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[Louise]

If you are laid off from your job temporarily (put on short time) when you are 16 weeks pregnant and go on job seekers allowance, are you still expected to look for work, even though it could be a risk to your pregnancy and you have a job to go back to in a couple of months anyway? Or do they not push you to look for work?

[steven]

Hi Louise
You say put on "short time" do you have an employer or not?
Normally you would have 12 weeks to find a job in what you do with JSA, this would then take you beyond the 28week mark, then you can switch your claim from JSA to income support.
Hope that helps

[Louise]

Short time as in laid off temperarily, but you do have a job to go back to. I heard that if you were pregnant, they don't push you to look for work even if you are on job seekers allowance.

[Administrator]

You should get aguarantee payment for up to 5 days at about £20 while laid off?

Jobseekers will expect you to available and activly seeking employment while signing on.

If your laid off with no work you ahve the option of asking for redundancy?
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[Louise]

Yeah, we get the 5 days lay off pay and no, redundancy is not an option where we work.

Ok, suppose we have gone back to work after being laid off and there is only a few weeks to go before you get to the 28 weeks in your pregnancy. Suppose there are no light jobs they can give you at work, only heavy jobs, which you shouldn't really be doing when pregnant. What happens then? Would the job centre let you leave your job and claim job seekers for a few weeks untill it is time to change onto income support?

[Administrator]

The employer should carry out a risk assessment, if this says you cannot continue working due to the risk and nothing else is available, you are sent home on full pay.
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