Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Can you get universal credit for being a SAHM if husband works f/t?

522 replies

faultywiring · 11/04/2023 12:25

I am a SAHM and dh works full time, only min wage but he does about 50 hours.
Would I be able to get Universal credit and stay at home dc are 5 and 7 both at school.
I don't want job seekers as I'm not looking for jobs but just wondering if UC was an option or if I'd be expected to look for work?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
Singapore4 · 12/04/2023 22:11

@NewNovember just because motherhood defines you as person. It doesn't define me.

Tomorrowisagesaway · 12/04/2023 22:50

How many jobs do people think there are which fit in with school hours? If there were so many jobs going in schools there wouldn't be a crisis in education.

Low income families need supports.

LaDamaDeElche · 12/04/2023 22:58

Tomorrowisagesaway · 12/04/2023 22:50

How many jobs do people think there are which fit in with school hours? If there were so many jobs going in schools there wouldn't be a crisis in education.

Low income families need supports.

How about working at weekends or evenings? I'm all for supporting families who need it, but while one parent is a SAHP to school aged children with a partner working 50 hours a week, they have many more options to earn money than others much more in need and there isn't an infinite pot of money. Priority has to be given to single parents, families where one parent has lost their job, where both parents are on low incomes and are struggling to afford childcare, a family where a parent is disabled etc. Being a SAHP isn't something that should be funded by the taxpayer when children reach school age, unless circumstances force them to stay at home, like a child with additional needs for example.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Benefits
LaDamaDeElche · 12/04/2023 23:08

Queenbee77 · 12/04/2023 20:43

Tax money! Tax you pay go towards hospitals and schools and denfense for our country. Some goes on benefits too. But I dont hear you complaining about people using hospitals and schools? I pay tax and I am happy it goes tonthe people who needs ir most. It is my contribution to society. OP said her husband works 50 hours a week? He may be on minimum wage, 2K a month is not a lot to bring home to pay for mortgage/ rent and food etc. But he works and just because she wants to see if there are any extra benefits to help you judge her. Stop and think.

Hospitals and schools are not comparable to funding someone who wants to sit on their arse from 9-3:30 each day. Being a SAHP to school aged children is a luxury for those who can afford it. Single parents are forced to look for work when their children reach school age, so why should one of a two parent family be funded to stay at home when for 6.5 hours of the day there are no children to look after? She can add to the family income by working part time, working in the evenings/weekends etc. This is not a situation of need, it's a situation of choice. Benefits should be for those in the most need.

LaDamaDeElche · 12/04/2023 23:18

I don't get people standing up for the OP - she's said she isn't looking for a job and that they manage fine on her husband's salary, she just wants to know if there's any benefits she can claim. Anyone who thinks that that sounds like someone genuinely in need of government support need their heads testing, and if there is financial support for people who don't want a job, are doing ok financially and have kids of school age, the government need to take a look at that and redistribute that funding to people who actually need it.

XenoBitch · 12/04/2023 23:26

LaDamaDeElche · 12/04/2023 23:18

I don't get people standing up for the OP - she's said she isn't looking for a job and that they manage fine on her husband's salary, she just wants to know if there's any benefits she can claim. Anyone who thinks that that sounds like someone genuinely in need of government support need their heads testing, and if there is financial support for people who don't want a job, are doing ok financially and have kids of school age, the government need to take a look at that and redistribute that funding to people who actually need it.

Yep. If OP and her family are ok on her DH's salary, they most likely wont even be entitled to any UC anyway.
Anyone wanting to be a SAHP should be supported by their spouse anyway, not the state. If they don't earn enough, (and kids are school age), then OP would be expected to look for work.

Tron80 · 12/04/2023 23:54

"@XenoBitch Anyone wanting to be a SAHP should be supported by their spouse anyway".

Ehhh ? Anyone wanting to be a SAHP should support themselves and have previously planned for their stay at home parent-ship. Not only should they support themselves, they should have adequate

provision in place for their planned child/children.

