to think its no wonder people stay on benefits?

[ruledbyheart]

My DP has started a new job getting the only job he has been offered after 1yr of trying, its only part time but we thought its better than nothing and at least he is willing to work.

He is working for a well known pizza franchise doing delivery and took the job on the basis he got a full 24hrs a week yet he is on week two and has only been given 16 so far.

He signed off job seekers to be told he won't receive anything other than the money leading up to sign off so we will have to survive for an entire month on my CTC and somehow live and pay billswith this.

He is eligible for WTC providing he gets the 24 hrs if not we aren't entitled to anything, without this we still have to pay extra on our rent and council tax out of his barely worth it wages.

However if we stayed on benefits we could afford to live no problems.

If his work doesn't give him the hours promised we will barely scrap by yet he couldn't leave and sign on again as he would be told he made himself unemployed.

So pissed off that we are worse off working.

There is no work locally and he struggled to get this.

I can't work at the moment as I'm pregnant and have 3dcs under 5yrs.

Aibu to think this is shit and we should have just saved the hassle and stayed on benefits?
No wonder people dont want to work.

Sounds like the time has come for him to do this.....

hmm If he has already asked about the 24 hours (which is after all what he was originally promised) and they keep promising but not following through then i can see that sooner or later you will probably have to use a food bank OP. Which might not look too good. An employee of a food outlet having to use a food bank.
Maybe this needs to be hinted at to this "employer"

Loads of zero hour contracts actually prohibit you from having other work as they require you to be available to work for them when ever they want you to.

Check that before he gets a second job

Exactly Sock. Some of the posters on this thread have absolutely no idea.

Also not much point in talking to wtc as they are a couple that means at least 24 hours need to be worked each week to qualify.those hours HAVE to be in paid employment so volunteer work does not count.

The trussel trust is only able to issue 3 units (1 unit is enough none perishable food for each person for 2 days) to each household in a 12 month rolling period.

Assuming the pay is nmw he cannot go on the sick as he is under the minimum earnings threshold for ssp.

OP, I'm so sorry you're getting a hard time from the ignorant judgypants folk on this thread. And I am that some people have never heard of zero hours contracts. I have no advice to offer I'm afraid, but I really hope things work out for you and good luck with the pregnancy. xx

I don't think enough support is given to people coming off benefits and into work. No consideration of expenses such as transport to and from work and buying more clothes for work. I think you should contact the Citizens Advice Bureau and see what they suggest. It doesn't seem right that your DH is trying to provide for his family by getting a job and yet is losing out.

You sound to be in a terrible situation and I do really feel for you all. It sounds to me like the town you're in is never really likely to provide work from what you've said. Would moving be an option? I honestly can't see what else you can do with being locked into a zero hour contract and not getting the hours, plus you not being able to work, and then on top not being able to claim benefits.

I've been a SAHM for a few years, and I am now looking to get back into the job market. We don't get WTC or any other benefits apart from CTC and CB, as DH earns to much, but we are really struggling so it's more than time for me to find a job. I already work 7 hours a week but there is no possibility of more hours there.

I thought I had a job at my local supermarket after getting through group interviews and assessments and a 1-1 interview. The job was not high powered or interesting, but was supposed to be 20 hours a week. When the contract came through it said it was a zero hours contract, and I queried this with them.

They said that while they hoped to give 20 hours a week they could not promise it, and some weeks I would, based on their previous years workload and pattern, get no more that 4 hours. They also said this could change with 48 hours notice, which meant I could suddenly either be required on not and be told then. How can you plan long term childcare round that? All local childminders and afterschool/holiday clubs require far more notice than that, or need to be paid in full if less notice than contracted given. As we are already struggling, and between our salaries we would also be paying childcare, whether they gave me the hours or not, I had to decline the job. There was no way we could continue to pay for childcare if I did not have money coming in to balance it out! Zero hours contracts are awful, and more common than ever before.

Manky I've also been SAHM for 5 years, and the job market its awful, been on JSA 6 months now, and i've not even had an interview.

The only reason why it is better for you and your husband to stay on benefits is because you have so many children and the government pay you more for each new child you have. In an overpopulated world, with no jobs, it is not only crazy to pay people to have more kids but it is unfair on people who aren't entitled to benefits and have to live according to what their after tax salary allows them because they are subsidising those who do. And nobody I know in work gets a raise from their employer when they have a new child. Hopefully child benefits will be capped in the near future and we end this ridiculous culture of more children = more money.

