What a joke.

[sarahmc89]

Just need a place to vent ladies, sorry. So I lost my job a week before finding out I was pregnant. They decided that I had been off sick too many times (even though I had a dr's line as I was at the hospital for some of it). Nothing to do with the pregnancy so couldn't even say it was unfair dismissal. Decided I'd just find a better job, so started applying. Unfortunately there isn't much out there, and now I'm 28 weeks pregnant and still have no job, no one is going to hire me now. I couldn't apply for job seekers or anything for financial support as my OH was working full time at a summer placement, but he's a full time student during term time. I applied for job seekers as soon as he started back to university at the beginning of September and have been going to sign on every 2 weeks and complying with everything they want/need me to do but still not heard anything back about it. I keep asking but they are saying that they have a lot of applications to process. To make it worse I was told that I'm not doing enough to find a new job, even though I walk to and from town which is about 3 miles each way to go the jobcentre (because we are so skint I can't afford bus fare) and apply for every single job going on their website etc. Now I'm told that at 29 weeks, I need to make a claim for income support on my own, rather than have them just transfer all the information I have given them over... So that'll take another 2 months no doubt! It's just a sodding waste of time, whilst they are signing off junkies and giving them all the benefits under the sun!

Because my OH is a full time student it's making it really difficult for us to claim anything else to help with rent or council tax. He has a saturday job to try and tide us by, so that's hindering us too. Everyone keeps asking for proof of this and proof of that, it'd be easier if we were both just stabbing needles in our arms and getting high! I mean that's what you need to do to get financial help from the government is it not? It makes me so mad that people like us who have paid our taxes/continue to pay taxes and are trying to actively better our lives by going to University etc are the ones who are struggling and suffering whilst junkies who spend their dole money on booze and drugs get to live it up in comfort! It's just ridiculous.

And, even though he is getting a student loan for going to University it's only basic at £81 a month which barely covers his travel expenses, as they don't believe that we live together. So need to send out even more stuff to them, even though he applied for this back in July/August. F**king dragging their arses along the ground.

I feel like people think we have some sort of hidden agenda and are trying to get money for nothing! So this month, on top of not being able to afford to travel anywhere to do things, we now can't afford electricity or food. Rent we had to pay last month by taking out a loan from a payday lending site which needs to be paid back on top of this months rent (which we don't have).

Couldn't be more in the shit. So worried about what all the stress is doing to my baby, never mind what it is doing to both my OH and myself

 

[kat1988]

have a read of my thread posted yesterday you'll see I'm in the same situation, completely understand what your going through!
can you claim maternity allowance? you can claim that from 29 weeks,

only other suggestion I have is tell job centre you've split up (still living together as you have no where to go) as at least then his income won't be taken into consideration, not entirely truthful but you needing to eat is more important!
xx

 

[sarahmc89]

Haha yeah I posted on your post too Looks like we're just going to need to lie etc to try and get some help here xx

I have all the forms for Maternity allowance etc just need to get them sent off next week when 29 weeks.

 

[Squeakz]

me and oh were students when LO arrived and we got full housing benefit, tax credits, child benefit....but we definitely definitely got HB and we both got the maximum amount of loan and maximum amount of bursary from uni.

Im not sure if that helps but you may well be entitled? Also your OH could get childcare grants from university to help pay for childcare, that way eventually you can get job seekers cos you can look for work?

sorry im rambling my main point was about HB xx

 

[titch]

I know its so frustrating. Im a single parent and actually got told by job centre that Id be better off just signing on income support than starting my own business.

I started my own business anyway, totally broke right now, cant put fuel in my car even, but like you said, Im pretty sure if I didnt do anything towards maintaining my career Id have money in the bank drives me mad!

I had to be unemployed for 6 months before i could get any financial help to set up my business, and I wasnt up for that at all, so I just got on with it, used up my savings and now im hoping I get some more money coming in from the work Imdoing.

Have you rung the council about housing benefit and council tax benefit? Job centre are really not very helpful sometimes, you might not have had the correct info x

 

[Jayjay027]

If this is ur first baby you should apply for the sure start maternity grant. Its £500 and although it won't solve ur problems, it'd take some of the strain off x

Tapatalking from my blackberry!

 

[Froslass]

This is the situation I was in last summer as OH was working full time over the summer, and full time student term time.

Could your OH possibly work 24 hours once baby is here? You'll tehn get working tax credits, and Child tax credits.

We dont get anything now apart from tax credits, and once baby arrives you are entitled to more x

It's tough hun I know, the job centre are rubbihs!

 

[talulahgosh]

Don't lie. Benefit fraud is a crime for a reason.

I have a friend who was claiming tax credits and hadn't declared that her boyfriend had moved in and was reported/caught. She is in more trouble (and it's her fault, so my sympathies are limited) than I would wish on anyone. And it will come back to haunt you in the future should you have to make a claim.

I am sorry for your situation as it is right now, but breaking the law won't help. It's because of people 'playing the system' that it is so hard for genuine people like you to receive any help they are entitled to.

 

[Wills_Mrs]

With regards to losing ur job.. Did u go through a disciplinary system? I'm petty sure they can't fire you for being off sick if you had a doctors line..

If they fired you without going through the disciplinary procedure then they r in the wrong...

Anyways I'm so sorry you are going through this.. Have you been to cab? Is moving back in with parents an option?