To push ds into claiming

If OPs son is living at home he had take literally any full time job which suits him and he won't have to worry about it coving the bills at home. My work offers production line work on a short term contract with much better conditions than retail and you are free to resign if you wish. There must be similar jobs OPs son could look for.

My DC also just finished uni and staying there in accommodation until August too. The difference is they’ve always had a zero hours job in uni city so now working practically full time until accommodation move out date. They’ve also got a grad job starting September for which they interviewed back in January.

Lots of students will have gone home for the summer so there’ll be plenty of retail or bar work to pick up. Then a similar job at home until a graduate opportunity comes up. No need for Universal Credit.

Actually it shows no such thing if he's not yet secured even a random job, didn't apply to any grad schemes at the appropriate time and hasn't even completed a CV - instead it suggests someone who's determined to put off working for as long as he can

Worse still, future employers in whatever his chosen field is are going to want to know what he's done with this time, and the above isn't going to look good

Again OP, is he expected to pass his course? Have you asked him?

This. This is just good parenting.

That's the crux of it I don't want me or his dad to pay out anymore so I do want him to either claim in the short term or get a job quickly

So in a nutshell you gave him poor advice not to bother working yet now you have to fund the consequences of the advice you provided you prefer instead to let the taxpayer do it.....

Are you serious? My DD1 has just finished uni and is waiting for results to apply for a "proper job". She is also staying in her accommodation until end Aug.
She is however waitressing full time to support herself in the meantime.
I can't believe your first instinct was for a fit healthy young man to claim benefits.

He can't claim JSA without NI contributions on his record.

If he doesn’t live there and the dad lives alone then the dad can claim single parent discount.

Sorry if not clear, I meant why is DS's dad claiming the council tax discount in the first place if DS lives elsewhere and is surely claiming it there?

Who said he cba just because he needs help whilst seeking work. He's been extremely busy with his studies

My DS is in the midsts of finals and has been very busy with his studies.

Yet he still managed to apply for multiple paid internships where he worked over the summer holidays and graduate recruitment schemes.

This summer he will be interning again before starting a masters degree (so still technically a student) after completing which he already has a guaranteed job offer from the company he working for (assuming he gets the required grade - which he will cos he will work his socks off).

He is not unique in this. All his uni housemates and friends from home have done similar and made plans/applications and got ducks in a row WELL before getting results (basically from year 1 of uni).

People are not benefit bashing.

They are understandably questioning why your son has failed to get his act together and in light of that, you think the taxpayer should fund his lack of motivation and effort.

Well some need a little time to find thier feet everybody's different and follow different routes.

They can do this while working in a bar / cafe / gardening / building site or whatever.

Having employment & planning your longer-term future are not mutually exclusive.

You've babied him

That was some of the worst advice you could have given him. The uni holidays are the best time to be gathering work experience. Lots of students do internships to build relationships with companies and get relevant work experience. Others work part time jobs which are still valuable and demonstrate a good work ethic and transferable skills. It’s a waste not having done anything during this time. He’s going to be competing for graduate jobs against all those who did put the effort in to gain experience whilst studying and/or during the holidays. We get over 200 applicants for each of our graduate jobs, we don’t even look at the ones without work experience as we don’t need to, we have plenty who made the effort.

UC is a pittance, plus the Job Centre make you apply for everything going. No one just stays on benefits when they are fit for work.
Plus, OP said herself that she is struggling financially, so her son could contribute to the household if he claims.

Surely his Uni will have told him about the grad schemes? Most will have finished recruiting by now for a September start but there may be a few around still. If he's staying in his Uni accommodation until August then he needs to be looking at bar work, hospitality or any job. Zero hours or more. Or he could sign up with some recruitment agencies, they often have warehouse work and temp roles that would suit a move in August. He needs to be keeping a good eye on indeed ect for jobs.

Sidenote: why is DS's dad council tax going up in the first place? If your DS lives elsewhere, surely that's the household his council tax exemption should apply to?

The problem with knowing there’s a safety net there is that there’s just not as much incentive to find a job.

I agree. Universal credit for a single person is so low that no one is going to stay on it long by choice. Working just 10 hours a week for minimum wage would give you more money than universal credit does. I don’t think we need to worry ourselves that the ops son is destined for a life on benefits.

Who said he cba just because he needs help whilst seeking work. He's been extremely busy with his studies

So has every other final year student, and most will have still found some time to plan ahead.

I agree. It was a while back that I went to uni, but I didn't meet anyone at uni who had never worked at all. Everyone worked - either during term time or the holidays, or both.

The fact that he hasn't even worked in the holidays doesn't reflect well on his work ethic (and it won't impress employers). Yes, he might need to claim UC, but his highest priority should definitely be finding paid employment - first something casual to tide him over, and then something more long term.

But it’s probably because they just lazily send a CV to a few companies and hope for the best.

when I finished uni it didn’t even cross my mind to get benefits or similar. I needed money so I sent HUNDREDS of tailored cvs for roles and asked every single friend or acquaintance I had if they knew of a role going etc. and while at I was uni I worked in a bar.

someone I know with a recent graduate and child who graduated a few years ago has them both at home not working because the former is just too lazy “it’s too difficult” and the latter thought the job he found was “boring”.

These people are the future of the economy….