IN a right mess, help needed ASAP.

danfx

Okay in alot of trouble and it gets worse as you will read...

i am living with my sister & my girlfriend, me and my girlfriend was living here until we got a place of our own, but that all went pear shaped when i got the sack from my job... which was unfair dismissal by the way i was bullied there very badly but i dont know who to report to.

anyways i got the sack and found out my girlfriend was pregnant about 5 weeks later, i was ringing everywhere i knew for a job just no luck at all...

now were both on jobseekers allowence, and were looking to move out of this house asap because there is not enough room here for us and a baby. so we went with this housing agency called Jubb & Co Ltd, who help you get a house on DSS.
problem is we went to veiw a house and we got accepted, but no one will help us even though were on job seekers allowence, we cant get a crisis loan as we've not been on JSA for longer than 6 month's.

Any advice please? what we could do?

Got2change

Sorry to hear your bad news but congratulations re. the baby.

If you are renting (planning to), have you applied for Housing Benefit - now called Local Housing Allowance I think? You would normally apply when you make your JSA claim but as this change in circumstances is after your initial claim, then you need to speak to the Jobcentre for information about how to make the claim.

If you have full details of the bullying, you should decide whether or not you want to submit a grievance/make an appeal to your ex-employers (will depend on how long you worked for them, if less than 1 year, you will not really have much of a case unless the bullying/dismissal was related to disability or race). It is up to you to decide if you want to put yourself through it - it's not always best and will guarantee to make you feel worse before you feel better. Nevertheless, you can get some good avice from ACAS or the Citizens Advice Bureau.

Wishing you the best of luck with everything.

danfx

Wow thank you for the quick response very nice of you...

Thanks on the baby front, she is now 10 week's.

But we need a house asap, i mean i wish i had a god damn job but thats life and what can i do i have applyed everywhere. What would you do?

Jobcentre said to us today, they wudnt be able to give us anything because we well she hasnt been on JSA for more than 6 month, i dont see why but they wont give her a crisis loan.

Where the hell can she live because my sister's house is getting to full.

No the bullying was like this, okay it was a busy place to work at but the supervisors were horrific, one day they came down to me with a contract, and he atchually told me if i didnt sign it then he would punch me he used to have a joke but he wasnt this time, you could tell i said to him i wanna read what im going to sign first, i told him i didnt agree with something on there then he turned around and punched me on the arm he used to do this alot to me and my mate, but this time was no joke... so the contract said 'Stay Till All The Work Is Done' i signed it because of the threats then one day he told us all were staying till 7:30pm one night because it was busy i didnt want to stay over because id been there since 6:30am that morning i was tierd but he wouldnt let me go home i was very mad but was in a situation where if i walked out id have nothing no job or anything.

then a few months later things got worse there at it was always banter everyone, the bosses were evil eyeing me the supervisors always making me do stuff i didnt want to do, hitting me dead arming me. i wanted to smack them back but they were way to big... they made threats to me saying there gunna knock my head off and break my neck stuff like that.
then one day the main boss walked down into the warehouse, all on his own and came upto me for no reason and said 'im making you redundant' i was like 'ok, why?' he said because the work is dying down 'but ill consider you when its busy again' i said 'thats a stupid reason isnt it?' he said 'ill pay you in full and then for a week & your holidays' it was shocking but i did nothing wrong and surely he can't walk upto me on his own and just do that surely there has to be someone with him to sack me?

mouseymousey99

Re furniture and things you will need for the house (& baby) have you tried Freecycle.com, if you have one in your area they are great for getting you started. Also may be worth ringing your local council to see if you have any schemes in your area that can help you get some basics, they may be able to point you towards organisations that can help you.

Got2change

danfx - the job sounds horrid to me (warehousing jobs can typically be a bit brutal in my opinion) and if you had been there less than a year, you have very little redress no matter what they did. You sound young to me so what you should do is learn from it and try to spot warning signs in the next job you get. Find out your rights NOW (again ACAS/CAB can give you far better advice than I) but put the nastiness that you experience there well and truly behind you. Then you need to put all your efforts into making yourself as employable as you can; brushing up skills, training/studying for some new ones, prettying up your CV. Devise a strategy as best you can - I know it can be difficult when you have had a c****y experience but don't let it drag you down. You're got a new family to love and look after and that's what your focus needs to be now.

You need to speak to your Council re the Housing Benefit situation if the JC is no help. It is hard to know which order to do things in - i.e. get house first? or get HB in place? Sounds as though you have the chance of a house so you need to look at the HB - again CAB should be able to help, personally I would prefer to speak to the Benefits section of the Council as that's only what CAB would suggest or maybe do on your behalf......

If you are going to live as a family, you should be eligible for different benefits and your girlfriend now she is a Mum should be claiming Income Support not JSA - this in itself will be a passport to other benefits I believe.
I also think Shelter is a good source of advice and information re. the housing.

Wish I could be more help.

danfx

i was there from september 07 until april 08

any suggestions what i should ask the council or job centre if i ring them?

Fran

I would definitely contact Shelter to see if there is any financial help in your area as some places do have help with advance rent.

Got2change

danfx wrote: »

i was there from september 07 until april 08

any suggestions what i should ask the council or job centre if i ring them?

* You don't have much comeback I'm afraid as less than 1 year - they can do pretty much anything. Put it down to experience and take the steps you need to create a better future for yourself.

* I think you basically need to outline your predicament;
- Current housing situation now inadequate due to new arrival - and isn't your own property.
- You have the chance/offer of a rental property but need to claim Housing and Council Tax Benefit due to low income/on benefits.
- Your girlfriend should ask if she should change her claim to Income Support due to new arrival.

I am certainly no expert so please take official advice rather than trust mine but I do think that you can ask these questions based on the fact that you are now a family and planning to move to your own house due to "overcrowding".

danfx

Thanks for the help everyone u've given great advice.

She has filled a form in to go on the list for a council house, this is all we can do at the minute, we sent that off 2 month's ago, but havent heard anything since.

Any more advice would be great. Thank you

sjaypink

your gf cant go onto income support until she is about 28 weeks i believe. i am almost positive you could get a crisis loan, but dont think its meant to be for deposit/ rent in advance. i think they are supposed to be available to everyone, no matter if benefits/ working. but, they are only supposed to be claimed 'in an emergency', usually only to meet short term food/ electric costs etc. so if you've been told you're not eligible then thats probably why.........

i think most local councils (the same department that pays housing benefit) offer rent deposit and rent in advance schemes. go and speak to them asap and see what they might offer. if you want some info tonight check out your councils website, it may say on there.

congratulations and good luck x