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OH been made redundant - GUTTED !!

Morning ladies

Hope you're morning is going better than mine.

Just had a call from OH and redundundancies that he has avoided since January are now going ahead. Him and most of his section have been given till the end of next week !!!

Perfect timing - i will be 35 + 1 when he finishes. He's trying to be really positive that everything will be ok and says he'll have work come the following monday although nothing lined up. I have to admit i'm now worried sick. I finish work in less than 2 weeks now so my own salary will be reduced. He currently gets paid weekly so we might have to wait some time for some more money to come in.

To top it off, this is my 1st and he will now not be entitled to paternity leave when little one does arrive. How and I going to be able to cope on my own in the beginning?

I know I shouldn't worry for the babys sake but we have no back up financially or much outside support (family either no longer around or live too far away). I can't help thinking about the rough end of the deal !!!

Sorry to come on here and winge. Hopefully i'll feel a bit more cheery by the end of the day.

Sab x

Replies

  • Hi sab, I'm really sorry hun. I'm not in the same situation...I had to leave my job on the 1st may as I was threatened and wasn't safe for me and baby so my income has been reduced. Just wondering if you could take a payment holiday on your mortgage to cut down for monthly outgoings? Our bank allows 6 months but has given us 4 just till we get back on track. I'm going to temp straight after my wedding so that should bring in some pennies for me. Sorry if I've been no help at all xxx
  • poor you that's the last thing you need at this stage of pregnancy. hope fully things will be ok, he will be entitled to redundancy money though won't he? hope it all works out for you i'm sure it will, he will end up with a better job than before i;ve always found that although redundancy is awful to begin with it brings along opportunities that you would have missed if you'd stayed where you were. Em xx
  • Oh no, that is awful. Really feel for you. It's hard enough coping with mortgage, bills, day to day living etc when the woman is on maternity pay, let alone this happening to your oh. Is there any kind of statutory patenity pay that can be paid by the govt if oh hasn't been in employment long enough, or does that just apply to the mother? Or when he gets a new job lines up could he take 2 weeks hol as soon as baby is born? It's not idea I know. I think the best thing at the moment is call up your mortgage people and explain situation and get a few months payment hol while you sort yourselves out. My oh works in manufacturing and has the threat of redundancy at back of his mind all the time,
  • Im sorry..Thats really unfair and bad timing... How unfortunate... But he will get some kind of leave money or something wont he? Have you applied for the sure start mat grant that wil give you ??500 pounds I think.....? Do you think that maybe your fmaily could help by putting some cash into your accounts or something? What about some kind of income help from other places. Maybe he can get money being a job seeker.. I know it wont be much but will help. I hope everything works out for you... Amirah xo
  • Thanks Ladies, it's so lovely to have others to chat to.

    Unfortunatley we are not in a position to be able to own our own house and are currently renting privately. Planned to buy after I returned to work next year. Landlord is a friend of mine tho that I have rented from for the past 5 years so he might give us a month grace if I ask him nicely. Unfortunately OH hasn't worked for his company for 2 years (just under) so he isn't entitled to a payout so payday next friday is the last!!! As far as paternity leave is concerned he has to have been working for his employer for 15 weeks prior to birth to be entitled so he's lost that. I think the best we can hope for is that he will be in employment for 3/4 weeks, maybe a few more, and will be able to take a week or two unpaid leave. He's a labourer so their holiday works on a what's been accrued basis !!!

    I do have the option of a little overtime available at work so I could bring in a few more pennies in my June salary but i leave in 2 weeks time and really should be slowing down !!

    He's being so lovely and insists that he won't be out of work but I can't help but worry. It's all stressful enough as it is without this on my head too.

