To ask advice from people on zero hour contracts?

[breadstixandhommus]

I'll keep this brief as I have thread all over the place (not specifically about this but it's involved in them) and I'm aware that I'm taking up too much cyber space

As of 1st July my DP is going onto a zero hour contract. He has only had 2 weeks notice that this was happening so we haven't had time to really plan anything. There is background to this, which I will happily put forward if anyone is interested, but I have promised to keep it brief!!

How do people on zero hour contracts cope financially? Do you claim benefits? How does that work if, one week, you do lots of hours so get paid ok but, the next week, you don't work at all so get nothing? And, if you pay/receive CM, how on earth do you calculate a regular amount?!

This is a new situation to us, I have been in FT, permanent employment for many years, as has DP, but things have taken a bit of a drastic turn in the past couple of weeks which was totally unexpected!

Any advice welcome

[Leafitout]

It can work for flexibility reasons but in my experience I would not entertain it. Some weeks I would have clients to visit as a care assistant home support worker. And other weeks I would only have 3 15 minutes calls to do in a week. Basically my rent was mounting up and I was going to loose the roof over our heads. And I had to stop the job and claim full benefits.

[breadstixandhommus]

Thank you leaf

I'm not sure this has been dealt with in the correct way tbh, it seems DP has had no time at all to consider any options or look for something else as recruitment seems to take months from application-starting.

Would short term benefits be an option or would it get far too complicated?

[elderflowerlemonade]

Not sure - it depends on how many hours he'd be likely to get, doesn't it?

I know in my job some women have complained recently they've lost their hours but this is going from 45-50 to 35-40 so no need to claim benefits.

[breadstixandhommus]

At the moment elderflower there are no guaranteed hours. He was contracted 40 hours pw but regularly worked 50+. He has no hours after Wednesday

It might be ok, he might get just as many hours, but I don't like uncertainty.

[Leafitout]

Zero hours will come with uncertainty unfortunately. Employers say they can garentee you a working week but this is not always the case. And can leave you living hand to mouth. Not to sure about short term benefits. Just that zero hours can be a nightmare hence the reason I left my job.