SMI 104wk rule - Income support now counts ?

worried-me

The gov has changed me over from IS to IB JSA as my youngest is 7 and the advisor at DWP advised me thet had to warn me that my SMI help may end in June 2011. I stated as I was only now starting JSA I expected it to be Jan 2013 (104 week rule) and was told that the gov had recently decided being on Income Support counted toward the 104wk rule and they were advising such customers to look talk to their lender as they knew they would get lots of queries when they tell people.

All documentation I can find on this going back to last year is that it is JSA only - has anyone heard anything about the time on income support counting toward the 104 wk rule.

dmg24

That gives you six months to find a job - good luck with your search.

Oldernotwiser

You surely weren't expecting to be still job seeking for more than 2 years?

worried-me

you both seem to have got the wrong end of the stick here; I am a single dad of 2 made redudant from working full time as single parent and have been on INCOME SUPPORT for 18mths, now swapped to JSA by gov.

I am retraining so am doing all I can - please look aty my question is the 18mths income support now counted as part of the 104wk rule???