To think UC's new AET is fucking ridiculous?

The DWP wants you to get off UC by working full-time, also fill the childcare gap after the last administration closed Sure Start centres with a bang, allowed pre-school nurseries to charge the earth for a place, and take care of any family members suffering from diminishing health, dementia, etc, because the Social Care system has gone to pot.

If the founders of the Welfare State could see the way things have gone they might well decide to re-open the Workhouses.

OP needs to be earning the minimum amount. She is not doing this
If she wants top ups from the tax payer she either needs more hours at the job she is at. A better paid job orba job that is more than 18 hors now equivalent. Its not much to ask of people that are getting UC

This is insane. You cannot MAKE an employer give you more hours, pay you more if the resources aren't there. You may very well get a P45 if your employer feels you are being a pest and they decide to employ someone younger and cheaper and less of a nuisance.

Plus, if you are on zero hours contract you cannot do much about it.

JobCentres do not operate in the real world. I sometimes think the staff should be made to live on UC for say, six months. I think it would make them a little bit more compassionate to be on the clients side of the desk.

I'm on UC. Working more than 16 hours does not impact it. You've been told wrong. The more you earn, the better off you are on UC.

Hi, that's what my post says. Some people won't work more than 16 hours because that will impact on their UC. If they stay at 16 hours, their benefits aren't impacted. This is info I have received from people who are receipt of UC

Spot on and there are several people who work FT on minimum wage ( or slighter over) who need to work OT to keep going. Whilst others have no intention of ever working more than 16 hours (irrespective of changes in circumstances). The system seems very unfair. Whilst benefits should support people as an interim, for many it becomes a permanent way of life with an associated sense of entitlement.

@Beezknees that's good for you. However we are not talking about you personally we are talking generally. I'm glad you manage you sound wonderful 😊

@Beezknees

The previous AET was the equivalent of 16 hours at min wage.

16 hours does NOT impact benefits under UC. You have incorrect information.

I'm a 1 parent household and managed it.

16 hours is not a thing any more under UC. That was tax credits. There is no set amount of hours to work with UC, you just need to earn a certain amount.

One of reform's policies was to increase the personal allowance to £20k wasn't it?

Is that 35 hours at minimum wage?

Can guarantee that the OP isn't paying tax on her wages as they are well under personal allowance. Just like anyone who is doing the minimum 18 hours at minimum wage will be under personal allowance so not paying tax so that argument goes nowhere.

Not free money. People on UC will pay tax with their wages.

A one off appointment to review your situation really isn’t much to expect when you are getting free money every month.

Same here. I can put my youngest in nursery but would still have to collect my oldest who is six at 3.15. Hence the difficulty in being able to work lots.

Problem is surely not every one can have a well paying career. We actually need people in lower paid jobs as well as the higher jobs.

We need bin men as much as we need teachers and doctors and check out staff. The lorry driver who delivers your food to Tesco and the warehouse staff who loaded that lorry.

Sometimes those jobs are zero hours or temp only in say warehousing.

quoted the wrong person haha.

Oh But that's sooo mean.... remember they care about their children and couldn't possibly go to work and use childcare like others have to...

What's this got to do with job vs career?

The logic is quite simple: people should do their best to minimise their reliance on state benefits, not actively choose to do the bare minimum.

I think UC is a better system in terms of avoiding over payments. You have to pay your childcare upfront and this ends up costing hundreds! That isn't going to get people to work more... so that part needs looking at.

Self employed earnings don't count towards the AET so this wouldn't work anyway

I also had massive over payment from tax credits.
No problems with universal credit I’m better off with it as housing is included instead of having to claim housing separately and having to send endless reams of paperwork to prove my eligibility monthly to the point I stopped bothering.
UC pays more towards childcare too.
20 hours a week is not much especially term time only.
Ive always worked more than that as a single parent.

We Ended up with a 4k overpayment. Was getting £20 a week make it make sense 😂 All payee too.

Thank you. I worked full time as a single parent also and OT when I could to keep the boat afloat. I'm unsure how the benefits system works but I do know of people who claim UC and won't work anymore than 16 hours as it impacts on their benefits. Seems like a disincentive to get off benefits. I appreciate all people's circumstances are different

How?