Changing from jsa to income support when pregnant.

blackwidowz · 29 January 2009 at 7:58PM

My daughter is expecting her baby on 15th april, she was claiming jobseekers allowance.
She called the helpline and asked when she is supposed to change to income support, they told her she could now.
So appointments were made and her jsa was stopped and she was receiving income support, then yesterday at her new claim interview they found out she was supposed to claim jsa untill the 27th jan. so there is now a week with no payment.
The advisor then stopped her IS claim to re-open her JSA ( you keeping up)
so that the money can be released.
Then.... my daughter had to fill another IS claim form in with an additional form to explain the gap ( god my head hurts)

Then today she received a letter saying that she is not entitled to the maternity grant as she is not in receipt of the benefits.

She has to fill loads of forms in and appeal against it now, just what she doesn't need.

Also she has to wait even more weeks for any money while her new claim is accessed.

She has been waiting for her grant as she doesn't have anything for the baby yet.

Yes we can help abit but what a hassle.

zappster1966 · 29 January 2009 at 8:30PM

God, what a guddle.

You can switch from JSA to IS within 11 weeks of confinement. If her due date is 15/04/09 I reckon she could apply for IS from 29/01/09 onwards, give or take. If she's been advised to come off JSA before today she's been misinformed by the Jobcentre staff. So you can complain about that, although you'll get a bog standard reply unfortunately. You'll need to ensure they pay her IS from the day after her JSA stops. You might be best advised to speak to the JSA & IS teams at your local benefit delivery centre, hopefully they'll be able to sort out the technicalities faster than going through the Job Centre.

Once that gets sorted out you can then phone the Social Fund office to see if they'd be happy to simply re-consider their original decision on the Maternity Grant.

What a hassle !! It's supposed to be a straightforward change too.

rammy007 · 30 January 2009 at 12:09AM

What about applying for the £190 health in pregnancy grant.

blackwidowz · 30 January 2009 at 9:44AM

Midwife filled the form out for that yesterday, that does not affect how much money you have coming in etc.

astonsmummy · 30 January 2009 at 10:26AM

Once her IS is set up and in payment she will be able to re claim the SSMG, there is not really any point in appealing until IS is in payment.
The £190 health in pregnancy grant will not be paid until after 6th April anyway.
In the mean time she can apply for Crisis loans, sometimes this can speed up the process of getting her claim sorted, but not garunteed.
Oh and COngrats, she is due 5 days before me!

Auzelia · 30 January 2009 at 10:36AM

was going to suggest the same about the SSMG , apply again for it once the claim for JSA/IS has been sorted out again.

Good Luck to your daughter.

Changing from jsa to income support when pregnant.

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