Tricky situation

RainbowDreamer

This may be long, so I apologise.

Due to a horrible custody battle my ex (my childrens father) was given temporary residency due to major false accussations that he made.
This was made clear that is was temporary and that it would change at the next court hearing when cafcass have done checks and reports have been done.

I currently have the children for 3 days and 3 nights. The ex has them for 4 nights and 4 days. Because contact changed to him having the children more I signed over the full child benefit and tax credits to his name.

Due to no longer claiming these my income support stopped and I made a claim for JSA. I took my contact order along with me, and was told that because I have the children 3 days a week my agreement for JSA was made to look for work around looking after the children.
This was to look for 12 hour shifts on the days that I do not have the children.

I agreed to this and signed the agreement, but soon realised there are hardly any jobs that fit around this. Therefore I have applied for every job I am able to apply to dependant on experience and qualifications asked for. I have looked for full-time work, doing any days and times.

I signed on Monday and was told my current agreement was invalid and the advisors I had seen for the last 3 sign ons and had made a mistake.

They said they would send it to someone to consider, but that from now on I would need to look for work anytime, any day. I explained I had been doing this already and signed my agreement. I was told this would not effect my future payments as I have agreed to the new agreement.

Anyway, fast forward a few days and I am then told that my JSA has been suspended due to a "dispute about my availability". I have today recieved a letter to say they have suspended my JSA due to me claiming tax credits to care for the children.

I am a little confused as to what I should do until the next court hearing.
I am looking for work and applying daily. Out of around 60 applications I have only had one interview.
I am not being picky over jobs I am applying for. I have even been applying for ones I do not have experience for, for just incase they give me a chance.

My only income now is housing benefit which is £57 a week. Which they are taking £10 a week off because they say that during the change of circumstances period they have overpaid me.
Anything they have paid me has gone straight to my landlord.

My rent is £500 a month. I am struggling to pay my food, gas and electric which I see as priority to care for my children for the 3 days a week. I am in rent arrears due to not having the funds to pay full rent.

I am very worried that if I am evicted from my house, cannot feed them etc. Then I will lose contact with my children.

I have signed up for recruitement agencys, handed CV's to shops and pubs and restaurants. My past jobs were all in retail and it seems not many jobs are vacant at the moment.

I am sure I will get slated for this post. But I would be very grateful if anyone had some advice as to what I can do short term until I find a full-time job. Or maybe any advice on what I am doing wrong to help me gain at least some interviews?

I have also been going to job centre drop ins for job hunting advice and CV help.

Thanks and sorry its so long.

sniggings

Ring for a crisis loan, you should be able to get one while your benefits are taken care off, if you are on a gas metre etc best not ask for emergency credit as then you can only make 3 claims a year, you still can ask for gas money just not extra if emergency has been used.

It should be about what you receive on JSA, if you need the number just post back and I'll dig it out.

sniggings

If the Kids are of school age I still think you need to look for a job when they are at school, not sure if after school you have too as well?

But it's their mistake, which hopefully should be taken care of soon.

RainbowDreamer

sniggings I applied for a crisis loan yesterday. I did make the mistake of mentioning gas and electric. They gave me £32 for a week for food, gas and electric. They did mention that I can only make 3 claims in a year.

RainbowDreamer

Also every time I sign on I have given them my job search logs which clearly show I have applied for full-time jobs. ANY full-time jobs. I have not been looking for work just around when I do not have the children.

Obviously if I am successful to find a job then I will struggle for childcare as I cannot claim help with that. But I have been applying I just havent been very successful so far.

My eldest will start school in September, but my youngest will not be in childcare.

nannytone_2

the problem you have is that you are caught between 2 systems.

for JSA, it is all very black and white. as you arent the promary caregiver ( regardless of this being temporary) you have no right to restrict times and days. and as you are now single, you arent entitled to extra housinbg benefit.
if you dont do as the court says, then you jeopardise your chances of getting custody of your kids ,,,, if you do as they say them you risk your benefits.

youre caught between a rock and a hard place.

all my sympathies ....

sniggings

RainbowDreamer wrote: »

sniggings I applied for a crisis loan yesterday. I did make the mistake of mentioning gas and electric. They gave me £32 for a week for food, gas and electric. They did mention that I can only make 3 claims in a year.

the 3 claims a year is only if you ask for emergency credit for a metre, you still can have money to put in it but just not to make up for any emergency used.

If making a claim because you benefits has been stopped then the 3 times rules doesn't apply, even if they say no it is still worth ringing them as they will have ways around it if you have no money from anywhere else.

sniggings

I think it would be worth emailing or better visting your MP about this as it seems there is not easy asnwer to the situation you are in.

Even if you manage to get your JSA started again soon then you still have the problem of no money for the children the 3 days you have them.

Please visit your MP's surgery and they should sort this out for you.

elaine12022

Could you get hardship payments

Hardship payments and Jobseeker's Allowance

A hardship payment is a reduced amount of Jobseeker's Allowance which you may be able to get if you have been refused Jobseeker's Allowance, or your benefit has been stopped, because of doubts about whether you are available for and actively seeking work. You can also get them if you are waiting for the Jobcentre Plus office to decide whether you meet the jobs seeking conditions or if you have been sanctioned (see under Jobseeker's Allowance and sanctions).

If you want more information about hardship payments, and how to apply for them, you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_benefits_in_work_or_looking_for_work_ew/benefits_for_people_looking_for_work.htm#hardship_payments_and_jobseekers_allowance

RainbowDreamer

Thanks for all your advice.

It does make things harsh that I am in this position. It should change in September, but then I also worry that after applying for CB and TC this will take a number of weeks to be assessed and awarded. Especially because my ex will dispute it so I will have to post copies of contact orders etc.
I then cannot claim income support until these have started payments. But in the meantime if I then have my children Monday to Friday this makes it even harder to look for work, as if I were to them accept a full-time job I would then get no working tax credits to help with childcare due to not yet claiming child benefit.

I am managing ok at the moment with my £32 from the crisis loan. But this is due to me now paying no rent to my landlord. But in the next month or so if I pay him nothing he will start eviction proceedings.

Due to not claiming CB this means I will then be put in a hostel that is not for families and I can then bid on 1 bedroom flats due to being seen as a single person. This then means that most things in my house will be lost including the kids beds and belongings as if I end up in a hostel I am assuming I can only take a few clothing items and thats about it.

I know its my own fault for not having a full time job in the first place, but my youngest is still quite young and I was trying hard to gain qualifications and voluntary experience in the meantime.

Thank you for not posting any harsh or nasty replies. You have def helped me. I will look at the links provided before going to bed.

Its my eldests birthday tomorrow and I am lucky to have some good friends. They have donated a cake, party bags and party food so that I can do something nice for his birthday. Which has eased the stress emensley as I now do not feel like such a pathetic waste of a mother.

princessdon

I'm normally harsh against benefit claimants that don't help themselves but I genuinely hope it works out.

Devil and a hard plate come to mind

Happy BD for little one tomorrow