Advice needed asap please

shell1965

Just wondered if someone an give me information, the situation is my son aged 18 on income based jsa living at home here, his girlfriend aged 17 came from a very difficult home life and was made to leave, she turned up at ours as she hasnt any family around here as mum moved from another part of the country too up here, she has no contact with her father either.
We said she could stay here temporary whilst her n my son try and find a place to rent with my other daughter so they could all share somewhere.
Now we've found out his girlfriend is expecting too him, we went for advice and they were told she's my sons dependant partner and he should claim for her. They went to jobcentre and told to claim Income Support, she has received a letter saying as she's under 18 she cannot claim Income Support, they were originally told it was a change of circumstances on my sons claim? We now do not understand if thats the end of him claiming for her or have they made her make a single claim for herself? Can somebody say if their likely to be able to claim together?
Thanks

Indie_Kid

Generally, under 18s can't claim benefits. There are a few exceptions to this.

happy35

they need to claim together but she needs to attend an appointment with Connexions and claim u18 hardship payments due to her being estranged from her parents.

they will both attend the Jobcentre to sign on but she will also be expected to attend Connexions for extra help

When she is 29 weeks pregnant she will be able to claim Income Support for your son and their child until the baby is 15 weeks old

shell1965

We were told she couldnt get hardship money unless she was also estranged from my son?

cassieB57

shell1965 wrote: »

We were told she couldnt get hardship money unless she was also estranged from my son?

If she is out of full time education and has been since at least last summer, then she can sign on forJSA and claim hardship,as your son's partner on his claim-advise her to go to connexions and they will refer her to an under 18 adviser at the jobcentre. She has to be estranged 'from parents or person acting in place of parents' to qualify.The rules are different though if she is still in education or only recently left

shell1965

Her last day in college was october 14th, she registered with connexions at the beginning of january before she knew she was expecting, they told her about hardship payments but didnt have the form there at the time, they said they would get it to her by posting it by hand one evening after they finished for the day, I t never arrived, she's seen them since and said about her I.S claim and will have to see them again tomorrow to tell them she's been refused

nannytone_2

whatever age, people have to start taking responsibility!
'they' said they didnt have the form. but 'they' would get it to her, and didn't.
why does everyone seem to expect' them' to do the work, when its not 'them'
that benefit from it?
your son and his girlfriend arent working. tell them to get their fingers out and find out what they need to know rather than expecting 'them' to lay it all on a plate and tell them!

suelees1

nannytone this forum is not for you to voice your opinion

Indie_Kid

Is there any reason why she couldn't go the connexions office and get the forms that way?

shell1965

They did get there finger out to try and find out what they need to do, they were told to get advice through connexions.
Anyhow just an update, she still hasn't received any money, now nearly 20 weeks pregnant, they couldn't print the form as the printers were down, I rang them and spoke to an adviser who argued with me and said they wouldn't have been told a form would be dropped off as its not a form filled in by the claimant, its by an adviser at connexions, then I was told once filled in, the claimant had to go to the jobcentre and tell them about the claim, they would then speak with her adviser from connexions and as long as claimant satifies conditions for claiming they would send the form from connexions into the benefit office to be dealt with. So Daughter-in-law went to a different connexions office in another town who did have the form, they spoke to her, filled it out, put it in an open envelope and told her to take it to the local jobcentre office so they could take it and deal with the claim. I went with her and the guy at reception said no you've been informed wrong, we dont deal with this here, I told him what they'd been told but he said no it wasnt being dealt with there, he gave her an addressed envelope to post it which was done 3 weeks ago but no reply back yet.
She has been sent her first 4 food vouchers this morning so at least somethings happened!

shell1965

Its been over a fortnight, more like 3 weeks, she has had a call from Connexions to ask if the money has been sorted, she told them not yet, they told her to ring Preston where it was sent away to, she's rung them this afternoon to be told, yes they understand its been sent to them but they dont know how to deal with hardship payments, they said ring I.S, gave her a number she spoke to somebody who just said she's not on my sons claim, she can't claim I.S and its not them who deal with Hardship? They have told her just to have a word at the Jobcentre but the Jobcentre didn't even want the Hardship form when she was told to hand it in there? Can anybody advise please?