work-focused interview (help??)
 

why the heck do i need to attend one of these?

i got a letter this morning telling me if i did not attend a work-focused interview on 13th october then matt's benefit would be stopped.

so i rang them and explained when the baby was due, it's been deferred until january....

er hello??? i'm not going back to work, i'm not claiming jobseekers, i've never claimed to be going back to work.

surely i have the right to bring up my children myself? they pay us an extra £30 a week because i'm classed as a dependant on matt's claim, that's less than if they had to fork out for childcare and working tax credit if i did get a job. i'm saving them money here! matt said he thinks they'll tell us to both look for jobs, both have to sign on and whoever gets a job first will be the working one, well they can stick that! matt's not able to look after chloe - let alone 2 of them, all day every day, his health is not stable enough and ideally he should still be claiming incapacity benefit but the idiot dr he saw decided he was completley fit and able, so fit and able he's just been re-referred to the mental health team and it would have been sooner had there been anyone he could be referred to!! (the psych left and wasn't replaced until now).

ok /rant.

what do you think? does anyone have any info on this such as 'by law you have the right to be a stay at home mum as long as..... etc' i need hard solid stuff and the internet is just a maze of links and all cleverly put so they could worm their ways out of it if i tried to quote them.

mand x

I think perhaps you shouldn't be on his jobseekers claim but instead should be claiming income support for bringing up your kids. (I could well be wrong!)

I'm on Luke's jobseekers as because we live together we had to do a joint claim, I had a form to fill out saying that I was exempt from work because i'm disabled and because I'm a student. There were loads of other categories on that form including being a carer (which might well be what you should come under as a stay-at home mum), so that'd be something to look in to. It may be that you have to do the interview even though you are exempt from working, I had already had my exemption granted and still had to have the damn work-focused interview, where I made up jobs I would be willing to apply for and how far I'd travel, it was a complete farce, just jumping through hoops to fulfil their beaurocracy!

But the jobcentre are shits and the system is so complicated and with so many pitfalls what I think you should do is seek professional advice from CAB or someone (though obviously there's no rush since the interview has been pushed back at least). Hopefully they'll be able to help you sort it out as it really sounds like the jobcentre has messed up or that you aren't on the right benefits.

here's hoping chris don't get a letter then!
mand x

The CAB and/or Mind should be able to help.

well matt has to go in on friday anyway, he's going to talk to them, see what they say, if they still say all this then we'll go to CAB.

I think anyone on benefits has to attend these interviews every now and then. Normally every 6 months I think.

They aren't going to MAKE you get back into work, they are going to give you some options, let you know what can help you to get back into work, what help there is out there in terms of childcare and what not.

It might be worth going along just to find out some stuff. xx

but i'm not on benefits.... my husband is....
mand x

Yeh but you're on as a dependent on his claim by the look of it and you're of working age and are fit enough to be at work so they're within their rights to ask you to go to one. They're cracking down more and more with benefits now then what they used to and so people should expect something like this and just go along and see what's happening; it's unlikely that they will force you into work or anything but if you find out ways which to them may seem like you're trying to get around the system (and they see a lot of things like that as a lot of people try that and so that's what they're looking for. I'm not saying you are but they can't just assume everyone associated with benefits or on someones claim is honest) which isn't something that they'd look on favourably so if I were you I'd concentrate on chloe and 'the bump' for the moment rather than trying to 2nd guess what they may be wanting and just talk to them on the day or phone them beforehand and ask them in person. If you're being as truthful as you can be then you should have nothing to worry about and this to be honest is just normal.

i'm not even allowed to matt's appointments at the jobcentre, even when they are looking at my paperwork! i thought it was ridiculous, he had to take my ID in... but how could they know it was me as i wasn't allowed in to accompany it?

i'd expect these interviews if it were a joint claim and we were getting more money, as it is matt could sign off and the gov pay me the same amount for statutory maternity pay. we live off £90 a week from them at the mo, can't wait for matt to get a job.

I think the ID is just to prove you are real and not a fictitious add on to his claim. It's his claim so his meetings should be about him and his situation. Your situation is slightly different so you will have your own meeting to dicuss your individual options.

The Government would rather have you work and support your husband, than your husband to claim benefits, which is why (I assume) they want to you to have a Work Focused Interview.

I wouldn't turn your nose up at this interview just yet, it could really benefit you and your family. The scheme I belong to pay me £40 a week for the first year I am back at work as an incentive. That's on top of my wages, plus help with childcare costs...

i've just had my baby... yesterday.
no way ready to go back to work.

^ whoa, well congratulations!!!

Focus on the new arrival for now :) Plenty of time to go back to work in the future. Isn't you interview not til January anyway?

Anyways, enjoy the new little one :) xxxxx

I have no idea about benefits but the main point of my post .....

congrats on the new arrival!!!!

Loz x