35 hours a week looking fo work

[Ludos]

I'm separating from my husband and have been trying to get my finances in order. We had a joint claim for tax credits which I tried to amend to a single claim, however they have cancelled the claim and told me I need to apply for universal credit instead.

I've gone through the online process and its telling me I should be able to work 25 hours a week, with a commute of up to 90 mins. Or, I should be spending 35 hours a week actively looking for work.

I have 3 DC, all at different schools. One is a 40 min drive. I'm currently retaking my GCSE's to allow me to go on to do an access course. Am I going to have to stop studying?

My point is you could have challenged that decision, and you can't say that everyone will have a bad experience because you did.
I am genuinely sorry your work coach was so harsh but I think it's irresponsible to scare the OP when her experience might be different.

Ah i see good point carben.
Completely irrelevant then, as mocca claimed JSA and OP will be claiming UC.

I actually did challenging it but I found work in the meantime. if you read the news you may be aware that appealing decisions is not instant.

I am not scaring anyone. I am just sharing my experience with the JSA whilst having caring responsibilities. I don't understand your issue

If I read the news
I don't have an "issue", I'm just disagreeing.

moccaicecream were you claiming universal credit?

Are you able to work 25 hours a week? It might actually be easier doing that than spending 35 hours looking for work.

If I stop studying notsuchasmug

If I stopped studying notsuchasmug

Do you really need to study that much to get 2 GCSE’s?

Some people have got degrees whilst holding down full time jobs!

Sounds like you just don’t want to work, OP 🤫

Some people have got degrees whilst holding down full time jobs!

And some people need to really apply themselves to study/haven't studied for a long time/just aren't academic and need more time.

I am resisting the temptation to reply to the above as I don't think I can do without breaking guidelines.

OP, just found this which is helpful. You can claim UC while studying if you are a single parent.
www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-students

Cross post

You can claim UC as a single parent, you’ll still be expected to look for work as it’s part time studying that you’re doing, however your commitment to look for work may be adjusted to less than 25 hours per week. 25 hours per week is the maximum you’re expected to look or search for work.

Do you could say for example do the work search or work evenings and weekends

Also when you retake a GCSE you do it in year. So OP is cramming two years content and study into one year. When you do a degree part-time you can take up to 12 years, so you spread three years work over 6-12 years. It's a bit different.

When I was studying CAB told me UC can't ask you to stop studying but if you can't work X,Y,Z because of college and A and B because of kids and D because of revising etc they can say that you're not available for work and therefore not eligible for UC.

Saying that, my sister's UC advisor told her to leave work to study because she'd be better off financially. She's studying nursing and her kids are between 14 and 9.

Good luck with your GCSEs.
Good luck OP.

I meant. You can claim UC as a single parent that is studying either full or part time. Part time studying though you’ll be expected to look for work up to 25 hours but could probably get this adjusted due to your studying and childcare commitments.

GCSE is incredibly basic for anyone though surely?

OP probably only needs two grade C’s to get on her access course

Saying that, my sister's UC advisor told her to leave work to study because she'd be better off financially. She's studying nursing and her kids are between 14 and 9 if your sister is doing a degree, she won’t be financially better off claiming UC they take the student finance and loan into consideration as income and deduct it from the UC entitlement. Students on tax credits were better off financially.

@WitchesGlove OP may need grade B or above to go to uni, and not everyone finds studying easy.....

GCSE is incredibly basic for anyone though surely?

Not really, no. Some people take well to study, some people don't. Some can coast, some can't. For some, it depends on the subject. I can sail through English courses and ICT courses with minimal effort but ask me to sit a maths test or learn a language and I'd need to study hard to scrape a pass.

Also, OP, I'm doing a maths course and an IT course atm so if your GCSEs are in maths or IT and you get stuck message me and we can talk it through together. We could be virtual study buddies.

Thank you AnotherEmma, that link is reassuring.

Frequency - thank you for your kindness. I am doing Maths and Biology. Both I failed miserably at school, maths in particular I find incredibly difficult.

Witches - you're right. I don't want to work. I haven't for years, and am really struggling to see how I would manage with school runs, childcare and commuting whilst also getting my (basic) GCSE's on top of dealing with the separation from my husband - which, as it happens, I'm not coping with terribly well. The thought of sitting at a checkout, or the like, is terrifying me.

Witchesglove you are so funny

You have three children to support so working is going to have to quickly become the norm. You don’t need 12 hours to study for two GCSEs and millions work and manage to look after a house too.

If you don’t want o work why bother with uni? Surely the whole point is to gain a career from it.

You will he expected to work in exchange for UC. Being a student may have to go on hold until you can afford it.