Do Universal Credit rules require work when you have young children?

[Chezza1990]

Does anyone know if there are any rules with having to have a job when you receive universal credit and have children? To put it into context I have 3 children aged 4 and under, my partner is self employed and im currently employed, however im struggling to maintain a healthy work life balance.

@Kirbert2

Oh I see. Back to work Monday as a TA 31 hours a week. Still get a top up which will be helpful.

Not the AET but if he's considered gainfully employed then it'll be taken in to account and they may be eligible for UC. It's not a definite no.

FFS I’m an absolute mug - working working working. It’s how I paid the bills and raised the kids.

Labour chose to remove 2 child cap now people who were previously working with 3 DC will wonder if they can manage on benefits.

Being gainfully self employed or not has nothing to do with eligibility to UC

Go on then. Stop working and try and pay those bills.

Then you will be affected by the benefit cap because you aren't working.

The overall benefit cap will still apply to the majority of families.

Work is the break when they are this young. Maybe you would be better posting what your current set up is for advice on how to make life run more smoothly?

I know a person who used to be self employed with an online business doing Web design but she just worked now and again claiming CTCs. As soon as UC became a thing, she suddenly took a job with the CS doing similar work because it probably meant she wasn't "gainfully" self-employed before. I think UC has stopped people like this in their tracks.

I do work. I don't claim UC.

Why are people commenting and entertaining this post op isn't coming back just yet another benefit bashing thread. Either someone is bored or mumsnet needs to up its engagements.

Thats interesting, they wanted 30hrs equivalent from me (which is fine, just wonder why it's different!), my child is younger but still school age.

Do you really believe this? Honestly?

If that was really the case, the idjits saying so would be puppets to carry on working wouldn't they?

Why dont you give it up and claim benefits?

yes. I do believe it. I’ve used the entitled to calculator, given I have children I would get almost exactly the same working as not. (I don’t work full time) I don’t claim because

1. it feels wrong to me. It’s not how a community should work. I can work, so I do.
2. its how I was brought up, so working is ingrained I guess. Not working isn’t really an option in my brain.
3. id be bored I think. That is the irony to me, it’s actually more fun to work. I enjoy my job . Not always whilst im there, but the after bit is then better. I get job satisfaction too. I help people. There’s far more to jobs than money.

My partner and I are self employed. We earn some months just too much to get any uc, other months we get a couple of hundred.

I know what youre saying is crap.

As a family of 5, we are better off by a few hundred to earn more than to stay just under and get a uc top up.

Not to mention, as you say, job satisfaction etc.

Being in work does pay. Most uc claimants do work but are on crap wages and couldn't survive without the top up.

@arethereanyleftatall the above comment was for you

@arethereanyleftatall

In fact, this is the exact codswallop spouted that is absolutely lies.

Go onto the benefits calculator (entitled to is a good one). You will get alot less for a family of 5 not working than a family where both incomes bring enough to not get any uc.

I can give figures if needed.

But you must already know that having gone on there yourself.

In the second scenario he'll be expected to get a job

It's also worth noting it's the amount you earn not the hours you work. I do admin work and earn enough to cover my minimum (I think it's £934) per month by doing 16 hours. You don't have to do 30 hours.

You will also get an extra £303 a month in Universal Credit from May as you will get payments for all 3 children and not just the first two (we got a letter in the post today confirming this).

It’s the point everyone is making @AutumnAllTheWay. I have been on entitled to, I put in all the details - 2 children, single parent etc - and they gave me a figure that I would get on UC which was within a few tenners of my actual net income!! I was flabbergasted. No, I’m not handing my notice in. It’s wrong, and besides, I like my job.

I work 16 hours and get UC, if I go full time then I get an extra £230. That is 37.5 hours worked for an extra £230. Then lose all the help the school provides on low income so would be even less worthwhile . It's a trap.

And what help are the school providing when free meals means earning less than 7.4 k a year ? And that’s to get the pupil premium which is all the other stuff schools may help with. Which means working less than 16 hours a week more like 10.
I say this as someone who was once a single parent working 16 hours a week and before that unemployed for a bit.

Why do people lie? What do you get out of it