i don't know what to do, i'm going to be really stuck...

[emalou90]

after moving house i had to leave my job as i cannot commute (i don't drive and its a 45 minute bus ride + a 15 minute bus ride, also my employer only employed me for 3.5 hours a day, every day, so i can't physically be getting the bus like that every day) so unfortunately i had to leave because they couldn't transfer me to where i was moving too.

luckily (in a way) i was made redundant in January (i worked at Woolies for 3 years ) and the Job centre made a big deal of us and rushed us through straight onto Jobseekers allowance which i got for two weeks until i was lucky enough to get this job i have just left, so from that i knew i would be eligible for it.

so i put my claim in (three weeks have now passed) i got a letter back saying i'm not entitled to anything!! so of course i rang them up and said that in January i got it and my situation hasn't changed. They then turned around and said, 'Well actually it looks to me like you wern't supposed to even get any money in January'
they basically said if i can show them proof of earnings from tax year 07 - 08 then they'll look at my claim, i got my p60 and i earn't £1739.43 (i was working part time when i was currently in college) but obviously i wasn't paying tax and my p60 also said i didn't contribute to National Insurance.

(gosh this is long..)

BUT THEN I READ.. 'If your partner or civil partner works 24 hours or more a week on average, you can't usually get income-based JSA '
so the job centre were right, i was paid some money i wasn't entitled too.
i wont get contributions based jobseekers either as i haven't paid much into my National Insurance (being a college student and all that )

My partner obviously has a full time job working 37 hours a week, nothing special but pays our bills and mortgage.
But i was the one who also contributed towards that also and paid for the monthly shop and also my phone bill.

so now it seems as if unless my partner decides to jack his job in we get nothing...
upstanding people in the community..
get nothing..
no help whatsoever..

I WONT EVEN GET MATERNITY ALLOWANCE BECAUSE MY PARTNER WORKS MORE THAN 24 HOURS

i don't know what i'm going to do now..



obviously i'm looking for a job now (i've had no trouble with getting jobs in the past i'm quite confident with interviews) but like my mum said

nobody is going to employ a pregnant lady especially in the 'recession'

(she of course meant that in a nice way)

oh god im so frustrated and upset

i dont mind if you cant help... i just needed to vent x

 

[Missy85]

hi

just a quick reply but i am getting Maternity Allowance and my hubby works full time for Maternity Allowance you need to have paid NI for a certain amount of time in the last year or something, new mummy brain is not letting me remember exact details heres a link hun

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingorbringingupchildren/DG_10018869

hope this helps

 

[LankyDoodle]

Maternity Allowance has nothing to do with your partner's income; if it did then I would be stuffed!

As for the JSA, you have to just really push for it. You won't be long out of a job if you keep applying (treat applying for jobs AS YOUR JOB). Just try to keep positive. So long as the bills are being paid for now, worry when you can't find something.

Good luck.x

 

[emalou90]

thank you girls i'll have a look into it x

 

[DizzyMoo]

Yes as far as i know you won't be entitled to benefits if you live with a partner who works so many hours a wk or is classed as in full time employment, he/she has to provide for the family. He may be able to claim working tax credits though if he doesn't already it's worth a call to find out.
If he was working when you claimed before then they may also ask you to pay that money back as you were not entitled to it. I know a few ppl this has happened too including my brother & his wife too. Keep on at them hun you may eventually get something from them.

I don't know about the maternity allowance part though, only speaking from experience of myself & family x

 

[K1nS]

I know that the JSA wont give you anything if your partner works more than 24 or 25 hours.... which is daft in some cases but I don't think they do this with mat pay