Makes me so Mad!!!

[EllieBelle]

Because we recently moved back to the UK having living in France for a year I decided to see if we could claim Job Seekers Allowance as my DH was looking for a new job, and I am pretty unemployable due to my large bump.

After numerous interviews at the local job centre we were told based on our past NI contributions we were entitled, and DH was paid until he found a job, and I was told I could claim until I hit 29 weeks after which time I would need to claim Income Support.

DH was recently offered a fantastic position back with a company he used to contract for, but they have actually employed him this time, so the benefits etc are much better, but I am obviously not employable so when I got to 29 weeks called the job centre helpline to make a new claim for Income support as advised by my job centre.

I was then told I couldnt claim Income Support as my husband is working......so totally wrong information given to me from my local job centre, I called my local job centre who apologied for giving me wrong information and told me I could claim maternity allowance and to call the job centre help line again to set up a new claim.

Well I cant claim this either........and why? Because I havent worked in the UK for the last 6 months (because we were living in France), so despite the fact I have worked in the UK for the last 18 years and decided to take a year off I am now not eligible for anything as I dont tick the right boxes.

Im so mad, and to be honest although I dont need any money from the government, just thought I might be entitled to it having worked all my life and contributed NI and huge amounts of tax over the last 18 years of my life. The ironic thing is if I had just come into the UK and only worked for 6 months I could claim maternity allowance!!!

Would you be annoyed???

Moan over - sorry girls the Uk benefits system sometimes seems so wrong!!!!

 

[mum's the word]

I know exactly what you're going through, I had a different but equally frustrating experience 9 years ago when I had Liam. I have ALWAYS worked, never claimed benefits but when I was pregnant with Liam and had to finish at 8 months p/g due to health probs I didn't get a penny til he was 3 months old as there was a major dispute over who should pay me. My employers refused as I was on a temp contract and they didn't want me back and social wouldn't pay as they insisted my employers had to. I hated sitting in the ss office with all the junkies and alcoholics demanding crisis loans (and getting them). I felt like a scrounger who didn't deserve anything. I'm not working now for 1st time in my life and REFUSE to feel ashamed as it's a choice I made, last time I had no choice.
Have some of these

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

I think you have every right to be angry i dont blame you i think the benifit system and who gets and who dosnt is crazy the wrong way round and disgusting .

 

[reallyoldmum]

Ellie I can relate - I have paid NI for over 20 years but had to give up working due to ill health just before I found out I was pregnant..... can I now claim MA - NO!! not a penny.... and as Dave is working we cannot claim any other support either...

it sucks honey.