Should I tell the Jobcentre I am pregnant?

miss_eagle

I was made redundant and am now on income-based JSA. I currently live alone, but am planning to move in with my long-term boyfriend - probably in Jan. I will then cease to claim JSA as I will no longer be entitled, due to my partner's earnings. However, I am now 3 months' pregnant and not sure whether I should tell the job centre? I am still actively seeking a job (though I am sure my only real bet is a temp job). Given that I will stop claiming JSA in the new year anyway is there any point telling the job centre about my pregnancy?

Also, will I be entitled to any maternity benefits? I won't be eligble for Statutory Maternity Pay and I don't think I'll qualify for Maternity Allowance either.

Thanks for your advice.

karenx

MA is the only maternity benefit you can get. Have you had a look to see if you would get it?
Only other thing there is available is the HIP grant which everyone can get, details here

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/HealthinPregnancyGrant/DG_173502

lil_lisa

Even after you've moved in with your partner you may still be eligible for contribution based JSA which is paid for a maximum of 26 weeks. (After the 26 weeks your circumstances are reassessed but unless your partner is no longer working at that point then the monetary element of the JSA will stop but you can continue to sign for your stamp).

It may be worth telling the jobcentre that you're pregnant incase you get given any antenatal appointments which clash with your signing times. TBH until you're further on in your pregnancy no action will really be taken about your pregnancy, a note will just be present in your file which states you are pregnant but wont trigger any changes to your benefit.

It's worth keeping in mind that if you decided not to move in with your partner in January but continued to claim JSA IS in your own right until you were 29 weeks pregnant than you could be eligible for the Surestart maternity grant. Other than that however it would be the HIP grant of £190 which all pregnant women are entitled to from 25 weeks.

lil_lisa

Oh, and to claim MA you need to have worked for 26 weeks out of the 66 weeks before your EDD, so if you were able to find some temp work in the mean time (and depending on what work you have done in the last 6 months or so) you may be able to claim MA.

miss_eagle

Thanks for the advice.

Am thinking then that it's pretty impossible that I'll be entitled to any matertity benefits. Haven't worked in the past 6 months after redundancy and to work 26 weeks now I'd have to start a job in the next week and work right up until about week 39 of my pregnancy. Have been applying, but nothing lined up, so guess that's unlikely. Not worth waiting to move in with boyfriend until 29 weeks' pregnant to get Surestart, as in the meantime I would be worse off than if I were living with him.

So I am unemployed now, but that fact that I have worked solidly for the past 11 years doesn't count for anything. Presumably I could have only worked 26 continuous weeks in my life before having a baby and I would get maternity allowance? I'm sure I am not the first person to say how unfair it seems. Sorry for the moan.

dookar

Never having been pregnant, I'm probably talking rubbish, but I imagine there are some jobs that would be unsuitable for you to do (heavy lifting/maybe working with certain chemicals?)

In which case, yes you should inform them and discuss the possibility of restricting your availability.

clairec79

tell them and you'll get healthy start vouchers etc sorted

Oldernotwiser

miss_eagle wrote: »

So I am unemployed now, but that fact that I have worked solidly for the past 11 years doesn't count for anything. Presumably I could have only worked 26 continuous weeks in my life before having a baby and I would get maternity allowance? I'm sure I am not the first person to say how unfair it seems. Sorry for the moan.

JSA (CB) isn't based on the 26 weeks before you become unemployed but on the contributions during the 2 years prior to this. I presume that you're now claiming JSA(IB) because your 6 months on JSA(CB) has run out.

aurorahelios

I'm not sure of the current rules since the change to ESA but under the old incapacity benefit if you were not eligible for SMP or MA then you were entitled to short term incapacity benefit for I think 6 weeks.

miss_eagle

Wasn't meaning JSA, when I was talking about the 26 weeks. (Current situation: was on JSA CB and now JSA IB). My understanding is that to get Maternity Allowance I need to have worked 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before my due date - ie since March this year. Have been unemployed since March, following redundancy. Could only just work 26 weeks if starting a job and working right up until due date.

As I'm moving in with my partner and will stop claiming JSA, I won't be switched over from JSA to income support or any other benefit in later pregnancy. So presumably not able to get any kind of maternity benefit?

In the meantime, maybe worth the job centre noting that my availability is more restricted as Dookar, above, said.

Tigsteroonie

I told the JCP when I was pregnant and whilst they didn't really need to restrict my job type (as I was down for admin jobs anyway), they did agree that my "travel time to job" should be limited to one hour maximum.