to think most part-time workers don't know what's about to hit them?! (Universal Credit)

[aufaniae]

Do you work part-time and get Working Tax Credit or Housing Benefit?

Did you know that once you're on Universal Credit, you'll be expected to attend the Job Centre to prove that you're looking for better paid work / more hours, in much the same way as unemployed people must prove they're looking for work.

If the Job Centre find an interview for you, you will have to attend (with 48 hours notice) even if it clashes with your paid work.

If you are offered a job with more hours, or better pay than your current one, you will be obliged to take it, even if you have good reason for not wanting to e.g. it's only a temporary post (whereas your current one is permanent) / has no training & worse prospects than your current job / makes picking your children up from school impossible / requires you to travel much further / has nothing to do with the career you're following.

If you don't attend the interview and/or take the job, your UC will be sanctioned, you will lose the UC for months or even years (depending on if it's your first infraction).

You will be forced to continue "upgrading" your job until you earn the equivalent of minimum wage for 35 hours a week.

I suspect there are lots of people (e.g. parents who work part time so they can pick their kids up from school) who will be affected by this, but don't realise it yet.

More info here

Can I just ask. If one parent is working full time does that still mean that the sahp has to also go to work? Or if DH works 35+ does that mean well be ok for me to stay at home?

Rightly or wrongly people can be better of on benefits. Because of the other extras they qualify for. And also taking transport costs and even work clothes into consideration, going to work costs money.

SAHM's will only be expected to work if they need to top up the household income using UC. If they dont claim they can continue to do what they like.

Childcare may be expensive but its a known expense that comes with children, you seriously cant expect to stay home at tax payers expense because you dont want to pay childcare. Thats not what the welfare state was intended for.

I think the sham will be treated like a lone parent independant of dh work and wage.

So if you get any benefit you will be treated like the unemployed and asked to attend interviews at job centre to find work so you dont need uc or money from the government.

My understanding is that your DH will have to earn the equivalent of 35 hours at minimum wage for himself plus 24 hours at minimum wage to cover you staying at home.

I am finding it incredible that people capable of working don't see why they should work. Who on earth do they thinking is working and paying tax to enable them to choose not to work or to work part-time. Benefits are for people who can't work or people who have lost their job and fallen on hard times.

So we cant live on £900 per month to support four people, a mortage and car. I would be expected to go to work and put children in childcare regardless of my health and free will.

With the statement that I chose to have children and its my responsability to pay for them regardless of how much tax I paid to the govenment before and sfter I had my chilfren and regardless of how much tax my children will pay over the life time.

It's not as simple as that though, Viviennamary. If you have school-aged children and only earn minimum wage, there is no way you can afford wrap-around childcare or holiday clubs, hence the need to work part-time in term time school hours only. And these jobs can be hard to come by, leaving many people unable to afford to work. Which should never, ever be the case. It's not people choosing not to work or to only work part time.

Btw I agree if you can work you should work in any job that is available that you can do or be trained to do.

I havent worked for 4 years due to PND and dr not letting me but im feeling better and want to go back to work. Im not included in the unemployment numbers because im not claiming jsa. How meny other people are in the same boad?

I sympathise that people have problems with childcare. I had years of working and stress and arranging childminders and so on. A friend of mine had four children so she got a job in the evenings. They didn't qualify for benefit. I don't think the system should have been allowed to develop which allowed firms to pay low wages in the expectation that it would be topped up by benefit. Or letting people only work sixteen hours knowing they would get a full weeks wages.

Annie, thousands of people work for NMW outside term time and have children. Childcare is a household expense not just out of one salary unless a lone parent and lone parents get a lot of childcare top ups to work.

If you know your job or future job will start at NMW, then you can hardly moan that having three children eats up your salary. Nobdoy is forced to have children, its a lifestyle choice like many other things in life and needs to be factored into the household budget.

Im sure most parents would love not to work but do so as they know its there duty to provide for their children and dont expect others to pay for their choice not to. Having a SAHP is a luxury, fine if the household income can support it but not ok if expecting the state to pay for that choice.

My health is important because the other three members of my fammily need me to care for them. I will be the main care and finacial provider when my dh condition gets worse, which it will do.

