Job Centre Interview & baby

nearlyamum

Just wondered if anyone knows how long the Job Centre Plus allow for maternity leave?

My DH is currently claiming incapacity benefit for himself due to depression and IS for me. I had our first baby in Oct 07 who is now 8 months old and have today received a letter from JCP requesting I attend an interview next Mon regarding returning to work. If I don't attend then DH's benefits may stop.

DH is now extremely anxious as I look after him as well as our baby and I have not prepared myself to return to work just yet. He is petrified that he will have to look after our DD as he is unfit to do so at the moment.

Please help x

katiesmummy

if you are on is you have to go to a work-focused interview every 6 months or so . basically it is a chat with an advisor who will discuss your options with you. there is no legal requirement for you to go back to work right now (feel free to correct me on this)

dont worry about it too much- when i was on is i had one and the lady was lovely- she told me about loads of incentives to go back to work that i never knew existed

hope that helps

mitchaa

Incapacity benefit is getting a major overhaul in October this year i believe. They will focus on what a person can do, not what they cant.

Could it perhaps be linked to that, although saying that it would be your DH that had to go for that.

dmg24

mitchaa wrote: »

Incapacity benefit is getting a major overhaul in October this year i believe. They will focus on what a person can do, not what they cant.

Could it perhaps be linked to that, although saying that it would be your DH that had to go for that.

No, it is a WFI as described by katiesmummy.

For the husband's situation, those currently on IB will not be immediately affected by the change to ESA. It is targeted that people will be moved over by 2014 (though they will be subject to the new tests before this date).

nearlyamum

katiesmummy wrote: »

if you are on is you have to go to a work-focused interview every 6 months or so . basically it is a chat with an advisor who will discuss your options with you. there is no legal requirement for you to go back to work right now (feel free to correct me on this)

dont worry about it too much- when i was on is i had one and the lady was lovely- she told me about loads of incentives to go back to work that i never knew existed

hope that helps

Thank you so much x