dismissed from job -

paddyw_2

hello I am asking this on behalf of a friend. She has worked for a national company for four years. Last week she committed a misdeameanor at work - nothing dishonest (she had in her hand an e cig and out of habit, absent mindedly used it for about three 'puffs' then realised!). The colleague she was working with said nothing at the time but as soon as she had left, the colleague got a friend to phone up and complain. Today she has been sacked for gross misconduct.
Normally she would just set straight about looking for another job but she has just found out she is pregnant. Without going into detail, she will be a single parent. I think it will now be difficult for her to get a job, I cant see any employer wanting to take a new employee who is pregnant. My question is will she be able to claim JSA? She has a school age child so was working and getting wtc which will now stop but she is certain that she will have to wait six weeks before geting any money if she signs on for jsa. She is worried, she has no savings. She has prepayment meters for gas and electric but wont have any money. Is there anything she could claim?

nannytone_2

JSA isn't payable for the first 7 days if any claim, so she needs to claim ASAP ( she should have wages owing to cover this period)
the issue is that they may sanction her for being sacked, it will depend if a decision maker feels she was responsible for being dismissed.

she may be able to claim extra housing benefit/council tax support, and may get a 4 week run on of wtc. her ct. may also rise a little.

she will be expected to actively seek employment until she is 29 weeks pregnant

paddyw_2

thanks - sorry when you said her ct may rise, is that council tax?

nannytone_2

sorry ... i missed a 'c'
child tax credit.
it depends how much she earns as she may already be receiving the maximum amount if she works part time

paddyw_2

ok thanks - when you say she may get a four week run on of wtc how would she do that as I am assuming she needs to tell them on monday that she is no longer employed

nannytone_2

i think you need to have been claiming them for a minimum of 26 weeks to get the 4 week run on.

im not positive about that though ... i don't know too much about tax credits

paddyw_2

many thanks for your help

Poppie68

haras_nosirrah wrote: »

How to put this delicately

If she has only just found out she is pregnant she must be quite early days. If she is going to be a single mum and this new pregnancy was not planned and will result in financial hardship for her and the child she already has owing to her being unable to get a job - maybe she should consider that now is not the right time to have another child as it would adversely affect the child she has

This is assuming she hasn't found out she is pregnant late in proceedings

WOW......Let's hope the pregnant friend doesn't read this thread, imo your bang out of order...

When_the_going_gets_tough

It might be worth her pursuing an appeal and hoping for a final written warning

merlin68

They wouldnt give us any jsa, until the wtc run on stopped.
You can be sanctioned for getting the sack.
There is a 2 week waiting period for jsa now, 5 if in a uc area.

merlin68

Thats what they told me, in April but i only waited a week as already done it with income support.
I know they wouldn't give us any money till the wtc stopped.
I would imagine if shes been sacked shell face a sanction anyway.