Sorry to keep coming on here for advice but I find the breadth of knowledge on here so wonderful. My daughter has recently split up from her husband.She has 2 children. One is only 6 months old. She is currently on maternity leave from her job at a care home. She works 16 hours on saturday and sundays. Because of the difficulty in getting child care at weekends It is unlikely she will be able to continue to work once her maternity leave is finished. I work weekends too so wont be able to have the kids.

She went to see about the benefits she will get yesterday and was told that if she doesn't go back to work then she will be making herself voluntarily jobless and so she will not get any money for 26 weeks. Surely that can't be right? How can she support 2 young children with no money at all? Her husband although he doesn't work has said he won't look after the kids and has not seen them since they split up. She is due to go back to work in a couple of weeks although that may be delayed for a few weeks as she is likeley to be signed off sick as she still has an open wound in her abdomen following surgery in November.

Does anyone know if this is correct?

It always used to be a 6 week wait for benefits if you resigned your job, but things change all the time. Are you sure she didn't mishear the number?

She needs to make an appointment with the Citizens Advice Bureau ASAP as I believe it is quite a wait and they can help her with work questions, and about what money she is due off the husband.
I believe that if they were married then she is entitled to maintenance for herself, along with money for the children, from the husband.
If she can afford it, a visit to a solicitor might be wise.

Regarding the open wound, is her GP happy for her to go back to a nursing home like that ? And had she been sent back to the surgeon for an opinion ?

A person with care of young children is not required to be available for work, (though it is no longer up to 16) she needs to contact the Benefits people direct (by phone these days) so she speaks to the right people as the job centre deal primarily with those required to sign on.

Also she can still get benefits if she is a Part time worker, again the number of hours may have changed, used to be 30 hours for single parents.

I used to work for the DHSS, but they have changed a lot of things. http://www.dwp.gov.uk/adviser/updates/changes-to-benefits-for-lone/ link lower on page: https://www.gov.uk/income-support

> I believe that if they were married then she is entitled to maintenance for herself, along with money for the children, from the husband.

Husband is a lying cheating SOB who can't hold down a job, and who now won't even see the kids let alone pay any maintenance. He is trying to scrounge money off my daughter as he is not working. the lowlife even emptied the kids money boxes of the few coppers they contained on his way out. I think the chances of her getting any money from him are less than a snowballs chance in. ,... Well you get the idea.

> Regarding the open wound, is her GP happy for her to go back to a nursing home like that ? And had she been sent back to the surgeon for an opinion ?

regsarding the open wound that is an ongoing saga and I have posted on here before about it. I do have some more questions about how to get her some decent treatment for her but that will have to wait for now as I have too much to do.

> A person with care of young children is not required to be available for work, (though it is no longer up to 16)

kids are 6 months &4. She doesn't want to give up her job but can't see any other option. Child minders round here only seem to work Monday - friday. She can't change the days she works. She has already asked that.

Have you/she contacted the PALS group about her treatment in hospital ?  

Still having an open wound after such a long time is surely neglect, if they haven't seen her?

I would think that her GP would be reluctant to allow her to go back to work in such an environment with an open wound.

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/?gclid=CI3QipD6sLYCFUbMtAodBSIA uw try ringing these people they are more than helpful. for benefit advice.
Around here getting to see CAB  is next to impossible so I have used the above people and phoned benefit line.
As someone said job centres dont have the knowledge available nor are trained to give it, hence how the insited that when my husband was trying to claim jsa they insisted that  I also signed on although I have a job.
Ringing the benfits people direct soon sorted that mess out

Any info on housing benefits/ council tax can be obtained from her local council unless she has a
mortgae in which case only interest payments can be covered by I think that is after 26 weeks
Housing benefit is stll available a reduction of 25% for being an only adult in the home and possibly more as she is on a low income
There is definitley a waiting period if you hand your notice in rather than being dismissed I thought it was currently 13 weeks but given the fact she has such young children may get round that

Just had a thought with her open wound should the doctor be signing her off for sick leave given the possible infection risks and how uncomfortable she must feel.
I presume that they have done mrsa swabs and have looked at other infections too
It would also mean defferring any resignation until later and she would be able to claim ssp/esa   in the mean while

The reason I mentioned the wound is because it may be a way to get her on a sick note, and so not working.

I have been in this situation and believe me, its like hell on earth, you mourn the loss of your marriage, the partnership, the security and the fact that you just have to keep on going to keep life 'normal' for very young children who just don't understand. Meanwhile it feels like the whole world just keeps on turning whilst yours feels like it has ended. Not everyone who's partner leaves them, expects it to happen, plans for that eventuality when creating a baby with the person you love and expects to need benefits.

Newyork, the CAB are brilliant for sorting out the maze of support, they deal with all benefits so see how they all fit together.

I agree, having been there myself a long time ago....I was lucky my parents helped with childcare while I found a job and my ex did pay maintenance. I had to borrow money to keep the house for my daughter and me , start earning enough to pay a mortgage on my own etc   The worst thing of all is suddenly finding you are the sole provider pretty much for your children and that every decision you make you will have to make it alone.  Its hard, I wish her luck and support when she needs it ...if she can somehow find a way to work it will help her long term

> have you ever been in the situation where your OH has left you, with two young children? Decided not to support them or even see them?

Yep I have been in exactly that position, 22 years ago, as have many people, and got sick to death of the media constantly saying single parents were what is wrong with society.  Some of us never chose to be in that situation, but did our best with what life dealt us.

Don't know if this might help: https://www.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

My daughter has had an awful couple of years. She married a man she loved and trusted. She had no idea  what he was like or she would not have married him in the first place but like a lot of people he was very good at keeping things hidden and talking his way out of trouble. She was taken in by him and so was I. It is only now when we look back we can see so many things that should have warned us. But when you love and trust someone you don't always realise what is going on.

I know my daughter does not want to be reliant on the state for support but at this precise moment she does not have a choice. She has always worked and paid her taxes, and I have no doubt she will again. She is on maternity leave for now and this will change to sick leave  if the wound is still not healed when her maternity leave finishes. She is discussing with her employer a shift change which will make it easier for her to get childcare so she can return to work.

I was myself a single parent and for a while I had to rely on the state for support. But returned to work as soon as I could. Since then I have paid plenty of tax and NI. As has my other daughter and my youngest is at Uni studying so hopefully she will get a well paid job and also pay tax. I know there are some people who just take from the state but my daughter and the rest of my family are not like that.

Incidentally it appears the information she was given was wrong and as she is a single parent  she does not have to be available for work and would be eligible for benefits straight away but she is currently trying to reorganise her life so she does not have to do this. Lets hope Odie remembers this post should her (his?) life ever fall apart around her ears.

please dont feel you have to explaim or excuse your daughters situation
Life can deal us a rough hand and we do the best we can with that situation. In this country we are lucky  we have the welfare state with all its faults
I hope things work out for your daughter ans in time she can move on from this horrible time