Entitlement to Income Support at end of maternity leave

CHARDONNAY_3

Just a quick question on behalf of a friend who is having a difficult time.

She is about to finish maternity leave at end of July but can't bear to go back to work (awful call-centre sales job!)

She has been doing a couple of computer type courses & is trying to find a job in admin.

Would she be able to leave her current job & claim income support until a new job comes up?

She is a single mother & is currently living with her sister as her partner was having an affair during the pregnancy.

Thanks

AsknAnswer

Yes, providing she does not have savings above £16000.00. If she has savings between £6000.00 and £16000.00 the amount of benefit she gets will be affected.

If the father of her children pays child support she has to declare how much. The first £20.00 per week is disregarded, after that it is penny for penny that they subtract off her income support. If the child support exceeds the sum of Income Support then she won't be entitled to IS.

Child Support payments will not affect her child tax credit but she will have to inform them of both changes of circumstances, both her single parent status (and loss of partner's income) and once she officially is finshed her maternity leave, of her unemployed status. This will enable them to make an adjustment to her award, which could either be increased or decreased depending on what she previously claimed. It will also prevent any potential overpayment.