I'd love some of the people on this thread to actually experience anything like what the op is going through.

I had the zero hours thing a while ago. Had an interview for a job at a hotel and was assured it was minimum of 16 hours a week, probably more etc. Went in to do a days trial, and was offered the job. I was then told that although they were pretty sure that i'd get 16 hours a week, the contract was actually a zero hours contract.
There is no way in the world that I could accept a job not knowing if I would earn enough to feed my dc each week, and I wouldn't expect anyone to do so.

Orwellian , out of complete and total curiosity? when your in your dottage ,wearing an adult nappy, drooling etc, who is going to change same nappy/wipe your drool ? (if not todays young) oh, i get it ,you will never end up like that ,right?watch you do not fall from that pedastal you have hoisted yourself up on to, it is one hell off a bang when you hit the ground/reality !

I'd love some of the people on this thread to actually experience anything like what the op is going through.

Yes, its very easy to advocate the worthiness of work when you know your rent/mortgage is paid and the cupboards are full! Walk a day in the OPs shoes. One day! See what you think then.

I agree that with that Zero hours contracts should be illegal, because only thing it does is save the companies money, nevermind the poor employees who are struggling.

I hate the argument that the working poor should shell out children as we will need someone to wipe our arse one day. Why does no one ask who will be the future lawyers, bankers and captains of industry?

It is saying all the children of poor parents can aspire to is low paid shit jobs.

Yes the op should have been more responsible with her contraception but the child is coming now so needs her husband to be earning a living wage.

If he is a driver can he pick up some extra hours as a delivery driver? parcels or even self employed doing betterware or cleaning?
You need 24 hours to get wtc but they can be spit over several jobs.

I'm better off on benefits. The 40% of my childcare that the WTC doesn't cover is55% of my salary. When I started work, my housing benefit went down by 60%. The rent is also 55% of my salary. So I'm paying out more than I earn just on childcare and rent. CTC covers everything else, thankfully. But the very fact that I get more in CTC than I actually earn is a bit mental.

I'll have to stop work or drop hours when the kids are off in summer, there is no actual way I can afford to pay the childcare then.

HappyMummyOfOne, the point is that the OP's H won't get CTC/WTC because he is on a zero-hours contract.
The only way to get round this trap is to do something 'self-employed' and flexible like a catalogue round along with your zero-hours job, and even then it can be tricky if someone in the benefits office decides to get overzealous. I am officially a writer along with my other jobs, which is good because it's hard for the buggers to measure accurately how many 'hours' I do, but when I first applied for WTC I could demonstrate that I earned regular money from freelance writing. I believe it's harder to get them to accept 'self-employment' in writing/painting/handicrafts if you can't show any evidence that you are making any money at all from it, whereas the Avon/Usbourne type jobs are generally regarded as legitimate because you can demonstrate order books etc.

Actually solid gold in the very near future they won't even be able to work those hours doing door to door stuff as unless they are able to earn the equivilent of nmw for each hour worked they won't be taken into consideration.

The rules are changing to activly prevent people doing that.

Your quite right tho it would be much easier to berate someone for claiming benefits if you actually had any knowledge about how they work and what rules apply to whom, but people who know that stuff tend not to berate because they know the perception is utter hog wash

This thread totally bears out what I and many others have been arguing on several other threads in recent weeks (and feeling like we're wasting our bloody time frankly, according to the ignorance that is still on display here). The Government spouts all this crap, gets everyone fired up against "scroungers" and then implements rules that actively work against what they are supposed to be trying to achieve. Then who gets the blame? The poor sods who are trapped trying to do their best whilst having the rug pulled out from under their feet.

Orwellian (and others like you) - How about reading the thread and using your brain, just for a change?

And as I've said before, the only people who can reasonably find their way through this minefield are those with family on tap to provide childcare at the drop of a hat while both partners do what work they can when it's given. Few people are that fortunate.

cantspel - "Yes the op should have been more responsible with her contraception"

That is a despicable thing to say. The OP has explained the circumstances, how DARE you judge her?

David Camerons Big Society is a joke.

gaelic that judgment has been a regular occurrence throughout this thread and it's hateful IMO.

You're not wrong. Why aren't zero hour contracts illegal for all except the most transient casual work? Because it would upset the business-owning, money-grabbing Tory voters, that's why. B%%%%ds.