Single parents, income support changes

Maisiepaisie

I can't believe what I've just been told by the jobcentre so I'm hoping someone can tell me there's a way round this or they've just ruined my life.

I'm a single mum of 2 teenage boys and have been on income support for a couple of years now as I've been unable to cope with work due to stress, depression and anxiety issues. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from the jobcentre saying that the law has changed and from November this year, single parents whose youngest child is aged 12 or over will no longer be allowed to claim income support and must instead claim jobseekers allowance and will be expected to find work within a few weeks.

I'm very angry that this has been suddenly announced with only a few months notice (when they make new laws that benefit the people we usually have to wait a lot longer for them to be enforced) as I really don't feel ready to face people in a working environment due to bad experiences in the past. I'm currently in councelling and was hoping that my councelor could declare me unfit for work but she seems to think I should face upto it.

The main thing that has upset me is that I'd planned to go into full time education but the woman at the jobcentre has said that I won't be eligible for jobseekers allowance if I do. I cannot believe that there is no benefit for people wishing to go into further education. It will be too much for me to study full time and work a minimum 16 hours so I will have to do a one day a week class instead which won't teach me as much as the full time course. I'm so gutted. Does anyone know of any benefit I could get or is the woman in the jobcentre correct?

emsywoo123

Lordy lord..................:eek: :eek: :eek:
There was a thread about this (now locked) a couple of weeks ago, on the DT board.
Pipkin is fully up to date with what is what, but I believe your job centre lady was correct.

Loopy_Girl

Well if there was that kind of benefit then every man and his dog would go into full time education wouldn't they?!!!:eek:

If you are going to FTE then I'm certain there will be grants etc available for you. When I looked into it a few years ago I was also told that there is extra for lone parents available.

Plenty people study full time and have a p/t or even vice versa. If you are passionate about your chosen field then I'm pretty certain that you will find the strength from somewhere.

Your kids are not tiny tots so can be left alone for a few hourrs I'm sure whilst you worked for a couple of hours in the evening for example. Full time study courses are not 9-5 so am sure you could get a small p/t job in the evening/weekend to get you to your 16 hours so that you can claim WTC.

Of course if your mental health is as bad as you say then you could apply for Incapacity Benefit when the time comes but of course you will need sick notes from your GP. Your counsellor would not be telling you to go back to work if she didn't think it would benefit your health I'm sure. November is a long way away so you have time to recover further.

And the changes to the benefit system were well documented I'm afraid.

Good luck

mouseymousey99

What about the Open University - could you do that Maise? The courses are designed to be taken while working? I know lots of disabled/incapac people do them too?

lil_me

In the not so distant future you'll be required to return to JSA and look for employment and look for work when they are 7 years old.

There are many who do study part time and work full time who have children, time management is the key. There are options of studying from home also as suggested. You would not be required to take a full time job, but taking on one 16 hours or over will mean you can claim WTC until the boys are finished school.

j-baby-scotland

Apologies for being so unhelpful earlier.
Are you too late to sign up for courses this autumn? Beat the deadline?

'Fulltime' student is not many hours, are you sure fulltime student singleparents are so penalised?

Try 'phoning your local further education college or university for some details.

I can't see that singleparents can be so barred from 'further' educating themselves.

Speaking from experience... be prepared for the mega debt!

Good Luck.

Oldernotwiser

To be honest, 6 months' notice is quite reasonable in your circumstances and as somone has said, if you're already on a course when this is introduced you may well find that you're able to continue with it.

I do find your comment about hoping your therapist would say you are unfit, rather worrying. Surely it's a good thing that the person helping you thinks that you'll cope? Don't wish yourself worst than you are; being in the workplace is often very helpful for those with depression as your therapist knows.

Becles

Maisiepaisie wrote: »

It will be too much for me to study full time and work a minimum 16 hours so I will have to do a one day a week class instead which won't teach me as much as the full time course. I'm so gutted.

Have a look at the OU courses. I'm doing a degree with them at the moment.

Once you get into a routine, it's easier to manage. I'm currently studying 90 points, working approx 25 hours a week, and mother to three children who are younger than yours so more dependant on me (especially the baby!).

mitchaa

Maisiepaisie wrote: »

I can't believe what I've just been told by the jobcentre so I'm hoping someone can tell me there's a way round this or they've just ruined my life.

I'm a single mum of 2 teenage boys and have been on income support for a couple of years now as I've been unable to cope with work due to stress, depression and anxiety issues. A few weeks ago I got a phone call from the jobcentre saying that the law has changed and from November this year, single parents whose youngest child is aged 12 or over will no longer be allowed to claim income support and must instead claim jobseekers allowance and will be expected to find work within a few weeks.

