Universal credit

[purpleglitterglue]

Can anyone help me here... I am currently on universal chit and have been referred to the restart scheme to try and get work...

What happens if I accept a zero hours contract? Will I still need to sign in and attend the job centre and restart offices?

What is the restart scheme? Is it the new initiative, recently mentioned in the newspapers, where you have to attend the job centre daily for two weeks if you've been claiming UC for three months without finding employment?

I hope they cannot make you accept a zero hours contract.

Bumping up for you. Hopefully someone will be able to advise

If you have a paid job you will not attend with Restart but if you earn under the threshold, currently 677 pounds a month, you will continue to have job centre appointments to help you increase earnings

For poster above, Restart is one of the contracted provisions which the DWP buy into for long term unemployed people to offer more help into work after 9 months of unsuccessful work search.

Restart seems the most pointless thing atm but yeah you go on it and they're supposed to help you with CV and any skills you may need, MH ect but so far everyone of my meetings has been "ok you do that... did you hear this... we'll book your next app" and then I leave 2 mins later. Not helpful in the slightest.

Due to my circumstances I need part time work in school hours, something has come up but it is a zero hours contract although they are likely to contact me 3 times a week... so essentially I'd be working 18 hours a week

Thanks @RaininSummer

Sorry to hear that, OP. That doesn't sound very helpful, more like a box ticking exercise.

Your universal credit will get calculated so it tops up your job.

Your work coach will look at your circumstances and whether you should work more hours- with school age children 18 hours or so a week I'm sure will be fine and they wont push for you to seek alternative work unless you want to.

You might still need occasional meetings, although each time I'd ask if they could stop as you're comfortably in work.

Restart is absolutely the most pointless thing ever so you are right to be wary. A ZHC will only help if they actually offer you enough work to exceed the earnings limit for your circumstances, and therefore be moved into a different work group