income support "interview"

Melissa22_Mum

I've never been to one before, obviously prior to today, but after it I can fully comprehend how people so easily get away with claiming it!!!


I am not talking about my own situation initially, but I was expecting a full grilling! I can understand that it is there if you NEED it and if you fall on hard times it is greatly appreciated. Today though, I was flabbergasted for want of a better word!!!

The lady that interviewed me was a lovely girl and all credit to her, but I am in a situation where I need the money. She asked no questions of why I couldn't work and why I wasn't looking for work or anything related really! She merely asked if I had worked prior to having baby. I am not saying the lady that interviewed me did anything less than was asked of her, but like I said I can see how easy it is to "fool" the system!!!!

Has anyone else got the same opinion or is it me?

It seems that it's based on pure honesty rather than investigation and research, I know that if you need it, as I do, that it is not a nice thing to go through but I was expecting a lot more probing than I got!!!

The representetives, if you like, are there to help and guide you towards work, if youare able. I feel as though it was a simple process, I felt I should have been questioned more! Not that I felt as though I wasn't deserving, but just to say if I was on the fiddle it would have been a walk through!!!

Scarlett1

she was a soft touch by the looks of it, her job apart from making sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled too is to help you back into work by doing 'better off' calculations.

I dont understand though how you found it easy to 'fool the system', if you are at home all day with a small child then you have responsibilities

If you dont look like you are showing willing, even if they seem nice, you can have your IS reduced

astonsmummy

The thing is, your after IS as your a lone parent presumably so they wont grill you as much as say if you wanted JSA as a single person.
Your not readily available for work due to having a young child, but there are lone parent advisors for if you do want to get back to work, and if you ever do i would definately advise seeing one.

Fran

astonsmummy wrote:

...there are lone parent advisors for if you do want to get back to work, and if you ever do i would definately advise seeing one.

When you have older children you are now required to attend a work focused interview with a view to getting work.

Melissa,
You probably found it easy because your history is well documented, you have given them National Insurance no. and they can check any work history, or whatever. I'm glad you found it an easy process, that's not everyone's experience!

Also as astonsmummy said you don't have to be available for work if you are on Income Support, you are busy caring for your children.

missk_ensington

astonsmummy wrote:

The thing is, your after IS as your a lone parent presumably so they wont grill you as much as say if you wanted JSA as a single person.
Your not readily available for work due to having a young child, but there are lone parent advisors for if you do want to get back to work, and if you ever do i would definately advise seeing one.

Does this not depend on the age of your youngest child? How old does your child need to be before it is appropriate to make you work? When you're child is 6 months? 2? Starting school? 16?

Personally, I don't think any able bodies person can use the child as an excuse once that child reaches 3- especially as you get 5 half day sessions for free so your childcare is free. Obviously if they're interviewing you and your baby is 8 weeks old it goes without saying that you shouldn;t be looking for a job yet! Its a different matter if your child is 8 years old!

saintjanet

I thought i would make my comments on this before all the benefits bashers make theirs, I have commented on other threads about the difficulty in obtaining various benefits,mainly disability related,i must add.Even after suggesting various ways that people can find out this information for themselves,the threads are still full of people saying things like "WALK WITH A LIMP AND THEY GIVE YOU A MOBILITY CAR"well some thing along these lines anyway.

Now we have someone on here complaining "that they have not been treated badly enough!!!"the mind boggles,As someone who has never claimed any benefits myself,i wonder if i am wasting my time,with my posts.
Any money the government pay out they do reluctantly,this just gives them another excuse to clamp down on genuine people,which is what they have already done with the disabled,It wont stop the chavs with six kids and no intention of working, getting their money,cant people see this?

astonsmummy

missk_ensington wrote:

Does this not depend on the age of your youngest child? How old does your child need to be before it is appropriate to make you work? When you're child is 6 months? 2? Starting school? 16?

Personally, I don't think any able bodies person can use the child as an excuse once that child reaches 3- especially as you get 5 half day sessions for free so your childcare is free. Obviously if they're interviewing you and your baby is 8 weeks old it goes without saying that you shouldn;t be looking for a job yet! Its a different matter if your child is 8 years old!

Well i was replying specifically to melissa not every person, i know she has a young child and some of the other circumstances, and it's not so easy for everyone to go out to work once the child is 3.

astonsmummy

Fran wrote:

When you have older children you are now required to attend a work focused interview with a view to getting work.

.

I think everyone had to go to a work foucsed interview now, i did in june, but i was just waiting for a new job to start so they didnt say much.

eclipse

I went to an interview today too, pointless waste of time - lasted about 5 mins. Just told her why I wasn't working (off sick), that I was employed so didn't need help with that, and that was it really. Oh, and she told me I can earn up to £20 permitted work - joy (that's less than three hours work in my current employment, and they'd want me for a whole shift, not just two and a half hours, so it's fairly useless!)

Melissa22_Mum

saintjanet wrote:

I thought i would make my comments on this before all the benefits bashers make theirs, I have commented on other threads about the difficulty in obtaining various benefits,mainly disability related,i must add.Even after suggesting various ways that people can find out this information for themselves,the threads are still full of people saying things like "WALK WITH A LIMP AND THEY GIVE YOU A MOBILITY CAR"well some thing along these lines anyway.

Now we have someone on here complaining "that they have not been treated badly enough!!!"the mind boggles,As someone who has never claimed any benefits myself,i wonder if i am wasting my time,with my posts.
Any money the government pay out they do reluctantly,this just gives them another excuse to clamp down on genuine people,which is what they have already done with the disabled,It wont stop the chavs with six kids and no intention of working, getting their money,cant people see this?

I wasn't complaining at all! I was pointing out that the interview should have been just that! I am unable to work at the moment but I fully intend to when I can. I didn't mention disabled people in my thread as it doesn't relate specifically to what I was getting at. I just thought that the interview should have been more indepth, I wasn't looking for advice through my thread either. I was expecting to be given leaflets about child care and nurserys etc. I just thought it all seemed a little too easy, I didn't however think of the national insurance records so a bit of a boobie there but still..

I was told that I would be attending a work focussed interview in six months then another six months, they then went up to a year. I would also get information about the new deal for lone parents introduced into training etc. I just thought I should have got more information than I got. The conversation was broached but she said we'll talk about it later....

As for tax credits....Rang them on Tuesday to cancel joint claim, fine. rang them on Thursday " there's nothing on the computer, it hasn't been processed, wait 7 days for a form"

Tuesday I got a guide to tax credits booklet????? I've already been on them, must have been the effort from the first bloke. Thursday I got the form which now I don't need as tax credits have been fast tracked through my income support claim! What a waste of postage/paper/time/money!!!!