Any nursing students or former nursing students who became pregnant and were denied benefits on here?

[edam]

Hi

A nursing student in Sheffield ? my sister ? is taking her case to an industrial tribunal because when she became pregnant and gave birth, her nursing bursary was stopped because she was no longer a nurse but the benefits agency refused income support because she was a student!

Actually she has taken extended leave of absence from her course and is planning to return - but how was she supposed to feed herself and her baby in the meantime?! (She was a single mum at the time.)

Interested to know if anyone else has fallen into the same trap where both agencies say 'not our problem' leaving you penniless and without access to, e.g., milk tokens. And what happened - did you have to leave your course?

If this has happened to you, would you be interested in getting in touch? If she wins, it could help you out too but she needs to show it's not just her, apparently.

If you have a similar experience, would be great to hear it here, or you could email my mum at [email protected].

Thank you for reading this far. All the best,

Edam

[FrightfullyPoshFloss]

I do know someone who it happened to. I'm not in contact with her anymore unfortunately, but I'm 100% sure there will be others here .

[SplendidTinker]

This any good?

[expatinscotland]

In a era where nurses are desperately needed, I'm utterly gobsmacked by this, edam.

[edam]

Thank you Tinker and FPF.

Expat, you'd be even more appalled to know that some hospital trusts are estimating they may have to close 20 per cent of their nursing posts to save money.... so even once you do get trained it's not a guarantee of work. When we need them so badly!

[edam]

Oh, and my sister is training to be a learning disability nurse, caring for some of the most vulnerable people in society whose healthcare can often be badly neglected... life sucks, sometimes.

[edam]

bump just in case any ex or current nurses are around at this time...

[BadHair]

I heard about this only last week as I've been doing inductions for our new nurses at University, and some of them have become pregnant between applying and enrolling.
Our nursing lecturers and my department (student guidance) are very keen to know the outcome of this, and are very supportive of your sister as we all think it's incredible that this situation has had to arise.
Good luck to her.

[FrightfullyPoshFloss]

bUT IT's been going on for years!! Like, in 2001 when colleague became pregnant!!!

[babyonboard]

i have a similar problem..not because I was a nursing student but because I was doing a full time degree up until I became pregnant in february and so haven't worked enough to claim maternity allowance or income support. i have absolutely no income at the moment. They won't even give me a surestart grant. very annoying, especially when you see people coming out of the job centre clutching a giro and heading to the pub next door.

[edam]

Hi everyone, thanks for your comments.

Badhair, may I contact-another-talker you for more info? Is that OK? Or you could email me via my mum at [email protected]

FPF - yes, but it could now change for nurses at least (following an employment appeal tribunal ruling on a related issue) and that could help people who were affected in the past. If your colleague was a nurse, is there any way I could get in touch with her to see if she'd be interested in talking to us about the case?

BOB, it's appalling, isn't it. How they can justify leaving women and babies to starve is beyond me. There have been some court cases on this - in one the judges said they had to uphold the government's position on the case that was in front of them BUT they would be interested in someone bringing a case under human rights law (the right to family life, I think) or under sex discrimination (because it affects women and babies more harshly than men although obviously gets them too). The Child Poverty Action Group are interested in supporting women to take cases and are helping my sister - worth your while geting in touch with them and seeing if they can help you. Really.

[edam]

bump just in case affects anyone else or BH, FPF, or BoB are around...

[babyonboard]

Edam thanks for your help..it is unbelievable that in our country women would be excluded from any help when in such obvious need.
As they count me as 'finacially dependent' on my oh who was working, and also a student whilst I was at uni , and has paid full tax and n.i contributions etc, then why can they not use these as a means to offer me state support that I haven't personally paid contributions for?.
sorry f that sounds confusing, but if he is finacially accountable for me, then surely he is paying taxes etc on my behalf too and we should get what others are entitled to.
They do after all say as he is working I should be able to rely on him, but who can live in london on less than £11'000 for a couple with a baby?!
Grr..
it doesn't help if you read the mirror etc and hear of a woman who won £3 million on the lottery, blew it and is now recieving £20'000 benefits per year...
Thanks for the advice though, I will be in touch with that oraganisation..the CAB haven't been helpful at all.

[edam]

Another thought - have you applied for tax credits? Think you'd be entitled because your dh is working?

[LilMissy]

I'm currently a student nursing and the Royal College of Nursing mentioned something along those lines in a talk they gave us. Have you contacted them to help? They seem like a very helpful organisation/trade union thing.

Carla