can give as a new Father is not to have the bleeders at all :cool:

pontdugard

thanks again,

definitely want to continue working.

reasonably enjoy the current work but can't see anyway that it will ever bring in enough to cover the mortgage etc.

house seems to be in negative equity, or therabouts, so selling isn't really an option in the current market and the mortgage at the moment is no more than renting.

not even getting interviews for better paid work that should logically be qualified and experienced enough to do.

really, really need the ISMI assistance for the time being just to survive.

do you think if it meant reducing current hours to work elsewhere this should not be a problem with the JSA claim ?

the childcare situation should improve anyway in around 6 months time

KittyBoo_2

Thankyou for your replies.
I have a meeting with an advisor at JCP tomorrow and I will get her to look into it for me and let you know the outcome.

cw18

Best of luck -- but the main thing (IMO) is to be politely confident about it.

There's no point getting stressed in these meetings, as the staff then seem less inclined to spend time checking things. I can't say I blame them given the number of people I've seen ranting at them -- but it is hard not to sometimes forget that it's not that one person who decides what you do and don't qualify for. I've found the staff in my local office to be really helpful over the last 16 months or so (during which time I've had to deal with several different situations and benefit combinations!)


(but I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs with that lot :rolleyes2 )