benefits

[bumblebee14]

my daughter in law has been out of work since october last year. In march she became pregnant., and is expecting the baby in Nov. The local job centre have said that come this october she will lose her job seekers allowance and wont be able to claim any benefits regarding her pregnancy. Is this right?. All she has is job seekers allowance at monent.

[sara3]

to get JSA you have to be available for, and actively seeking work.

can she claim income support or does her husband work?

[pink-kittens]

No, that is not right at all but - is she married or single or living as part of a couple? (same sex or otherwise)

If she is single she should be entitled to the Sure start Mat grant
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefit s/BenefitsTaxCreditsAndOtherSupport/Expectingo rbringingupchildren/DG_10018854

this link will explain all you need to know

[dot.haukes]

Any claim is based on the two years 07/08 and 08/09 contributions, if she is on JSA is this contributions based or income based? If she is living with your son as man and wife, then when baby comes they can claim for the child and your son will claim for her. If she is on her own then her JSA will be replaced with income support. Why can't she receive JSA up to delivery? One of my team worked up til the day her baby was born!! Infact she had just finished a midnight megaday shift and went into labour. Just cos you are about to give birth doea not stop you looking for work does it?

[daffy654]

Dot,being pregnant doesn't stop you looking for work at all...but having done exactly that when I was constructively dismissed at 5 months pregnant with my son I can tell you that one look at my growing bump and I was immediately dismissed for consideration after all interviews.Not many employers will take on an already pregnant worker as they know you will need time off for ante natal appointments etc.

[dot.haukes]

that must be a very annoying and difficult situation daffy, but if you are still looking anbd applying and can prove it then they have to pay you JSA surely.

[daffy654]

I have no idea about that side of it as I was being supported by my other half's wage at the time.
The constructive dismissal was the worst bit though,I knew my employer didn't want me in the job due to my pregnancy........it was bar work and my pregnancy meant I could no longer do the cellar work........but he couldn't sack me because of the pregnancy-so he made my life at work so difficult and miserable that I had no choice but to walk out (telling him where he could stuff his job and his neanderthal attitude.lol)

[dot.haukes]

yeah daffy, it's called performing someone out, in small firms it is possible to do that and sometimes justified if someone is a shirker or is hard to train.
However, the last thing any employer can do is dismiss someone who is pregnant, did you fill in an ET 1? I would have done, your claim would have been upheld i bet

[daffy654]

I didn't bother taking them to a tribunal or anything as it just seemed too stressful at the time.

[themas]

1. She needs to get independent advice (such as from her local CAB) on all benefit issues, both now and after the birth.

2. She is entitled to a one off Health in Pregnancy grant of �190 & her ante natal clinic should tell her about this.

3. A lot depends on her circumstances - whether she has a partner and whether the partner is working. Assuming she does not have a partner & satisfies the other applicable conditions she is entitled to claim Income Support from the 11th week before the expected week of the birth. (The amount is almost certainly the same as the JSA she is getting.) And after the birth she should get Child Tax Credit as well as Child Benefit.

[bednobs]

i would imagine as it's the posters daughter in law, she is married to her/his son