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

Having looked at dp's pay slips we should be OK actually as he earns enough before tax for us to meet the threshold, just. I will still be looking for work once dd starts preschool which has always been my plan. Am wondering about training to become a ta.

Training as a TA is all well and good, I am qualified myself with experience in both general and 1 to 1 inclusion support. I had always planned to find a 16hr term time contract when youngest starts reception, they were the standard TA contract in the LEA I worked for and widely available.
Now I search 5 LEAs vacancies weekly, just so I know what's about, currently in those 5 ( 50mile radius or so of my home) there is 1 10hr temporary position being advertised.

My Lea seems to have more vacancies and our primary quite often hires parents whom have already been regular volunteers at the school. Either that or working with disadvantaged children, I shall see. I have a good 2:1 degree but haven't worked since having ds1 so will start volunteer work as soon as dd is at preschool and go from there. Maybe do more studies via open uni if it will help. I am not massively career driven but want to do something that will make a difference iykwim?

Its crazy thocalendar I wonder why your leas are not hiring? Budget cuts...

It is definitely a who you know not what you type of situation I think, I only got my job straight out of college because the head was a friend of my dad. Volunteering is probably the way to go and if you already have a degree would some sort of schoolbased teacher training be worth thinking of ( there used to be the GTP but yhat has finished now not sure what replaced it) I'm doing an OU degree now just incase sonething like that still exists.

Yes I think it is budget cuts, funding for 1to1 TAs comes fron the special needs budget. My Hubby works in a school and they have said there are some changes coming in with regrd to how that funding is used ( more parental choice I think but don't understand it) I know his head isn't employing support staff until they have seen how it pans out.

5madthings things may well have changed as I'm going back over a decade, but I got a job as a TA with only CM experience (this is before CMs needed to be registered) and before I was a mum.

Volunteering sounds like a great way in.

Not that I'm trying to put you off study! I'm a student (although currently on a break to have a baby) and I've absolutely loved learning again! But just saying it might not be a barrier necessarily.

All the Ta's at my school are parents when have it have had kids at the school. I may have a word with the ht. I did volunteer but haven't since I had dd but as soon as she is at preschool I will. And I have thought about teacher training actually its something I am interested in but it seems stress full and I am not a big fan if lots of the changes gove is bringing in.

There seem to be a few online courses aimed at ta's, I might have a look at doing something like that in the year I have before dd starts preschool as it shows willing iyswim?

m.ncchomelearning.co.uk/teachingassistantdiplomaonline-product-539.html?gclid=CIul4Z_UnLUCFefMtAod5AsAmQ

Something like this looks interesting but there are loads if similar courses, how do you find out which ones are best?!!

If you are friendly enough with the head at DCs school could you ask what they would prefer then look into doing that. You might even find they can employ you without qualifications and train on the job you used to get NVQs this way when I was doing it.
I have a NNEB (nursery nursing qualification) and did further courses whilst working. My qualification doesn't exist anymore I don't think but it meant I was qualified to work with children up to 8 or 12 with SEN.

Yes I am going g to ask the ht what they prefer and I am friends with a govener so will ask them what they like as well.

My DS2 is obsessed with Handy Manny. It makes me want to stab myself in the face. That is, it USED to! I recently watched a Jason Manford comedy thing where he implies that Manny and Kelly are having a torrid secret affair, now I watch it and see nothing but sexual innuendo.

Ermm wrong thread antipag

How will we be effected ?
I work 24 hours a week and DH is currently on ESA.
I dont know how much longer he will be on it though as he has an appeal in June 2013 and I have a horrible feeling it will be thrown out
We also claim HB and CTC.

I assume we would be effected much more were his appeal turned down ?

If he stays on ESA I think you are OK, if he doesn't you need to be earning £425 a week before tax between you, if you doing he will have to sign on and look for work or you will be sanctioned, I think.

'My point is that these things are all societal constructs.'

So is the idea of 'paid work' that we have now and 'full time' being the acceptable norm is socially constructed also. It has changed/changes over time and place. Both parents at paid work much of the week and leaving children with paid employees somewhere else is pretty recent and not necessarily the 'best way'.

