Refused Surestart Maternity Grant (£500!)

devils_spawn

:mad::mad::mad:

Got a letter through this morning after applying for the £500 surestart maternity grant. It read:

'We have decided that you are not entitled to a payment.

This is for the following reason:

* you or your partner are not receiving Income Support, Income based Jobseeker's allowance, income related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Working Tax Credit which includes a disability or severe disability element or Child Tax Credit being paid at a higher rate than the appropriate maximum family element'

Here is our actual position:

Living with parents, I am a carer and currently get Carers Allowance & Income Suport. My Partner was a probationary teacher who will get 3 months full maternity pay then smp for a further 39 weeks, as she was a probationer, her contract is terminated on completion of the smp payments and has no job to return to. She is 32 weeks pregnant.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is in Scotland.

I called them up and one of the guys in the jobcentre plus who said he was a decision maker and the decision was made as I was not claiming income support for my girlfriend. Yet it states on the form that the only criteria I need to meet is that she lives with me, one of us receives the qualifying benefit and she is at least 29 weeks pregnant.
He said that we would both need to be on benefits to claim?!

That is contrary to everything I have read on the surestart website.

Can anyone give me any pointers on this one? Are they right? Am I entitled or should I be making a phone call to CAB first thing on Monday?

MamTor13

Is your claim for Income Support a joint claim or on your own?

devils_spawn

It is a claim on my own due to me being a carer.

Shouldn't make a difference though as it says should either one of us be claiming income support then we are entitled to the grant.

bestpud

Isn't SMP counted as income for IS purposes?

I'd have thought you'd have to claim as a couple and her income would count. I didn't think you could make a single I claim if you have a partner.

I don't know; I'm asking...

devils_spawn

It was a joint application and we both got the exact letter back.

I can't see how we do not meet the requirements?!

astonsmummy

devils_spawn wrote: »

It is a claim on my own due to me being a carer.

Shouldn't make a difference though as it says should either one of us be claiming income support then we are entitled to the grant.

There is your answer, you claim IS on your own.
If your partner lives with you you should be making a joint claim for IS, is she actually working now? does she receive ay money from this job?

devils_spawn

On the form and website it simply says:

'if you OR your partner are in receipt of income support'

It does not state we both have to be claiming.

astonsmummy

devils_spawn wrote: »

On the form and website it simply says:

'if you OR your partner are in receipt of income support'

It does not state we both have to be claiming.

Yes, but what it means is, one of you makes the claim for IS and the other one is on it IYSWIM.
You really should be informing them that you have a partner.

bestpud

astonsmummy wrote: »

Yes, but what it means is, one of you makes the claim for IS and the other one is on it IYSWIM.
You really should be informing them that you have a partner.

This is what I'm thinking - glad I'm not alone!

But then, the OP says the partner was declared and she received a letter about the IS too...

But it does seem to me (although I may well be wrong) he is claiming as a single person, as I thought the smp would count as income.

dookar

If you live together as partners, there is no way she is correctly not a part of your claim to IS.

If she is currently receiving full pay I would be astonished if you had an entitlement to IS.

If you are not living together as partners then you have no entitlement to the grant because there is no pregnant person or new born involved in your claim to IS.

devils_spawn

She is on a low wage as a probationary teacher and those wages stop and she reverts to smp in October, approximately 3 months after the baby is born.

I am a carer and DO get income support. The DWP know we live together but due to smp she is not allowed IS.

Besides the point, I get income support and we meet the criteria set out, she is 32 weeks pregnant, we have very little money and cannot figure out why we are getting no support from the job centre plus.