I am a british citizen and my wife is Polish. We have been married just over 2 years but we have been together for 5. My wife came to the UK in April 2004 and we met and moved in together in September 2004. My step son who is 11 now joined us in December 2004. My wife registered at the home office in May 2004 and worked on and off for a couple of years. She has not worked for the last 3 years as I was the bread winner. I was on income-based JSA for the first time in September 2008 and found work in June 2009. The IB-JSA was in joint names. We also have child tax credits in joint names but the money is paid to me. Only me has the child benefit. Council Tax and rent (council housing) is also in our joint names.

In september 2009 I lost my job and applied for IB-JSA in joint names. We received housing and council tax benefits. The job centre is now refusing to award ib-jsa in joint names as they wanted us to proof that my wife in entitled to receive public funds. They informed us to check her passport she used when she came from Poland in 2004.

Unfortunately, she renewed her passport since and we no longer have her old one. The new passport has also expired and the Polish embassy are not recognising the english marriage certificate and refusing to renew it again.

We are left in a dilema. My wife does not have travelling documents anymore and the job centre will not help even though we were entitled to ib-jsa between Sep 2008 and jun 2008. The job centre told us that they will only award ib-jsa to me as a single applicant which means the 3 of us have to manage on £64 a week for food, travel and bills.

We feel bitter and angry at the job centres decision as my wife (when she worked) and I paid taxes and national insurance. Specially me, I was in the 40% tax bracket and over the last 30 years of working and paying my taxes, i find myself in a position where i cannot support my family. This is unjust and unfair.

This government is determined on breaking up fand destroying amilies with their stupid red tap rules.

Does anyone sitting at the house of commons claiming false expenses from tax payers like me realise what they are doing to families like mine? I doubt it and if they knew, they would not give a damn.