Personally I agree with the posters that said progress would be one parent in work 'full time' or both 'part time' being able to support the average family. This way lone parents are not disadvantaged to the extent they are now. Those who aspire to both work could do so and earn more. This way everyone wins. Kids mostly would get a parent at home (mum/dad or both part time) and there would be more jobs (with hopefully higher wages if the pool of potential workers is smaller) and mortgages etc would be driven down. I really don't see how progress is both parents working long hours and kids in paid care.

recently the govt announced ,shortly anyone applying for any benefit will HAVE ! to use a comp! no ifs no buts > to get an application in, a comp is/will be required >not got one ? govt. spokesman said >go to your local library they have them(2 in mine !)ever tried doing any business with a govt dept via a /their system?no? you are so in for a treat !(prozac !)

My local library is hardly ever open. The one in the town center is but you have to book to use the computers...

Good news 5madthings & crikeybill. £425 is the figure for couples with no children (it's approximate).

It's less for couples with kids. For parent couples, it sounds like it'll be the equivalent of NMW x 35 (hours) + MNW x 24 (hours).

By my calculations this is approximately £365 a week for a couple where the youngest child is school age.

Oh so as we have kids it would be less than the £425 amount anyway? Phew.

crikeybill your DH may be moved onto UC even if he wins his appeal, it depends on what basis he gets ESA.

"The Government has said that contributory ESA will continue to exist outside Universal Credit. People who are found to have a ?limited capability to work? and are put into the Support Group will continue to get this benefit indefinitely. But people who are in the Work Related Activity Group, will have their benefit ?time-limited? and will only be able to receive the benefit for a year before it is cut off. So, to recap: ESA claimants in the different groups will be affected in different ways:"

Type of ESA : Contributory
Group : Support Group
What is going to happen under Universal Credit :

People who are assessed as having ?limited capability to work? and have enough National Insurance Contributions will continue to receive ESA indefinitely, even once Universal Credit is introduced.

Type of ESA : Contributory
Group : Work-related Activity Group
What is going to happen under Universal Credit :

People who are assessed and told their condition means they should be preparing for work, will have their ESA time-limited to one year.

Type of ESA : Income-related
Group : Support Group
What is going to happen under Universal Credit :

This group will be moved onto Universal Credit which has a ?higher addition? (top-up payment) similar to the ESA support component.

Type of ESA : Income-related
Group : Work-related Activity Group
What is going to happen under Universal Credit :

This group will be moved onto Universal Credit which has a ?lower addition? (top-up payment) similar to the ESA work-related activity component.

From this page on the Carers UK website.

Is there only me that thinks it is going to be trialled and scrapped.
We are due to change over in April and have heard nothing. People at benefits agency and job centre are handing in notices, so plenty of work there. Quite a few have gone on sick etc.
A woman I know told me she has no idea what she is doing and she is working on the administrative side of the trial.
It will never happen, past the NW anyway.
You are ok unless you live in Tameside, Wigan, Warrington and Stockport.

crikeybill So, if he's on ESA he may be subject to "conditionality" (meaning he could be asked to do various activities to prepare for work, including workfare (Mandatory Work Activity) and/or to look for a job). But this depends on the kind of ESA he's on / whether he's assessed as capable for work.

He will not be expected to work or have and "work-related requirements" if he is deemed to have "limited capability for work and work-related activity element (LCWRA)"

If instead he is are assessed simply as having a "limited capability for work", he will need to fulfil "Work preparation requirements". These could include:

"- attending a skills assessment

• improving personal presentation
• participating in training
• participating in an employment programme
• undertaking work experience or a work placement
• developing a business plan
• taking part in a work-focused health-related assessment"

If, instead he's in the group required to do all work-related requirements he "will usually be expected to look for full time work of 35 hours a week but this can be less in certain circumstances, for example if you have caring responsibilities or have physical or mental health problems."

I've taken this from this factsheet from Disability Rights UK.

This factsheet is really good actually. Worth a look

"Is there only me that thinks it is going to be trialled and scrapped."

Well let's hope so. But the important part of this is the Tories' intentions. They are trying to dismantle the welfare state. That's unlikely to change even if this is an unmitigated disaster.

We're already into a triple dip recession, when their plans were meant to steer us to recovery, and they are showing no signs of seeing sense changing course.