Hi everyone,

You may have seen these miscellaneous amendments on Rightsnet. Amongst other things, they extend the circumstances in which a joint claim couple for JSA do not have to make a joint claim, from 15 weeks after a pregnancy ends to 28 weeks (presumably in line with the 39 weeks of MA or SMP a working couple might get).

I am assuming that the reason why a similar extension has not been made in IS Schedule 1B is that there, 15 weeks after a baby is born, a person will either continue to fit into another IS category (eg lone parent), or not. Similarly, in JSA, where a baby survives, the couple will normally be responsible for a child and therefore not be a joint claim couple.

So presumably this extension is for circumstances where there is a stillbirth or a baby dies/is taken into care?

My interest is in under 18 couples, who are not joint claim couples for JSA, but must both meet either IS or JSA conditions to get the couple rate when they are not responsible for a child. Could these young people lose out if the pregnancy ends, they are not responsible for a child, and for them it is still 15 weeks after birth that they both have to sign on again (unless one of them falls in another IS category)? Of course if this is a discrepancy, it's not necessarily just something that's been missed - could be intentional as the government want them to be looking for work/a training place.

Not urgent, but if anyone has any theories or insider information I'd be interested.

Also, a more general point:

a single person on JSA who moves onto IS at 29 weeks pregnant can only be on IS for 15 weeks after a pregnancy ends - I can find nothing to suggest that this is changing.

A woman in this situation would have to go back onto JSA whereas if in a couple, either she or her partner would not have to meet the jobseeking conditions for a further 13 weeks (from April).

Any thoughts?