Good lord, leaving yourself and your child/children financially dependant

on a man/husband/one person, utter madness and irresponsible in the extreme.

disneydatknee · 12/04/2023 23:54

I doubt it very much but you can try and make a claim, see what comes of it. You might get some top up benefits if your dh is on a low wage. I do understand your reluctance to get back into work now the kids are of school age. Working around school hols are a nightmare. My husband and I used to pool all our annual leave together to try and cover it but still never covered it all (with inset days on top of that). We still had to pay for some holiday clubs. Since the pandemic I've been fulltime work from home and that has helped a lot. If you find you aren't entitled to anything else, would work from home be any good? My work is fine with me taking time out to do the school runs. Realistically benefits are not really there to give you the option to just not work at all or we would all be doing that but I do sympathise with the wrap around care debacle when you have no family help. Few people have that option now that most of our parents are still working and the retirement age is getting further and further away from them!

XenoBitch · 12/04/2023 23:58

Tron80 · 12/04/2023 23:54

"@XenoBitch Anyone wanting to be a SAHP should be supported by their spouse anyway".

Ehhh ? Anyone wanting to be a SAHP should support themselves and have previously planned for their stay at home parent-ship. Not only should they support themselves, they should have adequate

provision in place for their planned child/children.

Good lord, leaving yourself and your child/children financially dependant

on a man/husband/one person, utter madness and irresponsible in the extreme.

Not always possible. I was a SAHP (P being Partner, not Parent). MY OH earned too much for me to claim any benefit, but I was unable to work. So, he had to support me.

Spain1980 · 13/04/2023 00:17

So the rest of us, in similar situation to you, have to work and pay for you to stay at home because it’s too difficult. I had no back up from family in terms of childcare and worked nights or evenings, so my partner could look after the children. You do what you have to do. If you can manage in one wage great - but really seeing if you can get bandits to subsidise a life style choice is beyond the pale.

Tron80 · 13/04/2023 00:40

"Not always possible. I was a SAHP (P being Partner, not Parent). MY OH earned too much for me to claim any benefit, but I was unable to work. So, he had to support me".

How did you support yourself before your OH? How would you support yourself if OH no longer there?.

Tron80 · 13/04/2023 00:44

"he had to support me".

No one "has to do "anything.

I would not ever be happy living on someones else's good grace/whim.

KatysMumJen · 13/04/2023 00:47

faultywiring · 11/04/2023 12:25

I am a SAHM and dh works full time, only min wage but he does about 50 hours.
Would I be able to get Universal credit and stay at home dc are 5 and 7 both at school.
I don't want job seekers as I'm not looking for jobs but just wondering if UC was an option or if I'd be expected to look for work?

You could get a job.

SkyandSurf · 13/04/2023 00:47

So we can all spend time away from our children working, juggling sick days and holidays and patch working together childcare, working at night and on weekends - so our taxes can fund you to avoid the same fate.

Ok.

Nursercurser · 13/04/2023 01:10

That's a good idea. I was lucky enough to work whatever hours suited me when my children were young as I was a Staff nurse and worked for agencies which paid more than the NHS paid. That way I got to see my children's milestones, which I suspect is all you want! I think a lot of the ladies on here are just tired and jumped on the bandwagon. In fact it reminds me of high school! Which I hated! Feel better soon 😊

DumpedByText · 13/04/2023 01:18

So you want extra money as you choose to stay at home and not work, that's just morally wrong!

If you do get it you'll be expected to look for work, you can't expect to get UC and do nothing for it.

I get UC, but I work full time as a lone parent, so there is no reason why you can't work if you have a partner as well.

crackthegg · 13/04/2023 01:20

faultywiring · 11/04/2023 12:58

We do manage fine with dh earnings. I just wasn't sure if there was something I could have been claiming and wasn't.
We do get child benefit.
It's the logistics of it all, my parents are nearly 80 and have health issues so are not able to look after the dc and dh family live hours away.
The dc never seem to be in school.
6 weeks off in the summer holidays
Half terms
End of terms
Easter hols
Xmas hols
Inset days
Days sick
And lately Strikes
It's easy to say the dc are at school but they never seem to be and any jobs I have had in the past have ended because I can't get child care, especially for flexible work which is the field I work.
I don't know any Childminders who will just have dc as and when you need them.

