Benefits - NOT ENTITLED TO ANYTHING! :(

[shelx]

Do you and your OH live together currently? Sorry youre going through is.
Xx

 

[Lawgirl]

I'm in the same situation. I lost my job when pregnant, and then gave birth to Joshua. I tried claiming unfair dismissal, but new laws state if you haven't worked somewhere for12 months they can get rid of you, this is to protect employers from unfair dismissal cases. I went to a no win no fee lawyer, and there was nothing they could do to help.

Just in case anyone else reading this thinks they might have a claim, if you can prove that the dismissal was for a reason such pregnancy, it does not matter how long you have worked for the employer as it is an automatically unfair reason for dismissal. So the 12/24 months continuous service rules don't apply.

I'd worked there 7 months, saw two different lawyers, who both said the same thing. Because I hadn't worked there 12 months, there was nothing they could do to help, pregnancy related or not.

It's still wrong, even if you saw two lawyers. If you are dismissed for an automatically unfair reason (of which pregnancy is one) you don't need continuous service. However, the difficult bit is proving that it's because of pregnancy.

See https://www.gov.uk/dismiss-staff/eligibility-to-claim-unfair-dismissal

NB: this isn't meant to be coming across as getting at you.

 

[Mummy_to_be87]

Im sorry you are going through this, I know when me and my OH were together I couldnt claim for anything at all because he was working and the jobcentre maintained that his wages should support both of us and our new arrival which of course didnt come close to supporting us all! It is ridiculous the way the benefit system works! Go to citizens advice and see what they can suggest

 

[special_kala]

claim as a single mum to be, they will give you everything, they dont need to know

Thats benefit fraud and illegal.

Your OH really needs to step up and help you. Your a family and it shouldn't be a case of "his" money.

 

[mellylou88]

Yeah my OH lives with me at my parents house - I told job centre the truth because I knew if I didn't it would be fraud.

I had someone tell me her cousin gets income support and she lives with her OH -obviously they are playing the system and lied.

You just can't do right for doing wrong

 

[karenh24]

hey im jumping over from 2nd tri, just wanted to say im kinda in the same situation as you regarding not getting any benefits.i was a student before i got pregnant my husband works full time but doesnt earn much at all, we have our own house and just about cover all the bills, mortgage, food etc.anyway so i was a student, started looking for a job but had no luck (an who wants to employ a pregnant woman) im high risk so thought i'd try getting income support but i can't have it because husband works over 29 hours, can't get jsa because im not actually looking for a job and can't get anything else. i can understand where your coming from be nice to have your own money my husband hardly has anything left after paying out for everything so i don't bother asking.the system sucks when it comes to pregnant women and stay at home mums, theres plenty of people who cheat the system its not right but they get away with it, i just find it unfair

 

[mellylou88]

hey im jumping over from 2nd tri, just wanted to say im kinda in the same situation as you regarding not getting any benefits.i was a student before i got pregnant my husband works full time but doesnt earn much at all, we have our own house and just about cover all the bills, mortgage, food etc.anyway so i was a student, started looking for a job but had no luck (an who wants to employ a pregnant woman) im high risk so thought i'd try getting income support but i can't have it because husband works over 29 hours, can't get jsa because im not actually looking for a job and can't get anything else. i can understand where your coming from be nice to have your own money my husband hardly has anything left after paying out for everything so i don't bother asking.the system sucks when it comes to pregnant women and stay at home mums, theres plenty of people who cheat the system its not right but they get away with it, i just find it unfair

It is out of order that we try and abide by the rules unlike some people who get it all given to them on a plate and the working class don't get help when they need it - even though we have been paying taxes just a pure joke, but that's what this country has come to

 

[lewood88]

I also went down to our local council to be added to the housing list - they even turned me away saying that my OH should pay for private rent and that other people who are homeless need houses more than we do?!

