17 year old, pregnant, I loathe my local JC+

Client is 17, 39 weeks pregnant - unable to work as a result of late pregnancy.  She has tried to claim IS, and been “advised” by the YP advisor that because she lives with her parents, they can support her & baby!

Obviously not the case, & we’ve supported her to start a new claim, now being advised by JC+ she can’t claim until baby’s birth.

Not really looking for any advice, but just want to rant. What is wrong with them?

Rant entirely justified. I have a 16 year old client who was told repeatedly by the under 18s adviser at a local JC that she could not claim IS on the grounds she cares for her mother who has claimed PIP and is waiting for a decision. Eventually got that sorted out and she got IS; she then got a letter from them before Christmas saying there was no record of her claiming Carer’s Allowance and if she didn’t do so by 5 Jan they would count it as notional income..

Has her mother had a PIP decision? Has she *******. She only claimed in July, after all we can’t expect miracles. She did have a home visit for an assessment on 30 December which is jolly speedy by Atos standards round here.

And, of course, the 16 year old has now reached the end of the 26 weeks IS entitlement.

I’m beginning to loathe them all.