Please help me- distraught! Job Seekers Allowance.

laura.brennan

Dear everyone!

I have been on Jobseekers contributory based allowance since march 2010. I signed this week and was told my payments would end at the end of this month! Great!! NOT!! I apparently am not entitled to anything else because I have a husband who works 30 hours a week- he only gets 10K a year because he is training to be a teaching assistant. I cant work because we have a 11month old son who we cant afford to put in nursery. How can they just stop the payments if that is all we are living on- we are barely scraping by! We rent a flat and that £600 pcm and bills on top of that and food etc- how can I really go back to work without working just to pay for childcare- so effectively paying to be away from my son! Its F**** up! How do these other people who are 'housed' keep getting benefits for doing !!!!!! all when my husband works and we get kicked in the gutter! Am I missing something? Am I entitled to anything- please help me if you know!

Lx

Sam____2

Hi, if you're renting try applying for LHA you may be entitled to some help towards your rent and maybe council tax benefit as well.
Inform tax credits of you're change in income as they may need to adjust your claim.
Just wondering though, if you've been on JSA and not looking for a job, how did you get away with that for 6 months?

wuckfit

Don't panic!

you should be entitled to Child Tax Credits to help with the childcare costs. possibly working tax credits as well. Others will be able to advise.

Is there any way you could work hours that your husband is at home, and reduce the childcare costs?

jazabelle

Aren't you on the wrong benefit? You aren't seeking work, you're looking after your son.

Shouldn't you be on something like Income Support? I don't know if your husband wage excludes you from this though?

Sam____2

you have to be a single parent or carer to get income support

dmg24

jazabelle wrote: »

Aren't you on the wrong benefit? You aren't seeking work, you're looking after your son.

Shouldn't you be on something like Income Support? I don't know if your husband wage excludes you from this though?

You are correct that she should not be claiming JSA if not seeking work, but they would need to claim WTC rather than IS.

Duncombe

In answer to your question; they are stopping your Conts Based JSA because you can only claim it for 6 months. Those are the rules.

If your husband is, as you say, only earning £10k a year you could put in an application for HB and CTC. You would probably qualify for some help given your low earnings.

If he is working 30 hours a week, your partner can claim WTC (but this must be a joint claim).

I will assume you are already claiming CTC and CB. If not, why arnt you?

As others have said, I am slightly confused as to how you were claiming Conts Based JSA when you were being a 'full time mum' to your son. If you had found a job in those 6 months...what would you have done with your son during working hours? Surely he would have had to go into childcare?

Indie_Kid

Duncombe wrote: »

If he is working 30 hours a week, your partner can claim WTC (but this must be a joint claim).

He only needs to work 16 hours a week; because they have a child for whom they receive CB & CTC for.

Duncombe

sh1305 wrote: »

He only needs to work 16 hours a week; because they have a child for whom they receive CB & CTC for.

Right you are

marydot

laura.brennan wrote: »

Dear everyone!

I have been on Jobseekers contributory based allowance since march 2010. I signed this week and was told my payments would end at the end of this month! Great!! NOT!! I apparently am not entitled to anything else because I have a husband who works 30 hours a week- he only gets 10K a year because he is training to be a teaching assistant. I cant work because we have a 11month old son who we cant afford to put in nursery. How can they just stop the payments if that is all we are living on- we are barely scraping by! We rent a flat and that £600 pcm and bills on top of that and food etc- how can I really go back to work without working just to pay for childcare- so effectively paying to be away from my son! Its F**** up! How do these other people who are 'housed' keep getting benefits for doing !!!!!! all when my husband works and we get kicked in the gutter! Am I missing something? Am I entitled to anything- please help me if you know!

Lx

Just be grateful you were entitled to 6 months benefits. Other people manage so quit the self moaning and start looking for work as soon as possible.You had your 6 months of benefits so why are you moaning???

Welcome to the real world. Benefits are there for people who need them!!!

andyandflo

marydot wrote: »

Just be grateful you were entitled to 6 months benefits. Other people manage so quit the self moaning and start looking for work as soon as possible.You had your 6 months of benefits so why are you moaning???

Welcome to the real world. Benefits are there for people who need them!!!

I'm sorry but I fail to understand the purpose or the reason for those comments.

If you are out of work or sick you are entitled to claim a contribution based benefit. If you have the required contribution levels then it is paid.

This sytem has been in place for years, at least 25 that I know of. Women who have had a child can and should claim JSA(C) or ESA(C).

It used to be the case that the mother claimed 'unemployment Benefit for 12 months then worked for 12 months then claimed Unemployment Benefit for 12 months ..........

My wife did it, my sister did it and my two sisters' in law did it.

Why do you have a problem with this, it is normal and acceptable practice. And yes if a job did come up, child care would have to be arranged (with the costs covered by CTC/Employer)
But to be honest the chances of a job coming up would be so remote given her circumstances, that you could almost discount the idea.