Question about carers allowance..

kingfisherblue

millie.molly.mandy wrote: »

If you are a parent, make sure you take your children with you to any interviews, tell them you can't afford childcare and have no other help. That should put a stop to their requests.

Why would I do that? There is no requirement for me to seek work, and I am not being forced to look for work. Instead, the advisor asks from a list of questions about my caring role and my voluntary work, updates the details as 'Not in a position to seek work due to caring responsibilities', and smiles at me before she says goodbye. My latest advisor has a disabled child herself, but has reliable childcare, so we had a chat about how it is diffierent depending on where you live - she works in my town but lives in a different one. Also, her child does not have the same level of care needs as my son.

It seems a waste of time going, but half an hour (including waiting time - I always get there early) once every six months is hardly arduous. Once, when the time was inconvenient, I rang to explain why it would be difficult for me to attend, and they changed the time to one that was more suitable.

Maybe it's where I live, but our JC+ staff are actually OK. They're just ordinary people doing an office job.

kingfisherblue

Lucky94 wrote: »

I thought that it was the partner of the person named on the Income Support claim after claiming IS for at least 6 months may be called in for an interview?

I don't have a partner, but maybe that is the case for those who do have one. I don't know.

paddedjohn

millie.molly.mandy wrote: »

Not if it's during the school holidays, it seems a good idea to make life a little difficult for them, as basically they invite you for these interviews without there being any jobs for you to have in most cases. They only do it because they are worried you are working under the radar, which of course you are if you're a mum.

So you are using your kids as an excuse to stop you getting a job, no wonder single mums get a bad name with women like you just abusing the system

sparkycat2

paddedjohn wrote: »

So you are using your kids as an excuse to stop you getting a job, no wonder single mums get a bad name with women like you just abusing the system

Unless it is a lie, how is it abusing the system? The excuse would appear to be valid, unless you think children should be left alone to fend for themselves, because the parent going to work is more important than the children?

millie.molly.mandy wrote: »

tell them you can't afford childcare and have no other help. That should put a stop to their requests.

millie.molly.mandy wrote: »

they invite you for these interviews without there being any jobs for you to have

A lone parent with youngest child under 7 years is not required to be avaliable for paid employment.
A lone parent with youngest child 7 years or older, will not be expected to take up a job if appropriate childcare is not available and their availability for work must take into account their childcare responsibilities.
Lone parents with children of 12 or under will be able to specify school-hours only jobs without it affecting their benefits.


While the OP is a carer so if claiming income support on grounds of being a carer, they would not be required to be available for paid employment at all. The work focused interview would just be friendly chat.

C-K-M-I wrote: »

How often do carers (who receive carers allowance) hear from job centre plus to go to work focused interviews? And when you first claim carers allowance, how soon do the job centre plus contact you about this?
Answers ASAP would be fab, thanks in advance.

millie.molly.mandy

paddedjohn wrote: »

So you are using your kids as an excuse to stop you getting a job, no wonder single mums get a bad name with women like you just abusing the system

Actually no, my kids are grown up, and I am retired, so please don't make assumptions. I was just suggesting that some JC's seem to be very unhelpful with young mums, they insist that they look for work when kids are 5, but there are no jobs for full time men, let alone part time women with kids.
I just said that I personally would take my children with me if I were called to an interview, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be prepared to work.
Don't worry, there's no need to apologise though! Actually, you can kiss my a**e.

princessdon

millie.molly.mandy wrote: »

Actually no, my kids are grown up, and I am retired, so please don't make assumptions. I was just suggesting that some JC's seem to be very unhelpful with young mums, they insist that they look for work when kids are 7, but there are no jobs for full time men, let alone part time women with kids.
I just said that I personally would take my children with me if I were called to an interview, that doesn't mean that I wouldn't be prepared to work.
Don't worry, there's no need to apologise though! Actually, you can kiss my a**e.

It's 5 and why can't women with kids work full time?

sparkycat2

princessdon wrote: »

It's 5 and why can't women with kids work full time?

They can if they want to. The Job Centre is not however permitted to demand they take a job that would result in them leaving their children home alone. The issue is adequate child care arrangements. Would you tell a mother to go to work and leave their 7 year old or 5 year old home alone and take away their JSA if they refused?

kingfisherblue

This thread wasn't about whether single parents can or should work, though. It was about how often the Job Centre calls carers for a WFI. As it is, if you are claiming Carer's Allowance, although you might be requested to attend a WFI, there is no obligation to seek work as you have caring responsibilities.