Talk

When you were doing the calculation based on working 36 hours, did you enter your estimated childcare costs into the calculator?

www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Childcare-overview-Universal-Credit

Yes. Monthly take home roughly -

P/t 20 hours
1000 earnings
450 UC

F/t 36 hours
1400 earnings
750 UC
-650 childcare

I think the figures look right unfortunately, as I understand it

You would be earning an extra £400
You lose 63p in UC for every pound you earn, so - £252
- £650 childcare
But you can claim 85% of the childare cost back, so £552

So £400 - £252 - £650 + £552 = £50

You would be £50 better off which is the same result the calculator has come back with

Happy to be corrected!

Thank you for checking.

But with UC there is conditionality. You will be expected to be spending time looking for full time work and may be required to go the job centre etc.

It isn't just about the money. It's about the position you'll be in a few years time. There's very few careers on your salary that allow you to progress up the ladder working pt. Ft you might not be better off much now, but in a few years promotion could mean you are. Not to mention when he's older and you don't have much choice but to work ft.

The only way I'd say that pt is the better option long term is if you intend to use the free time for qualifications.

And on that income even £600 a year could make a significant difference.

I am not sure if this will help....

www.theweek.co.uk/62330/universal-credit-who-will-win-and-lose-from-the-new-system

Your take home pay doesn't seem tI stack up. Working 16h extra per week would gain much more than £400/month (even taking tax and pension into account).

I have also tried out a £35k job (assuming I could get back to similar level) that requires a commute and it wouldn't leave me much better off but is a logistical nightmare. (Difft school drop offs, difft childminders).

I know long term it's better but DC are very young, one not yet at school, and quite a bit of weekend time with their dad so I'd barely see them. So need to weigh up immediate needs.

Would I be under pressure from dwp immediately to find full time hours? I've no idea what is required.

I'll go double check my figures.

I'm slightly out. It'd be about £500 extra going full time rather than £400. But that extra hundred would be £35 altogether as the difference would be reflected in the UC I receive.

All things equal, spend more time with the kids. They grow up fast.

The only way I'd say that pt is the better option long term is if you intend to use the free time for qualifications. I know that sounds easy but actually between 9 and 2.30 I'd be working 4 hours each day so it's not lots of free time, it's time with DC.

Conditionality is 20 hours until your child is 13.

Youngest child.

Thanks for clarifying.