It's not easy to find work within school hours and to find a childminder.
I 've been on my own with 3 dc since separation 8 years ago. I moved and was lucky to find a good CM back then allowing me to work. I still had one in nursery then as well.
Back then, TC were on my back immediately about me looking for work.
I recently moved and they are obviously older but it's more difficult because I have not been able to find a CM at all in this area who will take school kids.
I've had to work in school since just so I can do the hours.
I trained up as a TA as soon as we separated and that's been my main source of income.
It's meant me accepting a low wage and not really being able to do the things I'd like to. I've not been able to progress in this path much at all but it provides an income.

I do get some top up but not a big amount as I work F/T.
I don't get any help with housing etc as I have a mortgage.

As soon as the holidays come along and my income drops that month, UC will be on my case right away.

crackthegg · 13/04/2023 01:29

And yes, INSET days etc are a pain in the butt even for parents who work in school because all the schools do them on different days. I don't see the point in them anyway tbh. They usually get some random speaker in and we have to sit and listen to 'motivational speeches' for 6 hours or do yet another First Aid course that we've done 5 times before.

XenoBitch · 13/04/2023 01:32

Tron80 · 13/04/2023 00:40

"Not always possible. I was a SAHP (P being Partner, not Parent). MY OH earned too much for me to claim any benefit, but I was unable to work. So, he had to support me".

How did you support yourself before your OH? How would you support yourself if OH no longer there?.

I was in and out of work before then. Then I broke down big time.
I am not with him anymore, and am am now on UC.

XenoBitch · 13/04/2023 01:33

Tron80 · 13/04/2023 00:44

"he had to support me".

No one "has to do "anything.

I would not ever be happy living on someones else's good grace/whim.

Well, I was not able to work, and I was not able to claim benefits as we lived together and he earned too much.
What would you suggest I do?

JudgeRudy · 13/04/2023 01:34

I understand it can be challenging with young children but you've already said you can manage on your husbands wage, and you're receiving child benefit. Universal credit is a top up to bring people's income up to a minimum. If you want more you work more.
Yes, school holidays need to be considered but there are 'holiday clubs' and child minders. You seem to think that if you aren't able to get relatives to provide free childcare you can't work. You can but you might need to pay for childcare. How aboutva job in a school then?
Tbh you sound a bit of a chancer

ImSoShiney · 13/04/2023 01:40

Try childcare.co.uk

lyla12 · 13/04/2023 01:46

Surely a SAHM is someone who stays at home to care for young children, not someone who stays at home whilst their children are in school all day and wanting to claim benefits ? This is wild

Singapore4 · 13/04/2023 04:54

Tomorrowisagesaway · 12/04/2023 22:50

How many jobs do people think there are which fit in with school hours? If there were so many jobs going in schools there wouldn't be a crisis in education.

Low income families need supports.

Single parents have to mange. Why can you not see peoples frustration with OP? She is not exempt from this nor unique.

OP could find evening work, cleaning early morning on a weekend. Any weekend work. I've even done nights too.

If your looking to give yourself an excuse then you will find one.

FrogsWormsandButterflies · 13/04/2023 07:02

I am all for UC and benefits that help people who need it, I receive UC as a single parent to 3 DC.
OP I don’t think you have any right to claim it, you have no desire to work and say the kids are never at school. That’s absolute crap, yes there are school holidays but you make it work, annual leave, holiday clubs, friends, family. You aren’t a SAHM as both your kids are at school.
I think you sound quite selfish and don’t want to work but expect your partner to work 50 hours a week. There are evening/weekend jobs (That’s what I did before I became single) and now I work during the day and use some wrap around care.