Habitual residence test

momcop

:money:After a 5yr career break (during which time I re-married and gave birth to our son out of the UK) I return to the UK to resume life/work with new family who have never lived in UK before but from within EU.

I can claim Statutory Maternity Pay, being pregnant with Twins, due in 4-5 weeks time!!! :eek:

My husband has since been trying his best to find any work, with great difficulty.(Even though his English is excellent and he was educated well in Switzerland with qualifications in hotel management and as an electrician) The local JobCentre claim he is still on their systems and has been to all appointments in order to find work with Jobseekers (He made a claim for Income based JSA but they gave him 'NIL AWARD' because my SMP is higher.But they told him he is still on Jobseekers)
:(Now today, they told him he can no longer be on the JSA (even though not receiving any money) for even the help finding work, because the main network computer system states he has failed the Habitual Residency Test and that he 'failed to turn up to an appointment' (even though the local JobCentre staff state he has attended all appointments!?)

We arrived in the UK on 7th May 2011. I was on SMP anyway.Still am.It is the ONLY money we are now receiving £128 per week, which is not enough to pay the rent/food/elec/water/gas/telephone/etc.:(

:)I have applied for
Child Benefit: May take until 30/11/11 due to outside UK details
Tax Credits: waiting to hear
Housing Benefit & Council Tax: should hear by 27th July 2011.

:oI have yet to apply for:
A Council Grant
Hardship Payment
Working Tax Credit


:mad:I am not eligible for other benefits such as:
Maternity Grant: I have one child already
Employment Support Allowance: I am on SMP
Budgeting Loan: I have not been receiving benefits for 26 weeks

:)I have communicated with:
Citizens Advice
Community Legal Advice
National DebtLine

Apart from silly ideas to gain extra income such as dancing naked on youtube, do you have any ideas how else we can get money help?:(

Waiting for the system to decide - meanwhile we have been advised to write to whoever we cannot pay, but to pay the rent, then let our money for food/gas/electric run out, and when we haven't any money for food/gas/elec we are to apply for a CRISIS LOAN which will cover just those things for appx 2 wks, and we can only do that a maximum of three times (in a year).

How are we to live?:(

inmypocketnottheirs

Where were you living and working during the five year abscence from the UK?

GavB79

You're eight months pregnant with twins. I don't want to see you dancing naked on youtube.

yumyums

GavB79 wrote: »

You're eight months pregnant with twins. I don't want to see you dancing naked on youtube.

Probably a niche market in that!
Is there anything your husband could do on a Self Employed basis. If he is an electrician, not sure if he's Part P or whatever, but could he do handyman work if not?

claire16c

Most people dont need the job centre to help them find work, such as someone like your husband Im sure he can look himself. there are plenty of websites etc your husband could look on, especially considering he wasnt getting any money anyway. If hes got good work exp and qualifications I would just use the internet to your advantage.

Savvy_Sue

Find out if you have a local FoodBank, that might help a little bit.