To ask if you can claim benefits in the uk by doing this?

What a joke. It's a total piss take on taxpayers.

I am in receipt of UC and study part time, DH works full time on slightly less than £33k. I don't work. Also in receipt of CB, SCP, CDP and CA. When all household income is added up it comes to around £50k in total.

@nearlymrs

so you're almost always better off working

From a purely income tax/NIC/UC perspective, then probably yes. But when other benefits are in play, i.e. free prescriptions, rate relief, child benefit, free childcare, etc etc., then that's not always the case and earning a little bit more can mean you have to pay for prescriptions, or higher council tax, or lose some child benefit, or lose some free childcare etc., so you can end up worse off by working more. You need to crunch the numbers for the individual's own circumstances.

Despite the amazing, generous Scandi system much coveted on here…

It depends on lots of factors- but it's not as simple as working less to claim more. UC wouldn't replace a wage £ for £, so you're almost always better off working. (I say almost because I think in some situations with disability involved, you're not necessarily better off financially.)

OH works full time, I work part time. We have 2 children, one disabled so our claim includes the disabled child element and the carer element. We rent privately. Our household income is a good amount more than your husband's 33k and we get a small amount of UC most months (income varies due to overtime so some months our award is £0.)

For most benefits, you have to be "habitually resident" in the UK. That usually means having been present for at least a month, sometimes 3 months.

@reqder

For an idea see turn2us benefits calculator.

Check your eligibility prior to arrival, if you have never paid tax and NI in the U.K. you may be ineligible for a period of time.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/getting-benefits-if-youve-recently-moved-to-the-UK/

Phone the citizens advice bureau for any queries on the above.

What people are due is complex and depends on No of children, childcare costs, renting or homeowner, disabled people in the household and so on. You can see a list of benefits here.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/

You can if you're on a reduced combined income (£30,326) and you both have less than 9,000 in the bank. It's not very much, and it's so expensive living in the uk.

Can I move to Finland and claim benefits if I work part-time?

Yes that makes sense. I wonder if part time jobs are less common too. We have a lady in our team who works 3 days a week and claims UC. I'm not sure if she would like to work more or not but I do know we only advertised it at three days a week.

How does the benefits system work in Finland?
What if a single mother could only find part time work or she could only work part time due to lack of childcare?

As far as I’m aware the childcare situation in Finland/Denmark etc is far better than the UK.
Staff are highly qualified, well paid and childcare is cheap.

Once you’re able to satisfy the tests and are entitled to benefit you don’t even have to reside in the U.K. Our benefit system is not fit for purpose.

If you haven't lived or worked in the UK for the last 28 weeks you may not be entitled to anything

How does the benefits system work in Finland?
What if a single mother could only find part time work or she could only work part time due to lack of childcare?

Source?

Benefits are calculated on household income not individual income. If you work part time then your DH and your income will probably above the threshold. Best not to rely on benefits with an election looming.

There is a problem - taxpayers are paying for it. No wonder this country is in a mess. The sooner we have benefit reform the better.

I'd second this.
Also, I'd make sure you all have Finish passports so you can leave if you need to. You don't want to get trapped here.

Depends how old your kids are. If your kids are over 3 you will be expected to either work 30 hours pw or to look for work that is those hours
You will get child benefit.

depends how old the DC are. After a certain age (3? but not sure). You will need to find full time employment at some point if you are depending on UC or there will be sanctions. Also, the UK benefits are much less generous than Finland. You are going to get the shock of your life when you will have to pay for childcare and see the general state of the educational system. I would stay put and not move - not if you have DC. 33k isn't going to stretch very far.

is your DH British? if he is Finnish, you won't be able to bring him over in NY case as you need to earn a certain salary.

Everything wrong with this country in a nut shell. Get a job and contribute to society a bit rather than draining our benefits system as soon as you get off the plane.

Legally speaking you can't, ie if the DWP think you have deliberately reduced your income in order to claim benefits they can deem you ineligible and not pay you. However it's very difficult to prove so it's rarely enforced (eg working fewer hours due to childcare issues would be a valid reason)

In reality the current benefit system is unreliable - a delay before you can claim (not backdated), often paid incorrectly leaving people having to pay back benefits, affected if you get paid twice in one pay period (regardless of your overall income) etc - it's not an easy way to manage when you're working.

It depends on your partner's wage. I work very part time and claim UC whilst my husband works. It has saved a lot in childcare.

It might depend on how long you have been out of the UK though if you are eligible?

It would depend on age of children, income ,