    I guess I could always return to work 5 minutes after baby arrives and let him stay at home - god now that would be an even worse scenario. I dread to think what my little one would grow into !!!! Sab x
  • Hi Sab, he should be entitled to his notice pay even if he isn't entitled to a redundancy payment. This should be in his contract of employment and if he has worked for them for over a year he should get 1 months notice pay. Also the company should have gone through a proper consultation with everyone effected, he should have a letter from them giving the reasons for the redundancy and an opportunity to apply for any other positions the company have. Even if some retraining is needed. Basically a company has to do all them can to try and prevent redundancies and if someone can be redeployed then thats something they have to do. They can offer a position on a trial 4 week period for him to decide whether its for him or not.

    What kind of job does he do? Monster jobs and total jobs are good sites to look for jobs.

    Best of luck to you both, as a door closes another one opens and you never know he may end up with a much better job in the end and then all your worries are over.

    Liz xx
  • Hi Liz

    thank you for your reply. Unfortunately he has been working on the new terminal at Heathrow and the job is pretty much at an end so there is nothing else he can move to. He is absolutely convinced he will find more work and i'm sure he will pretty quickly but I can't help worrying !! Fortunately for the company his notice is 1 week (which will be next week) and he will be paid for that at the end of it !!!

    Fortunatley for us I am the most organised person I have ever know and everything needed for the baby is already sat in our spare room so we should be ok on my holiday/90% pay for the next 8 weeks and then worry about it from then !!!

    Sab x
  • You must be going out of your mind with worry, sorry that doesnt help does it? Im worried i wont have a job to go back to and what im gonna do for money as a single parent. Dont worry you will cope if ur oh has to go back to work us mums just do, i did with my first as my oh wasnt with the company long enough to get paternity pay, he would take time off this time even tho we are not together as we get along ok but he runs his own business now so its hard for him to take time away, so ill be on my own too with baby and a 5 year old image I know its hard but try not to worry for ur sake as well as the baby!
  • Thank you

    I will try my best. I really don't know how single parent s do it. It's only just dawning on me that i will have a little one to look after anyway but with no help whilst oh is working!!!! Might have to move my dad in for a week or two!!!

    Either way i'm just about to become a MUMMY so I really can't complain. Little one with have whatever we are able to give it. Only the bare essentials cost money !!!

    Sab x
  • Your mum thing will kick in and and youll cope fine on your own trust me, you just get on with it. Im not saying its easy tho lol. Babys dont cost too much when they are here its the preparing bit that costs the most. once you have the equipment the maintainence isnt as bad haha.
  • hey sorry to hear about that. but u are entitled to benefits and if u go to ur local job centre they will pay u maternity pay of 90% of ur wage if u have not been with ur employee for long or u have no job or ur hours are not enough cal ya job centre and make an appointment u will be amazed what they can offer u good luck and try not to get urself stressed x
  • Hiya Sorry to hear about your shite situation. Just a thought - when blokes have not worked for the set amount of time to claim paternity from the employer they can claim it from the government. I am sure this will apply to your OH so it might be worth having a chat to citizens advice or looking online.
  • sorry to hear of your situation don't forget that as well as the benefits already mentioned you maybe able to get housing & council tax benefit and as well, my mum is on a low income gets it and as privately renting too. is there any chance your o/h could appeal against the decision as someone at my o/h work did and got paid whilst it was looked into. I'm sure if your o/h is positive about getting other work he will good luck x
  • thank you so much for your replies. Starting to feel better about it already. Hopefully things will work out and quickly. i'll look into all the benefits on line over the weekend. I have monday off work to so i'll go and collect whatever forms I/he will need.

    Sab x
  • don't forget that you are still working (even while you're on maternity leave) you entitled to apply for working tax credit as well as child tax credit. They're really helpful if you ring them, r emember to tell them about being pregnant, they give you an allowance of ??100/month for each month of maternity leave which you deduct from your total income. And if you're eligible for more than the 'family element' of the child tax credit then you qualify for the Sure Start Grant which is ??500. Good luck, don't put off finding out about the benefits because once you're in receipt of one you start to qualify for more.
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