Job Seekers Allowance after maternity leave & redundancy advice please

cherrycat_2

Hi everyone

Really desperate for some advice regarding JSA after redundancy.

I went to sign on for the first time in my working life today...and what a horrible experience it was. I am a qualified MH nurse who has worked in substance misuse for a number of years. I have just been on maternity leave and was made redundant in the last few months of my leave.

My son is 9 months old and I do want to go back to work part time....but doing something that I am qualified for and pays enough to justify paying nursery fees 2-3days aweek so that I can bring some money home.

Anyway I explained this today when I was signing on and the response I got from the Job Centre lady left me flat and feeling useless.
She said I cant be fussy about what I apply for...regarding skills and salary expectancy.....that I would have to be more flexible with hours etc....bearing in mind I am a mum and do want a job even though this can only be part time (I wont put my child in full time nursery care for any job)
I felt as though i'm only going to get JSA if i'm prepared to take any job, low wage or full time.,...do you think i'm beinga bit discriminated against?

I want to work part time, not scrounge off the government, this is a genuine claim as I have worked all my life and never claimed a single benefit.Can they make me take any old job and stop my JSA even if my personal circumsantces stop me from working full time?
Does any one have any advice?

Many thanks

dookar

It all depends, if you have a 'usual occupation' you may be given up to a thirteen week period to seek work in that occupation, you must be able to show reasonable prospects of finding employment.

You have caring responsibilities for a young child so you may be able to restrict your availability to fewer than 40 hours per week, but no fewer than 16. This restriction though must mean you are available for all hours that your caring responsibilities allow.

What was entered onto your jobseeker's agreement? You can dispute this if you wish.

cherrycat_2

Hi Dooker

Thanks for reply.

Well first of all for the 'types of job' box on agrrement the Job Centre lady put - Mental Health Nurse...although I am qualified I have only worked in drugs and alcohol since I qualified...so wouldnt be experienced enough for decent paid mainstream mental health nurse jobs.

Put 'i'm willing to start work immediately' although it would take me agood couple of weeks to find suitable nursey for son should I get job and also put that I am not limited to days and hours Iam available for work...although in the restrictions box she did put 'has caring responsibilities'


Does all that make sense?

Any advice welcome...

Cherry xx

dookar

cherrycat wrote: »

Hi Dooker

Thanks for reply.

Well first of all for the 'types of job' box on agrrement the Job Centre lady put - Mental Health Nurse...although I am qualified I have only worked in drugs and alcohol since I qualified...so wouldnt be experienced enough for decent paid mainstream mental health nurse jobs.

Put 'i'm willing to start work immediately' although it would take me agood couple of weeks to find suitable nursey for son should I get job and also put that I am not limited to days and hours Iam available for work...although in the restrictions box she did put 'has caring responsibilities'


Does all that make sense?

Any advice welcome...

Cherry xx

Hmm, you won't be given a couple of weeks to find a nursery placement. Do you have a partner?

Your availability seems to be unrestricted, you should get that Jobseekers agreement changed

cherrycat_2

My partner works full time and works shifts, I have no family i the town I live and my partners parents work full time.

Should I go back and ask for it to be changed .....I was a bit confused by the whole thing and the lady was so unhelpful and patronizing.

Cherry x

dookar

cherrycat wrote: »

My partner works full time and works shifts, I have no family i the town I live and my partners parents work full time.

Should I go back and ask for it to be changed .....I was a bit confused by the whole thing and the lady was so unhelpful and patronizing.

Cherry x

What hours can you be available for? Can you show reasonable prospects of securing employment within those hours? What shifts does your partner work? Are they the same each week?

You can go back and ask for it to be changed, if they won't you can dispute it and a decision maker will decide if it is reasonable or not. You would be required to submit a jobseeker's agreement of your own. The decision maker will either choose one of the proposed agreements or create an entirely new one of their own. Your jobseeker's allowance is likely to be suspended whilst this happens.

cherrycat_2

Im available for about three days a week between 9-5pm. This is what I worked before but for was 5 days when childless. My partner works shifts but they aren't the same each week they are on a five week pattern...so its a nightmare to organise when he is home each week.

