surestart maternity grant grrr!

[LilyMac]

Ok so I applied for the grant got it all signed and everything. Just had a letter saying we don't qualify as we aren't claiming benefits... Both me and my partner are on job seekers allowance and have been told we qualify so why are they saying that now?? Its all so confusing and I don't know what to do now

 

[evie_smith]

Do you receive child benefit? If not you need to wait till baby is here and claim that first then re apply as you need to on that and another benefit to qualify x


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[soozy]

you are definatly entitled to it. We were on jobseekers when i applied for it. Is it income based jobseekers you get? You should phone them right away cos you dont need to have the baby first, as long as you are due within the next 11 weeks which you are and get income based job seekers, you are defo entitled. Get on the phone to them! did they give a reason you dont qualify? Im totally sure they have made a mistake!

 

[LilyMac]

Thanks girls, my advisor at the job centre said we qualify and didn't mention anything about needing to receive child benefit first
Yeah were both on income based, though I don't have to sign now as I have less than 11 weeks left and I'm sure they said that puts me on income support.
The letter just said we are not currently receiving any benefits and therefore do not qualify, even though I put on the form we are both claiming and surely when they type in our national insurance numbers it would come up anyway!!
I just don't understand how people can be so stupid!
I'm gonna ring them tomorrow when I can get to my moms, bloody drama!xx

 

[Elfs Mummy]

Im on income based job seekers and have been told that i'll qualify and yeah you should now be on income support i would call the job centre and find out because im sure you can claim it xx

 

[ashtonsmum]

u are definitly entitled to it ring them up they should have it on system xxx

 

[soozy]

i absolutly HATE dealing with the job centre!!!
They act as if its coming out their own pocket and i feel they look down at you cos your unemployed. There has been many times we have gone to the bank for our benefit and its not there and its so much hassle trying to get it out of them, you need to wait days!
Grrrrrr gets me so angry, some people would just accept their not entitled to it and leave so im glad you are giving them a phone, get every penny you are due from them!

 

[LilyMac]

I know they get me mad too, people are quite happy to take a massive chunk of my wages when I'm working but the help that's out there when you lose your job is just pathetic! When we moved in together and made a joint claim they stopped our money for ten weeks while they processed it all! So we got in quite a bit of debt during that time getting everything we need for baby and just having money to survive, so we was really relying on that grant to get us out of debt and get the final things we need, so I will definitely make sure I do my best to get it seeing as its their fault we need it in the first place!!x

 

[JJ Mum]

Give them a call and rant hun!

Just out of interest, do you get this if your on child tax credit and also working families tax credit too?

thanks

 

[charliebear]

Hope you manage to sort it all out hun.

 

[LilyMac]

Jj in the book it says... You are eligible if you claim working tax credit where a disability element is included in the award or child tax credit payable at a rate higher than the family element.
I'm not entirely sure what that means but it might make sense to you or someone else, that's all I can see relating to either of those things x

 

[ShadowWolf]

Ooo Lily, I'm having to plow my way through the jobcentre too at the moment so I understand your frustration. I know what you mean by feeling like they are looking down on you, I'm still technically employed (been off sick since 18 weeks) and they make me feel like a worthless pile of crap as it is!

Hugs sweetie and I hope you get yourselves sorted soon, not knowing whether you are going to have enough money to feed your family each week is stress that we don't need.

xxxxx

 

[LilyMac]

Well... Quick update on this! Rang them the next day and the woman on the phone was really helpful, she even said she can see on the system that we qualify so she put in an appeal and said it would take a couple weeks... That was over a month ago!! Am gonna ring them again tomorrow and give them hell lol x

 

[flexilexi394]

I don't currently qualify for it, but once baby is here and I'm claiming tax credits and child benefit, I've heard I may be able to apply after baby is born? That would be nice x

 

[lealea85]

You should do, I got mine. I'm on support n work allowance (soon to be income support)
I got mine last week

 

[midnight]

omg they are proper dragging their feet aint they id phone them every day until you get it hun x

 

[LilyMac]

Well I received a phone call from them this morning (how strange after updating this last night!) and they've decided I qualify so I should receive it this week sometime

 

[midnight]

about time too they could feel the rage haha

 

[soozy]

thats great hun x glad its all sorted out for you x

 

[Poxie_pixie]

I'm on income support and was told I didn't qualify I rang them up and they said I did qualify and apologiased my grant came through on monday. xXx