To ask for advice regarding claiming benefits?

[5iveGoldRings]

I’ll give the bare bones to make it shorter but happy to answer additional questions.

Been with DP 4 years.
We have 1 Ds and I’m 18 weeks pregnant.

We’ve never lived together - we live in the same street (it’s how we met) but have not blended families. This works very well for us. We both have 2 dc from previous relationships that live with us.

I started a new job just before I found out I was pregnant. Was told yesterday (a week after telling my boss) that I haven’t passed probation and they’ve let me go.

I don’t know what to do. I’m obviously pregnant by looking and am worried that I won’t find another job. I’ve enquired to join up with a few agencies but I live in quite a rural area and the only thing they can offer me at the moment is care work, which I’d be willing to do if it wasn’t for my SPD.

I’ve looked into it and I can claim maternity allowance from 29 weeks pregnant but that doesn’t help me in the meantime. I have some savings which were to supplement my wages whilst on maternity leave but it’s not nearly enough to cover all outgoings.
I can’t claim UC as I have more than 2 children.

What I’m worried about is if I put in a claim for JSA, housing benefit and tax credits would I be eligible or would they expect DP to be supporting me? His income is not enough to run two households and his ex wife has actually just stopped working so he has lost his child maintenance payments and is struggling himself at the moment, he’s using his savings to cover the shortfall in that, plus someone ran into his car and drove off, writing it off so he’s had to pay out for lots recently.

It seems to have been one thing after the other bad luck wise recently.

I’ve tried going into the job centre but they’ve said I have to do it online but there’s no option for my circumstances.

Does anyone have any advice?

OP definitely call ACAS about the potential discrimination claim.

Also, while you may be due a tax rebate, hold off from claiming it if you can in case it tips your savings over £6k as that would only delay your ability to claim in the short term. If you've not worked, claim it once your savings have reduced a bit, nearer or after the end of the tax year.

Hope your old employer can find some work for you.

Couldn't you all move in with him and then tell the council you're over-crowded so that you could be re-housed? I mean if you've been together for 4 years and have 2 children together at some point wouldn't you be looking to move in together?

Ok, I work at the job centre so have name changed. You can claim Income Support as your youngest is under 5. The claim number is 0800 0556688. If you rent, contact your local council to claim Housing Benefit. Sadly if you own your house you get nothing till 9 months in. Make sure you also claim council tax reduction.

You could claim New Style JSA Contribution based but that runs out after 6 months and involves signing on weekly/fortnightly, plus doesn't qualify you for mortgage interest help after 9 months (if this is applicable to you). You can claim Tax credits on grounds of last tax year's income, so may qualify for something towards the eldest two.

If you need any further advice, feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to help

Weird advice from someone who works at the job centre - clearly you know about income support and JSA (and presumably ESA and UC too, although not relevant here). However you are not necessarily the best person to advice on tax credits (paid by HMRC) especially considering that you've said it will be paid based on previous years income - well yes except that OP's income was too high last year, so she'll have to request a calculation based on estimated income for this year.

The support for mortgage interest (SMI) is irrelevant as the OP is renting. If she did have a mortgage she wouldn't get help with it anyway. She will only be claiming income support for about 11 weeks before she switches to maternity allowance. Way short of the 9 month mark.

I am sure you are the exception but I am wary of advice given out by the job centre as I see too many people who are wrongly advised by them sadly.

Except that Income support is about £73/week and Maternity Allowance is about £145/week.
So of course she should switch when she can.

You can claim TC, JSA, HB etc as you’re the only adult paying to run that house. You’re not financially together at this time and they won’t include your boyfriend for claim purposes.

Please make sure you claim some kind of benefits whilst you’re unemployed, even if it’s for a short while.

My MIL was too proud to claim when she was out of work for 2 months. She started a new job and a few months down the line was diagnosed with breast cancer. When her company sick pay ran out she was advised to claim contribution based ESA, but was denied this as for those two months she that was too proud to claim, she wasn’t making and NI payments. She’s now not receiving anything and is struggling with the additional costs.

There was a thread a few weeks back by a woman who wanted to sacrifice a large portion of her (huge) salary into overpaying her pension so that she would still be entitled to working and child tax credits and there were loads of posters advising her in the best way to do it, yet we have someone asking for help in a time of genuine need and she’s getting a bashing for daring to use the system that was set up to help people in her position.

Makes me sick.

OP listen to @graphista and @anotheremma and ignore the bitchy comments.