This whole thing is a nightmare. I want to work..part time to fit around my family...why is this being dismissed by the job centre..i thought the government wanted mums to get back into work and look after their children.

cherry x

flea72

cherrycat wrote: »

i thought the government wanted mums to get back into work and look after their children

but the people they are encouraging to go back to work, arent claiming JSA, they are single parents, on IS

as someone with a partner, who works, they should be supporting you financially, until such time as you find suitable employment. I agree with the lady at the job centre, you arent really a candidate for JSA, due to your limitations

JSA is really aimed at people who can work f/t. seeing as you only want to work 3 days a week, then in all reality you should only get 3 days worth of JSA, but thats not how it works. under the terms of claiming JSA you are agreeing to find any employment that means you can stop claiming. if you start to lay down too many conditions, then you arent really 'available' for work

Unfortunately, there are no benefits for couples, who cant find a job that suits their lifestyle, but CTC should bridge some of the gap, until you find something that fits your needs

Flea

dookar

flea72 wrote: »

but the people they are encouraging to go back to work, arent claiming JSA, they are single parents, on IS

as someone with a partner, who works, they should be supporting you financially, until such time as you find suitable employment. I agree with the lady at the job centre, you arent really a candidate for JSA, due to your limitations

JSA is really aimed at people who can work f/t. seeing as you only want to work 3 days a week, then in all reality you should only get 3 days worth of JSA, but thats not how it works. under the terms of claiming JSA you are agreeing to find any employment that means you can stop claiming. if you start to lay down too many conditions, then you arent really 'available' for work

Unfortunately, there are no benefits for couples, who cant find a job that suits their lifestyle, but CTC should bridge some of the gap, until you find something that fits your needs

Flea

I'm not sure I agree with much of that, the op is perfectly entitled to place restrictions on her availability. I just don't see how those restrictions are relevant.

The three days for which you can be available - how do they differ from the other four days in a week? Why are you available on those days and not others?

Are there hours each week that your partner does not work? (ie the same each week, I know the shifts change but is there any consistency as to when he is home?) Why can you not be vailable fr every hour that he does not work?

flea72

dookar wrote: »

I'm not sure I agree with much of that, the op is perfectly entitled to place restrictions on her availability. I just don't see how those restrictions are relevant

by signing on for JSA, you agree that you are available for work - and that means any work, whatever the hours. for the first 13wks you can be picky, as it should be easier to find work in your chosen field, but after that you have to more or less, apply for anything and everything that you could do. By limiting working hours, under JSA terms you are not available for work, so your claim can be stopped

In the OPs case if they cant find anything suitable, the only route they can go down, is by applying for unsuitable positions, that they hope they wont get. That way they have the proof they are actively seeking work, and can still claim JSA. But obviously that can only continue while they are on contribution based JSA because as soon as 6m is up, they will then go onto income based JSA, and due to partner working, may not be entitled to this

Flea

BeenieCat

Me and my OH are on JSA.

Despite the fact he's not working, i have been allowed to place restrictions on my availability.
I said i am looking for part time (16-29hrs) or school hours work, whilst he is looking for any work, be it shifts/nights/whatever.

They told me that's fine, and only ask me to apply for jobs with appropriate hours

Anyway, OP - stop stressing about it. Look for a job to suit you, fill in your job search steps (3 per week i think?) and that will be that. The answer to your question is no they can't force you into a job you can't get childcare for.

Not sure how to get around the time period though between nursery and working - but i'd expect most new employers would assume their applicant would need to give notice to their old employer and should probably allow 2 weeks for you to start, giving you time to find a nursery. I know that's not the case for all jobs as some would want an immediate start, but i think within your sector the vacancies would be better managed/