I dont see how I could do anything different :(

I would love to work in evening and weekends but my dh can not phyically look after his children and nirsary clpses at 6pm and not open on weekends and we have no family near by to help with childcare.

my parents are in their 70s and 90 miles away. I will end up putting them in a home near me in the nrxt 10 years.

How the fuck am I ment to work ft and care for two oaps, a disabled man and two children under 10 yo?

I have no pension and will have to work till I drop dead and there is no way I can pay for uni for my children.

I am poor and will work my ares off but some help from the govenment would be nice!

It's the "if I can do it so can anyone" comments I find shocking. No not "everyone" can for a variety of reasons.

Tax credits had a childcare component included so of course people factored this in when planning families.

When DS was born it didn't exist and I wouldn't have been entitled to it anyway. If I'd ever had a second child though it might just have been needed....I don't know. It's because things are changing that people are scared.

Now 10 years on I get quite alot of benefit because I am now a single parent and my child is autistic. I am scared as life changed out of all recognition. ...that's life and just how it is for me. I currently rely on the benefits system after a lifetime of never claiming anything. I am scared about these changes. ...does that make me "entitled"?

No not everyone can do the things some of you seem to manage so effortlessly. ..or with great effort maybe. It comes easily to you annd came easily to me at one time but not anymore. I defend our benefits system simply beause I nevrr realised how much I might rely on it.

the thing is the example of £105 a day for school holiday childcare for 3 isnt valid. its for 13 weeks a year. you need to work out how much that costs you a year and divide by how many weeks in a year to give an accurate figure.

105 x 5 = 525

525 x 13= 6825

divide by 52 = 131.25 a week

so it sound slike it will cost 525 a week. but over a year its 131.25. so if you save that every week it will cover the holiday times.

plus if you both get 4 weeks off a year. thats 8 weeks of free childcare min. saving £4200

6825-4200 = 2625

based on these figures you would need

2625 /52 = £50.40 per week to send 3 children to full time childcare during the weeks holiday cant cover a year.

Basicly one box does npt fit all and there are lots of mythes about people on benefits like its only 3% of the whole budget (the spending money the govenment have) bit the media is making a big deal out of the government trying to lower the 3% to the sick, disabled and unemployed.

Banks factored in tc when giving mortages out. How meny people will not be able to pay their mortage when the credit is taken off them?

If you are both in low wage jobs you get your childcare paid.The childcare element is 70% but then you get extra tax credits that cover the other 30%

Im in a minimum wage job and I get all my money to pay for 2 childrens childcare.

ledkr, the thread isn't about lone parents. There are separate rules for lone parents regarding working hours. I had to work full time, with only one child it was do-able and my comments about not doing a bad job was because its often stated that children need parents at home or there will be problems ahead. Of course I couldn't have done this if I'd had 4 children, that's a different situation to the one I was in. Aren't lone parents expected to work just 16 hours?

DD's year were the first to be affected by the tripling of fees. If she had been a year older then her course fees would be zero. Yes, I do think that higher education tuition fees should be free for a first degree. It pains me that when you want something back they pull the rug. I'm not meaning living expenses, it's fine that they are in the form of loans. DD is 18, I was only out of work 2 spells of 3 months due to redundancy in the years I was a lone parent.

If there are no jobs to be had, then I cannot see why people are worried about the changes. You will only have to look for work, which isn't a bad thing, is it?

As far as child care is concerned, it should be subsidised by the state. I remember the struggle I had to be able to afford to work. My mum used to pay some nursery fees for me :(

You can get 300 a week towards childcare currently.

Looks like i'm fucked then, thanks Tories

Scrazy people are worried because:

A) they are increasing the red tape thereby increasing admin costs and the chance of cock Ups
cock ups can be enough to leave a family destitute through no fault of their own.

B) Significantly more people will be signing on and these appointments will have to be met within current opening hours and staffing levels. Unsustainable therefore people sanctioned through no fault of their own.

C) JSP are known for imposing sanctions for ridiculous reasons, there are examples on the thread but include sanctions against deaf people saying they are not capable of call centre work, those medically barred from driving for not taking driving work, for asking for sign on to be moved in order to attend a job interview, failure to show replies from applications when many companies just don't reply even if you reach interview stage.

There are more examples but surely you get the picture.