sometg seriously wrong with this

[lotsafun]

my daughter is due to start school full time soon and im dying to get back to work so thought id look in the job centre today. There was nothing there to suit my families needs so i asked to speak to a advisor to see what options are available to me. It wa then to my suprise that she said as im not recieving any benefits she is unable to assist me! Ive never heard anything so daft in all my life, ive been unemployed for nearly 2 years now and i actually WANT a job so why not???? I then asked if i would be entitled to recieve JSA as agterall im activly seeking work and i have paid contributions to society since the age of 16. The only time i have not worked is when ive had my kids. She said im not entitled as i have a partner supporting me. Surely this isnt very fair.

[ummmm]

Why is it not fair? You and your partner decided to have kids and you and your partner decided he's support you when it happened. You could have gone back to work...

[LoftyLottie]

Welcome to the unfair world. In my opinion, we are taxed separately, pay NI contributions equally, so any of us whether M or F who claim benefit should be judged as single people not as couples.

[4getmenot]

thats balls. I have a partner and am on jsa. Fill in the form online in job seekers section and that will tell you.

[LoftyLottie]

I don't think lotsafun is particularly looking for benefits ummmm, just decrying the unfairness of the system.

[ummmm]

So Lottie...you think spouses should be able to claim benefits even if they, as a family unit, do not need them?

[ummmm]

I know but these are things people take into consideration when they have kids.

Lotsafun...are you married?

[lotsafun]

too right lottie, me and my partner are alot worse off than alot of people on benefits, he workes 40 hours a week and pays a stupid amount of tax too it makes me sick, weve paid our way in society, why shouldnt we get something back.

[LoftyLottie]

You can get jsa 4get. But lotsafun will not be able to because she won't have had made contributions in the last few years. And because her partner's earnings takes them over the limit she can't get any benefits. I don't personally think that benefits should take into account any earnings or capital other than your own, whether you live with anybody or not.

[ummmm]

Have you tried for working tax credits?

[sandyRoe]

I think people who had been working and then claimed benefits can do so for 6 months. After that benefit is 'means tested'. That means if you have a partner their income is taken into account.
But if you were singing on you should be getting help from them to look for work.

[LoftyLottie]

lotsafun. I am retired now, but worked all my life, apart from 4 years when I was at home with my child. During a couple of really bad times somehow we have never qualified for any benefits - zilch!!

[lotsafun]

no uummm were not married. ive never recieved a benefit in all my life and im not looking to scrounge off the system but we are struggling like many families and i wouldve gone back to work staright after my maternity leave ran out only the childcare costs didnt make it worth our while.

[redcrx]

regardless of whether you are able to earn benefits the job centre should, in my opinion, be there to help all those who are looking to work! Crikey, they should be glad that people are still wanting to go back to work and support them in that!

[LoftyLottie]

They really don't help you find work at job centres any more Sandy. I used to actually be work in a job centre and we worked damn hard to get people into jobs. Nowadays, this doesn't happen. You can search for jobs on line on the websites or on the computers in the job centre. The staff do nothing to help fit people into vacant jobs.

[ummmm]

Have you tried tax credits lotsafun?

[lotsafun]

my point exactly red. If i was claiming benefits i would get money for going back to work £250 to be exact and money for new clothes and a couple of weeks of benefit till i get paid, extra couple of months housing benefit etc.

[4getmenot]

fill in a benefits form online to see what you are entitled to

[cassa333]

I can sympathise lotsafun.

I haven't worked for 7yrs and can't find anything that fits in with school hours and holidays etc.

There are about a squillion mums all going after the 'holy grail jobs' of working in a school.

When ever I have been into the job centre (which admittedly isn't often) there is nothing in there. I keyed in my requirements and the area I wanted and it came up with something about 6 hours away.

I think an agency would be better.

[gina32]

tell me about it, i gave up work 5 years ago to look after my grandson so that my daughter could go back to work and didnt have to claim any benefits, when he went to school i went to the job centre and was told that as i hadnt worked for 5 years(even though i'd worked since i left school) i wasnt entitled to a penny and that i should have claimed form the day i gave up work, so by trying to do the "right" thing i was wrong! maybe i should have changed my accent and said id just come into the country! and no doubt im now going to get slughtered for that remark, do i care, do i hell.