to ask whether anyone has had a positive experience of having a zero hour contract?

[ForgotThatIWasFine]

I have been offered a job on a zero hour contract, I'm a single parent who already has a job (zero hour contract would be a second job) and claims tax credits and housing benefit.

Everything I've ever read about zero hour contracts has been negative, however I now find myself in a position where I might well be on one of these contracts.

I'm worried about managing financially, potential messing about with tax credits etc.

Does anyone have any experience or advice? The employer has said there will always be shifts available (of course he would!), would I be naive to go along with this?

Yes, DH & I have both worked on this basis & been very happy with it.
We didn't rely on tax credits, though, and had a buffer of savings in case the work suddenly dried up.

I only object to ZHC if they are exploitive, like trying to ban someone from taking another ZHC or penalise people who say no to a shift (although that can be really hard to prove, of course employers are going to mostly ring back the contractors who most reliably say yes to work offer).

Thanks for the replies, it's interesting to read all of your experiences and to know that zero hour contracts aren't always horrendous!

I think my next step will be to email and ask some of the questions aletea has suggested.

The job is in the care industry, in a busy residential home. I'm vaguely familiar with the company, they have a good reputation but I suppose I won't really know what goes on behind the scenes until I'm working there.

I guess there's no harm in giving it a go, if it's too complicated with tax credits then I will have to rethink things. I'm going to stay in my other job regardless so shouldn't end up too hard up even if it does all go tits up!

I'm an employer and I offer zero hours contracts (as well as full/part time). They suit a lot of people who don't want to commit to regular hours for whatever reason. I know zero hours are not popular at the moment but they work both ways, I might have a lot of work come in and be looking for people to cover it but they don't have to say yes. They work when it suits them.

Universal credit, when it comes in, should make things easier to manage on a ZH contract.

Yes when I was a student and only wanted to pick and choose shifts I could do. As an employer years later I offered contracts to people on the genuine basis there were hours to be had. Not sure everyone does this but if they do it suits a certain group?

We employ people on zero hours contracts (and I am on one myself). We have set shifts, unless ther are no customers that week, but that only happens once or twice a year. We also get holiday pay so that tides us over when there are no shifts that week or we are away. We also get extra shifts as the business needs it. Whilst everyone has zero hours in their contract in practice most people have a set number of hours verbally agreed and we do. Our best to meet these.

Yes, it allowed me to keep my hand in practically without being tied to set shifts, which I couldn't commit to.