Income Support Advice/Help

BulletCraig

Looking for a bit of help/advice here if possible. A friend of mine had a baby earlier in the year and in September/October (when her maternity pay concluded) she decided not to go back to work in order to look after her daughter full time. The maternity pay was her only form of income so she applied for income support. They messed her around saying her P45 wasn't enough to claim income support and they needed a letter from her employer confirming when her maternity pay stopped. She eventually got this (after a week because the payroll person at her work was on holiday) and took it in only to be told she didn't bring it in fast enough and that she'd have to start the process again. Now bearing in mind she has no income whatsoever and is only surviving at the moment through the help of friends/family she is desperate to get this sorted ASAP so she began the whole process again yesterday and was told it would take another 10 days to get an answer AND the money would not be backdated. Surely this can't be right?? She has proven to them that she's had no income for over a month now and they're basically telling her "too bad". Does anyone know where she stands here? Surely they have to backdate it to when her maternity pay stopped??

karenx

Is she a single parent?
Is she not getting child benefit and child tax credits seeing as you said maternity pay was her only income?

BulletCraig

Hi,

Yes she is a single parent. She receives child support but no tax credits. I didn't include the child support as income as that goes 100% to her baby and I'm thinking more about her being able to feed herself, heat her flat etc.

baza52

is the childs father not able to help?

DannyboyMidlands

To be fair she probably should have sorted things out well before the maternity pay was due to end. I mean it's not as if it came as a surprise and she's had plenty of time on her hands what with not working and all. I agree that "they" have some arcane procedures but people do need to help themselves as well.

dseventy

BulletCraig wrote: »

Hi,

Yes she is a single parent. She receives child support but no tax credits. I didn't include the child support as income as that goes 100% to her baby and I'm thinking more about her being able to feed herself, heat her flat etc.

Heating the flat for baby means the flat is warm for mum too, I don't get it?

What is her income and benefits entitlement?

D70

merlin68

She should be claiming child tax credits and child benefit, income support, housing and council tax benifit.