I was disgusted as basically they was saying that the only way to get a house is to be kicked out or be living on the streets, I find it disgusting that people who have worked most of their lives are punished when they need help and don't get it - as you can imagine the stress is beyond belief!

this is what gets to me more than anything you know, i aint racisit and i believe that people who come in this contry if there prepared to work then brill but private rent ONLY!!! but people who come in our contry and live on our benefits and have our council houses and not willing to work should be sent back to where they came from it pisses me off, i was told by the council last week and it got me so mad that the only way i will get a house is to leave the country and come back again i mean are you kidding me?!?!?!?!?!

ive worked from the age of 16 ive never clamied JSA in my life and how we get treated is a flipping joke

with regards to your work i would speak to citizens advice and i would personally take them to a small tribunal because its ironic that when you come to the end of your trial period you do the right thing and tell them your pregnant and they tell you not to come back its very wrong and more than anything very un professional

 

[lewood88]

claim as a single mum to be, they will give you everything, they dont need to know

Thats benefit fraud and illegal.

Your OH really needs to step up and help you. Your a family and it shouldn't be a case of "his" money.

it is illegal and i know a few people who do that and it is sooo sooo wrong but in away i see why they do it because if your in a sticky situation many will turn down that road so i never judge

honesty is the best way because in the long run people do get caught

 

[mellylou88]

When I spoke to citizens advice about it they said that I would have to pay legal fees and obviously thats a cost I couldn't afford, I thought they would actually help me out more but they seemed to agree with what job centre had told me was true which I have taken on the chin now, but because I didn't take action against the employer straight away it was unlikely I would get anywhere with that either - but being pregnant first time, head was a mess, was upset and didn't want the stress, only now I feel cheated by the benefit system I brought it to light - wish I'd done something sooner

 

[lewood88]

aww hun i think at times when everything happens all at once you find it hard for things to register, i do think your OH should really help you out xxx

 

[mellylou88]

I do hope so as well, but if he doesn't when the little man arrives I'm afraid the door will be shown to him, I have spoken to him again and he is taking on more hours now and said that any extra cash he gets from over time and his second job will go into my bank (but I've heard that before.)

 

[lewood88]

tell him you want a joint account then it can be both of your money, me and OH have a joint and i tell you what its saved our arse a fair few times as i get paid monthly and he gets paid weekly

 

[AP]

:O I can't believe he's being so stingy! My mum lives like this and it really was awful. She'd end up hiding money in her shoes given to her by my gran and everything.
Please don't allow that to happen. You need a joint account or at the very least a set amount every month.

 

[mellylou88]

Feel awful but his bank statement came the other week so I said can I look at it and work out whats going in and out to see what we have left to play with, he didn't want me snooping but I did anyway and I don't see what the problem is, he is two years younger than me and he is no good with money - I don't think he wants me to dictate to him what to spend on, but I'm going to have to!

 

[_Lexi_]

My oh is ten years older than me, after finding out about his secret debts, I'm now opening all his post/bank statements, and taking charge of our finances. He's terrible with money, now I've got no income, I'm not having him drive us further into debt without me knowing. Managed to cut down a few bills, get rid of lovefilm, things like that, managed to get both our phone contracts down by £12 a month, not much, but it will all help x

 

[lewood88]

i open OH's mail and he opens mine i have a few debts from the past and now we have almost paid them off my ex left me in alot of debt and its taken me almost 3 years to pay it off, we are saveing to buy a house as the council wont help and the way we see it is if we are committed to takeing on that we have nothing to hide when it comes to money

 

[AP]

I now open mail on the basis that I want to know what's going on with our family funds, I'm not prepared for anyone to suffer so I want to make sure all is in order.

I hope the reality makes him see sense. What does he expect you to live on while he's at work?

 

[mellylou88]

I have some great news ladies!!

I have been accepted for maternity allowance, so least I will be getting something back for the time I worked last year before giving the boot by the nasty employers.

Do you think I should tell my other half about what amount I'm getting because this will more than likely make him think great don't have to help her out? I know it's nasty of me, but I'd like him to pay his way as well..

 

[_Lexi_]

It's up to you and how honest you are with each other. I know when I was on maternity allowance last year £136 a week was more than enough for me to live on without needing more money from my oh. Obviously different this time as I'm not entitled to MA so he'll have to help me out.