OH lost his job today what can we do now?

[MrsHunterx]

I feel so gutted for him even though he says he's not to bothered. He's only been there for four weeks he took yesterday of to take me to the hospital because I was bleeding (36 weeks pregnant) and this morning they have sacked him.

We have about £6000 in savings and 300 in our current account I feel silly saying things are tight but our savings have never been so low.

Are we entitled to any benefits because we have savings? He wants to hold of getting another job until dd is here so he can spend time with her.

Any advice would be appreciated x

Well yes, with no income, no immediate prospect of one, minimal savings and a baby on the way id say you probably need to cut down on eating out ‘so many times a week’.

Why do you eat out often? I'm not picking at you - I mean, is there a reason to do with having poor cooking facilities, long travel times, trips to elderly relatives or just loathing cooking, which all need different advice?

i would suggest he registers with a few temp agencies. Ds4 walked out of a job he had been in for 8 years as the new manager and he had words.
The next day he registered with a few agencies (not minding what type of work he did) and a few days later he was working in a warehouse locally, he temped at various places until 6 months later he was offered a permanent jobs at one of the places he worked.

He was able to take off time unpaid from time to time but was fairly considerate as to the requirements of the places he was sent to.

You can also sometimes take a 'holiday' from your mortgage - for a few months, it might be worth looking into this too, or just reducing the payments.

The OP is renting.

"cut down on eating out so many times a week"..... I'm a bit at this. We eat out maybe once every couple of months - if that.....

And your DH was asking about unpaid time off when he's only been in his new job for 4 weeks? Wow.

I think Harsh Reality may be about to bite OP....

And, tbf again, he was a tit to leave a job so soon for one paying £800 less when you have got a baby on the way, let alone the loss of paternity leave. Plus, he could have tried to apply for flex working if he wanted more time at home.

It's stuff like that that's making me question his maturity and sense of responsibility.

To me, changing jobs to spend more time at home with a new baby but earning £800pm less is totally irresponsible. He will not qualify for income based JSA if he has been sacked for a certain time (not sure). If he has paid the relevant NI contributions he will qualify for Contribution based JSA for 6 months. I think there is something more to him being sacked than the one day off. Contact ACAS but I don't think he has a chance of unfair dismissal in a probation period.
Use Turn2Us website to calculate what benefits. But if he does get JSA he will have to actively look for work and take what is offered.
You will however qualify for Housing Benefit if you have no income.

@LeftRightCentre
I avoid mentioning it because people sometimes accuse me of lying (why I’d lie about this I have no idea) but I actually work for Citizens Advice and advise on benefits for my job.
Admittedly we are still on the old system so I don’t know enough about UC yet. But I am absolutely certain that I have given the correct information about means-tested benefits and savings.
If you will persist in disagreeing with me please do share the link confirming what you are saying, without a source I refuse to believe it I’m afraid.

If you're renting privately in the SE, those savings would run down very quickly so a lot will depend on whereabouts the OP is and the housing markets and LHA in her area. (Even whether they're in a 1 or 2 bedroom and what the LHA or equivalent will cover in her area.)

@Lancelottie no particular reason I've just gotten lazy and can never think of what to cook.

The universal credit calculation says we're entitled to £1186 56 deductions for savings. Not sure if that's correct seems abit high

Maybe leaving his job before was irresponsible but he's left now I cant have ago at him for that he was depressed there and unhappy.

Dismissal for exercising a stat right is automatically unfair and there does not have to be a qualifying service for this, it applies from day one. I reckon he would have a decent chance at appealing the termination on this basis but tbh it's likely his cards would be marked and they'd find a way to get rid anyway pretty quickly if they reinstated him.

We were in a similar situation before my dd was born. Tell him he needs to start hunting straight away. We had plenty of savings but it took my dh 18 months to find another career job! He did work on a casual basis within that time but it wrecked our savings.

People are outraged at some things but without details!

So he took a job with £800pcm cut in wage.
This was for family time.

Someone else i know did this recently - they still have over 5k a month income!
Income and outgoings are relative to area and debts etc.

There are savings and if rent is SE/London prices - no it won't last! If it's NE prices your laughing!

Signing up to a temp agency is the best advice - as long as you have enough coming in to live off the rest is immaterial. No one needs to eat out or holidays. It's possible in a years time he can get a better job for those luxuries.

Right, so you’re a SAHM which means that he is (or has been) supporting the family financially, and with only £6k in savings he doesn’t want to get a job straight away?! That’s completely irresponsible.

I agree.

He needs another job.

Dismissal for exercising a stat right is automatically unfair and there does not have to be a qualifying service for this, it applies from day one.

We don’t know that that is the reason for dismissal.

can never think of what to cook

Pick standard breakfasts, basic lunches (sandwiches/rolls with different fillings such as jam, cheese and tomato, hummus, or beans on toast ), and 10 dinners that you can rotate. Rinse and repeat them - it will help you after your DD is born. There are lots of good ideas in the recipe and 'frugality' sections.

I know this? Just going off the assumption that's the reason. I did say earlier I reckon there's more to it going off his attitude to work.

No need for the huffy face!

“If you have more than £6,000 of capital it will reduce your Universal Credit payment. The DWP will take off £4.35 a month for each £250 (or part of £250) of capital above £6,000.

You'll no longer be eligible for Universal Credit if you have £16,000 or more in capital.”

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/advisernet/benefits/universal-credit/during-a-claim/calculating-universal-credit/#h-work-out-if-your-capital-makes-a-difference

His attitude to work?
Honestly, that's incredibly judgmental given such scant information.

@TornFromTheInside

The clues were “...he’s not to bothered” and “He wants to hold off getting another job”.

So the rest of us should support him while he indulges his whims....

It may not be his fault he lost his job, but a responsible parent would be running around trying to sort it asap. My DH wasmade redundant recently, he was on the ohone immediately he knew he was at risk and had a new job sorted quickly. In the interim he signed up to an agency so we minimised financial impact. To do less is irresponsible in my book. But then I believe that the benefits system is there to support genuine need. Not entitled twats.

Is that not borderline illegal for him to be sacked under those circumstances? You can’t just not work and claim benefits however ! He needs to look for another job ASAP !

He's out with ds now but I will mention agency work to him when he's back.

@arranfan it's not the breakfast and lunches I struggle with its dinners cooking something we can all eat.

@ADastardlyThing What about his attitude to work? I'm not quite sure where you have gotten that from.

Do you think he will find it easy to get another decent job?

Well done for having 6k saved though, I bet most people have nowhere near that. It'll give you some breathing space, but yeah, he can apply now for jobs with an October start.

What was the exact reason given for his dismissal?

What was the reason given for his termination?