Refused Family Income Supplement

fupduck

Hi all, I am hoping that somebody can help point me in the right direction.
My situation is basically this.
I am a divorced mother of two, have always worked, and was made redundant last July. I am lucky in that I only signed on for two weeks, before getting a new job, and this is where the problem starts.
I now work part-time ( still looking for full time work, applied to every suitable job online, even got interviews).
I have a 20 hour a week contract, and work 4 hrs per day, 5 days per week , early mornings. As I work over 5 days, I am not entitled to JSB.
I applied in September for Family Income Supplement, and after numerous telephone calls, have been informed that I have been refused, on the basis that I haven't worked enough hours.
Apparently if I was paid by the week, I would have to prove 19 hrs worked, If I get paid bi-weekly I would have to prove 38 hrs worked, but because I get paid by the month, the maths changes, they calculate as follows;
19 hrs x 52 weeks = 988 hrs , this is then divided by 12 months which is equal to 82.33 hours.
According to all the qualifying criteria you have to be working 19 hrs per week, which in a given 4 week period means that a person on weekly pay has to prove 76 hrs paid employment, but I am being asked to prove 82.33 hrs!
On a 20hr contract, I cannot make up 82.33 hours in a four week period, which is mostly how I get paid. (per calendar month)
How is this fair? I have worked at least the required 76 hrs in the four week period, but been turned down.
I am trying to stay in employment, but at this stage I am actually financially less well off than if I didn't work at all
I understand how they have come up with this figure, and if I was on a salaried position rather than hourly paid , this would work, but I am not, and my pay schedule is worked out over a calendar month, not a 12th of a year.
Has anybody else had this problem, and if so , how do I get sorted?
We are in dire straits at the moment, and the very nice lady and gentlemen in the Citizens Information Centre couldn't get their heads around this either . Any help or advice would be sincerely and gratefully received.
Thank you for reading

naysayer

You are being asked to prove at least 82.33 hours worked in a calendar month, so your payslip for January should suffice.

From what you said, in January you would have worked:
2nd - 6th = 5 x 4hrs.
9th - 13th = 5 x 4hrs.
16th - 20th = 5 x 4hrs.
23rd - 27th = 5 x 4hrs.
30th & 31st = 2 x 4hrs.

totalling 88 hours in the month.

fupduck

They need more than one month, and as I will only meet this criteria 4 times in a year , they have turned me down, it's the unfairness of it that kills me.
I will have to appeal, so after almost 6 months waiting for this decision, I have to start again to argue my case

naysayer

This should work for at least 7 months out of 12.

The only months for which it will not work are February, and any 30 day month beginning on a Saturday.

So, it will always work for the majority of months in a year.
Perhaps that would help your argument.

Although, I think it would be very unfair for the denial of your claim to be based on something so trivial.

Very best of luck with it anyway.

fupduck

Thanks, I think I am going to have a fight on my hands though

mp22

What dose your P60 show for last year ie- hours payed for, over how many days per month?

LegacyUser

Are my entitled to fis I work 33 hours and am a parent to 2 children

cee_jay

Zombie thread closed