To think this doesn’t help people work?

[InkyPunkyGothyPoo]

I’m a Universal Credit claimant. I work full time which means I need childcare before school, after school and in the school holidays.

This means I leave the house at 7.30am and get home at around 6.30pm.

To claim childcare help you first need to pay a months childcare upfront. You then need to send proof to Universal Credit.

My monthly wage comes to £1,200. After paying my months childcare upfront, my rent and my car insurance I am left with nothing. I am now trying to juggle my child benefit for food, gas, electric and petrol.

This means missing many bills which will push me into debt.

If I get paid the childcare help at the end of the month this will then have to go towards next months childcare and so on.

AIBU to think that Universal Credit advertising that they are helping people back into work and support parents is a load of tosh?

Friend used her overdraft then paid small amount each month. Iv also used credit card as a short term loan but you have to be savvy and have good credit.

Yep it is a load of tosh.

I'd like to say that somewhere in it, the principle of a sliding scale of earnings vs benefits makes sense...

But, when it was devised and rolled out by people who have no idea how you or anyone else lives it is a big mess. But then hey, they don't care.

I'm sorry its stressful and a big debt mess for you.

So you have to pay upfront but UC will only pay you back in arrears? That’s pretty shit. You’ll constantly be on the back foot!

It was the same with tax credits though, they weren’t paid in advance either. Getting that first month of childcare costs paid has always been an issue for people.

I had this issue when I went back to work as a single parent in 2012/13 with tax credits- had to pay the first month up front for the childminder and couldn’t claim tax credits until I’d started work. I had to find the Childminder’s cash up front, as well as train fare and somehow manage food until the tax credits come in

My neighbor was in a very similar situation. She packed it in and went on Income support. She just couldn’t keep up. Whole things a mess imo.

Tax credits pay weekly though. And Universal a credit often don’t receive your paperwork, or they load it into the system but forget to action it. Meaning that when my next months childcare is due I can’t even guarantee I’ll have anything from them to put towards it.

I cannot get a credit card or an overdraft so am completely stuck on my own.

We are living off baked beans on toast or noodles for the next month and that’s with no guarantee I can afford the petrol to get them there and back each day.

I can’t drop my hours because they have different rules to tax credits. With tax credits you could work part time which would give you a good few months to save up the cost of the first month for childcare. With Universal Credit it’s a minimum of 30 hours or you have to sign on as well as working.

That really doesn't encourage people into work. how are you supposed to find a months childcare upfront and then wait in anticipation to see if they sorted out the paperwork for next month. That must be so stressful.

Is there anything at all your work can do - my employers will sometimes do a bit of a loan which you payback out your salary?

I have asked work and unfortunately they were not able to help financially. They did however allow me to work school hours for a month but because of universal credit rules, if my wage drops they will send me back to the job centre to sign on. So instead I have had to use a years holidays to make the hours up.

I moved house a month ago so have ended up in a proper financial mess. It will take a while to get back on track but I’ll get there eventually. It’s just frustrating at current. My petrol costs have doubled too which makes it less than ideal.

I suppose I’m feeling sorry for myself because it’s bank holiday weekend and I was unable to take my children anywhere other than to the local park. And I couldn’t buy them an ice cream or a drink so we only had what I had in the house that could be eaten at the park.

I feel bad saying no to everything. They can’t have crisps or snacks at all this month which I know isn’t a major issue but it makes me feel bad.

Its ok to feel sorry for yourself. You are going through a tough month or two. I really hope that the job works out longer term for you and you can have ice cream in the park a few times over the summer.

Are you a new claimant waiting for your first payment? If so you can request an advance which you them pay back monthly interest free.

that's terrible! I have no advise and don't know how it works but it sounds like a terrible system to have been put in place.
Your kids will have enjoyed the park, and whilst they may have wanted an ice cream or whatever, they will understand.
I hope this all resolves and you get a solution soon x

Tax credits may well have paid weekly, but it took them more than a week to sort out an updated payment. They certainly weren’t free from fuck ups, even if you gave them the correct info.

Do you not qualify for a change of circumstances advance if you’ve just started work? I thought they could be obtained for childcare costs?

This is what happens when you have middle/upper class civil servants deciding on the mechanics of universal credit without really listening as to how this could work.

Hang on, it’s not a minimum of 30 hours. Who told you that? If your kids are 5 to 12 it’s a max of 25 hours

www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-your-family-quick-guide/universal-credit-further-information-for-families

That's a shit situation but dont feel bad about the local park. Lots of people do that on a weekend it's doesn't have to be days out and ice creams all the time. Don't stress about that at all.

Both Universal Credit and the job centre told me about the 30 hours. They said it’s because my children are in school.

I’ve been on UC for over a year now. Nearly every month they mess something up somewhere.

I’ve been in my current employment for 6 months.

What does it mean by “maximum of 25 hours”? Does that mean I can’t work any more than 25 hours?

I am so sorry you are going through this. It is so unfair. I’ve been there (when I left abusive ExH) and it is grim; when you are working but so much about the system makes you feel so vulnerable.

Also don’t feel bad about the park, my happiest childhood memories include trips to the park!