financial help going back to work

bogoff38

hi, really upset today. I am really please as i've been struggling to find work as a single parent. i have in past six months changed from income support to job seekers allowance and was told if i get work i will be given a £250 grant, inwork benefit (£40 a week) and benefit run on for four weeks. i have finally found a full time position which fits in with my kids but have no been told i will not get any of the above help as i mixed up my signing weeks and was a few days late signing on. i am furious as they already took a way a weeks money from me without notifying me but now i have found work have told me i am no longer entitled to any of the back to work help as this incident caused a break in my job seekers allowance and you have to be on benefit for over 6 months to qualify for this:mad:! i dont understand this as the claim was not stopped i just lost money. \how the hell they expect me to take a job with no work clothes or money for the first two weeks is beyond me, rent, food?

i am beside myself and think that i will be on benefits forever.:(

t0rt0ise

Appeal the decision. Appeals seem to be seen by more sensible people.

supertomsk

This is a tricky area and depends whether you were sanctioned or had a disallowance.
A sanction means you still have the underlying entitlement and till qualify for job grant etc. You would usually have a sanction for missing a signing day.
If your claim was closed and you had to make a rapid reclaim then this would count as a break in claim unles you were successful with backdating.
For lone parents on JSA if you miss an appt/or signing you are supposed to be contacted by phone that day and a letter sent to you - did this happen?

LL30

When do you start work? Inform tax credits of your change in circumstances so your working tax credits kicks in. Also, I had a WFI and there is money available to apply for if you have a specific barrier preventing you from going to work (mine is finding the first months childcare fees!) It's not easy to get, but if you have a good adviser, that should help. Tbh, I'm totally unsure as to why they told you to change, however, to qualify for the £250 you have to have been on IS or JSA for 26 weeks and for the In work credit, IS or JSA for 52 weeks. Think the HB run on is IS or JSA for 26 weeks also. Sounds like you were badly advised - maybe this could help with your appeal? I see no reason why you should have been changed over unless there's something else I'm missing?

bogoff38

hi everyone thanks for the replies. I made a mistake and got my dates mixed up and they told me a couple of days later that i should of signed on. i told the lady and said they would have to review my reason for not attending. i have heard nothing since (2 months ago)til today when she told me that had stopped me one weeks money, sure this is not right as they didn't even inform me they were going to take a way a weeks money! (didn't notice as i have already run up an overdraft). dont see how they can deny me all this help as they didn't stop the claim or the full TWO weeks money i would have been entitled to, i have no idea how they can claim this is a break in my job seekers. was on income support for a few years and have been on job seekers last six months. really angry as i have shifted god knows what about and worked hard to find a full time job on the promise i would be getting all this help. as well as living off nothing i would have to pay a breakfast club in advance. i am so angry my blood is boiling and they wonder why so many people don't go to work.

AS I SAID TO THE ADVISOR I AM IN CATCH 22 CANT GIVE UP AN OFFER OF JOB (NOT GIVING THEM THE SATISFACTION AFTER ALL MY JOB SEARCH ETC. AS THIS WOULD PROBABLY PENALISE ME YET OTHERWISE RUN UP LOADS OF DEBT? I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO APPEAL BUT A BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHERE TO APPEAL ABOUT THE BACK TO WORK HELP.

LL30

bogoff38 wrote: »

hi everyone thanks for the replies. I made a mistake and got my dates mixed up and they told me a couple of days later that i should of signed on. i told the lady and said they would have to review my reason for not attending. i have heard nothing since (2 months ago)til today when she told me that had stopped me one weeks money, sure this is not right as they didn't even inform me they were going to take a way a weeks money! (didn't notice as i have already run up an overdraft). dont see how they can deny me all this help as they didn't stop the claim or the full TWO weeks money i would have been entitled to, i have no idea how they can claim this is a break in my job seekers. was on income support for a few years and have been on job seekers last six months. really angry as i have shifted god knows what about and worked hard to find a full time job on the promise i would be getting all this help. as well as living off nothing i would have to pay a breakfast club in advance. i am so angry my blood is boiling and they wonder why so many people don't go to work.

AS I SAID TO THE ADVISOR I AM IN CATCH 22 CANT GIVE UP AN OFFER OF JOB (NOT GIVING THEM THE SATISFACTION AFTER ALL MY JOB SEARCH ETC. AS THIS WOULD PROBABLY PENALISE ME YET OTHERWISE RUN UP LOADS OF DEBT? I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO APPEAL BUT A BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHERE TO APPEAL ABOUT THE BACK TO WORK HELP.

I don't think it's going to be easy, but I think your starting point should be the fact that you were wrongly advised in the first place - you didn't have to go on JSA to receive the back to work additional monies. Then you need to explain about why you got your dates muddled up.

To be honest, with working tax credits etc you should have plenty of pennies to keep you going, and don't forget that Breakfast clubs etc can be claimed for childcare. If it does turn out that you've missed out on the additional money, at least you're not getting used to having it because in a year it would be gone anyway. You're doing the right thing by working and it'll give you so much more than just money. Chin up and good luck

t0rt0ise

LL30 wrote: »

I don't think it's going to be easy, but I think your starting point should be the fact that you were wrongly advised in the first place - you didn't have to go on JSA to receive the back to work additional monies.

Maybe she had to change to JSA because the children got to a certain age when IS is no longer available.

bogoff38

yes i was already on income support and they told me i had to claim job seekers allowance.

Telephoned them again today, got upset again as she told me because i had a sanction it is classed as a break in my claim. This stops me claiming the back to work help they told me i would get. I started arguing with her as i said surely the fact that they didn't even inform me they had given a sanction or that they were taking away a weeks money surely is not right and misinforming me. Dont even understand how this is classed as a break when i contiued to keep signing on and recieved the other weeks money? Advisor said i will not be penalised if i didn't take the job (strange as this is supposed to be the criteria for being able to claim js never mind refusing a job?) but if i did this i am still in the same position but, will have to claim for another six months to get the help back. i dont understand this because i will get pressure every two weeks for not being able to get a job but if i work i will be in debt if i do?

I've waited too long to go back to work and would pull my hair out if i turned it down but have no idea how i am gonna get through, two weeks before i get paid. she said i will be better off if i go to work which as i told her is rubbish. if i claimed tax credits it would be the same as i do now i would be worse off as i would be working to pay council tax, housing benefit £67 js free school meals etc.. which i get now, in other words i would be same as i am now but going to work. I was prepared that working i would be no better off financially, but was excited to get back to work and run my own life off benefits but the inwork money etc.. would have got me through the first weeks changing over. This stupid woman said you might get some help with your rent and tax depending on your income. this woman seems to think i am !!!!!! and havn't worked all this out before hand, my problem was that i belived i was gonna get help if i worked. she seems to think for two weeks some little magic fairy is gonna come along and pay kids school meals, breakfast club, food, petrol, rent, tax etc..:A until i get paid. even if i can claim tax credits they take ridiculously amount of time to put claims through and then theyre wrong half the time and they people dont want to be paid when it suits tax credits. cant believe i messed up one date and its led to all this.
:mad::mad::mad::mad:

bogoff38

wow that looks long lol. think i am a bit het up!

LL30

Bless you! The change from CTC to WTC and CTC is pretty quick, it usually kicks in immediately. The council will take into account any childcare costs you have for HB and CTB purposes. Can you confirm - you were told to move onto JSA so you would be eligible for the other in work benefits and not for any other reason (that is how your first post read). I'm also confused about how you will cope after the 52 weeks when the in work credit stops if you're that reliant on it? Have you submitted an appeal?