can i claim income support after mat pay finished?

[valentinemum10]

ihad 9 mths paid mat leave.ive got 3 months left of unpaid mat leave.i think i may have to go back though.i cant face work,not ready due to stress,health and oh a baby that doesnt sleeeeep! Im a mess.
Does anyone know if i can cover those 3 months with I:S.?
I do get a bit of working tax credit.

T.i.a.

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

I should hope you can't! It is your choice to not be working after all.

[101North]

no. you are still employed. If you want to resign before your mat leave is up then there would be implications around being able to claim income support anyway.

Have a talk with your employers and see if you can go back on a very part time basis. They have to consider your request for flexibility.

I do actually sympathise. But its just the start of the many many hard choices you'll have to make as a parent.

[eminencegrise]

No. You are still employed. You will also very likely have to pay back a fair whack of the money if you do not return to work - you need to check your contract.

[brokensleeper]

Yeh thanks.its shit times. I guess i gotta go back.cant afford childcare &unemployed o.h. Is not much of a dad.i worry about his level of care and attention,which is dire and disgracefully minimal.if i had to leave her with him.no one else i can ask for free.

[brokensleeper]

yes some reason its posting me under my other nickname! Bloody phone!

[eminencegrise]

You can get child tax credits to afford the childcare. Thing is, if you don't go back, I can almost guarantee you will need to pay back a fair whack of what you were paid if they paid you over SMP.

You still have three months to sort out childcare.

:)

[VodkaKnockers]

You will not get IS. I am just coming to the end of my unpaid mat leave and looked into this earlier in the year. You will be entitled to TC based on your income from 2010/11. Remember to deduct £100 p/w that you were receiving MP during that period. You may be entitled to HB but it would all depend on your TC and other income you have coming in. You may be able to check this on your LA website.

[eminencegrise]

Are you living with the oh? In that case you won't get IS at all. It is for lone parents.

Best to first read your contract about what you may have to pay your employer should you not return to work. Most who pay over SMP stipulate a length of time which you have to return to work or be liable for what they pay you.

Also, if you leave your job voluntarily and are not a lone parent, there are ramifications. You may not be entitled to JSA, even contribution-based, if you are living with your oh, this is considered a domestic partnership.

But IS really isn't an option because a) you are not a lone parent if you are living with him b) you are employed.

[suez87]

I claimed income support for about a month when I was pregnant but then they stopped it. My mat leave finishes end of May and I'm not going back to work. Will I be able to claim income support again once my maternity ends?

[theendoftheendoftheend]

I was told you don't get any working tax credits during the 3 months unpaid leave. Have a look on the Gingerbread website you should get excellent advice from there.

[theendoftheendoftheend]

I think you might be able to, but it would replace the WTC for those months. Worth looking into, good luck.