I'm very angry that this has been suddenly announced with only a few months notice (when they make new laws that benefit the people we usually have to wait a lot longer for them to be enforced) as I really don't feel ready to face people in a working environment due to bad experiences in the past. I'm currently in councelling and was hoping that my councelor could declare me unfit for work but she seems to think I should face upto it.

The main thing that has upset me is that I'd planned to go into full time education but the woman at the jobcentre has said that I won't be eligible for jobseekers allowance if I do. I cannot believe that there is no benefit for people wishing to go into further education. It will be too much for me to study full time and work a minimum 16 hours so I will have to do a one day a week class instead which won't teach me as much as the full time course. I'm so gutted. Does anyone know of any benefit I could get or is the woman in the jobcentre correct?

Sorry but i do not sympathise.

This is a very good move and in the future it will get even better as the age will be getting reduced further.

There is absoloutly no need for you to be on IS with children at that age and you have had ample enough warning in order to find a job.

The only solution to your 'problem' is to pop out another. ie a further 12 yrs worth of IS:rolleyes:

Maisiepaisie

To Mitchaa and anyone else who thinks I should get off my !!!! and get a job, I only wish it was that simple. I wish I didn't feel like a useless piece of crap because I've been sacked from about 7 jobs in the past. I wish I could function normally instead of frequently having to lie down and rest due to feeling sick, or overcome by fatigue. I'm human and as such can only deal with a certain amount of crap before I crack. In the last couple of years I've had to deal with the deaths of both my grandparents and 10 of my animals including my rabbit who I found minus his head, I've been attacked and punched to ground and on another occasion been bombarded with stones whilst driving my car. I will soon have to appear in court when the perpetrators are tried. I'm struggling with debt and cannot answer my phone due to creditors hasseling me every day at all hours. I've had my 'out of control' teenage son come back to live with me after his fathers girlfriend kicked him out so now I have the consequences of his anti social behaviour to deal with as well as trying to console my younger son who every day has to suffer threats and bullying from his brother. Also I have to drive my elder son around everywhere as he cannot walk about where we live because there are about 20 people who would beat him up given the opportunity.

So I'm sorry if there are some of you who feel that I'm a burden to the tax payer because I don't feel up to working right now. Rest assured that the only reason I've not done myself in is because my kids need me. And you should also know that I never planned to be a single parent. I was working before my childrens father went off with another woman. Its ok for those men who can just walk away from their responsibilies and not worry about the effect it has on their kids.

Thank you to those of you who gave good advice. I'll probably just go to college one day a week and get a part time job if I don't end up in the looney bin first.

mitchaa

Maisiepaisie wrote: »

To Mitchaa and anyone else who thinks I should get off my !!!! and get a job, I only wish it was that simple. I wish I didn't feel like a useless piece of crap because I've been sacked from about 7 jobs in the past. I wish I could function normally instead of frequently having to lie down and rest due to feeling sick, or overcome by fatigue. I'm human and as such can only deal with a certain amount of crap before I crack. In the last couple of years I've had to deal with the deaths of both my grandparents and 10 of my animals including my rabbit who I found minus his head, I've been attacked and punched to ground and on another occasion been bombarded with stones whilst driving my car. I will soon have to appear in court when the perpetrators are tried. I'm struggling with debt and cannot answer my phone due to creditors hasseling me every day at all hours. I've had my 'out of control' teenage son come back to live with me after his fathers girlfriend kicked him out so now I have the consequences of his anti social behaviour to deal with as well as trying to console my younger son who every day has to suffer threats and bullying from his brother. Also I have to drive my elder son around everywhere as he cannot walk about where we live because there are about 20 people who would beat him up given the opportunity.

So I'm sorry if there are some of you who feel that I'm a burden to the tax payer because I don't feel up to working right now. Rest assured that the only reason I've not done myself in is because my kids need me. And you should also know that I never planned to be a single parent. I was working before my childrens father went off with another woman. Its ok for those men who can just walk away from their responsibilies and not worry about the effect it has on their kids.

Thank you to those of you who gave good advice. I'll probably just go to college one day a week and get a part time job if I don't end up in the looney bin first.

I sympathise, life is hard sometimes yes.

Your councillor has deemed you fit for work, he/she obviously more qualified than any of us on here.

Sacked from 7 different jobs I take from that, that you are not a good employee?

Have you tried medical depression if you feel like topping yourself? That way you could remain unemployed but receive IB or even DLA to help you survive financially?

Sorry but from your 1st post you didn't paint yourself with a good brush. It just shouted work shy to me rather than clinically depressed. From your above post it seems like you're not workshy but have deeper problems.