I'm about to give birth and were going to lose our home

[Worriedmumof2dc]

DP has just been informed that his hours are being hugely reduced at work. He's on a 30 hour contract but has been working 55 hours a week for the past two years since he was hired. The understanding was that the 55 hours would be standard and consistent, so not to worry about what the contract says as he will always have the 55 hours. The company is a disgrace in how it treats its employees but that's another thread.

This company branch has a new manager who has now decided to reduce him to just his contracted hours to save money, he's forced to accept that as per the terms in the original contract.

The problem is his amended wage won't cover our outgoings. We will lose our home eventually, we are safe for another month and a half maximum by which point we will have a baby of a couple of weeks old. I'm at home with a 15 month old and am about to give birth to our second in less than a month so the timing couldn't be worse. I can't realistically go back to work yet and by the time I can, we'll owe the landlord alot of money in arrears.

My hands are tied as to what I can do to help, I feel useless. We have no savings and no family help. I'm worried we will lose our home. It's inevitable isn't it.

He's applying like a mad man for every job he can find, but we're worried.

I can't claim benefits because he works and even with the amended wage will earn over the threshold in which we'd be eligible for anything, despite the lower wage not being enough to cover the costs of living in our London flat.

We have no savings

Please somebody tell me that we can't be made homeless with a newborn and toddler. I'm scared.

You may be entitled to an increase in tax credits (or universal credits or whatever) have you called them to see what you'd be entitled to now and once the baby is born?
Also the new lower income may entitle you to housing benefit?

You need to make a claim for universal credit now. As a rough guide with 2 adults (assuming over 25?) Rent of £1000 (it may vary depending on the local housing allowance amount) and 2 children, this would total approx 1960. Of this £198 will be deducted from your husbands earnings, then the taper applied. The total amount of UC paid monthly would be approx £1455.

I hope that eases your worries.

You won't lose your home lovely. If you want me to do some further calculations, let me know. The rates go up in April also, so the £198 you currently get disregarded is increasing to £287. So this will mean you are better off.

I'm sure you would be entitled to something on that wage with two kids OP.

At the very least I hope you're claiming child benefit? But as others have said I think you should be entitled to other help too.

just to give you some background info if your dh is taking it up with his union, do some goggling of Customs and practice, regarding what becomes an implied contract term after use for so long.

that aside looks like going forward that this employer isn't going to be doing night shifts at al, l so is there a redundancy package he could claim he is entitled to, something else to take up with union, I'm sure your dh isn't only one affected by the new policies.
in meantime you need to try and don't worry, it sounds like your dh is actively looking for something else so as your hands are tied , all you can do is help him on this, send off as many online applications you can, write up his cv, find if any agencies work in this area filling these positions, id focus more on a new full time position that trying to get two jobs that suit other hours,

it may be you need to rethink having family nearby keeps you in this area if the jobs and lower rent are elsewhere. honestly I think you need to look at moving. Certainly for a year or two, when kids older you can look at possibilities with two wages.

I'm not receiving any maternity pay no.

I was a self employed cleaner working through an agency prior to having our first child. I wasn't eligible for SMP so had to claim maternity allowance through the gov which has long since ran out. I'm not eligible for this again as I haven't been back to work for the required time period during this current pregnancy.

We receive child benefit and child tax which covers food, nappies and daily living. DPs wage is eaten up by the rent and loan repayment which we took out to move into this flat.

We really are hand to mouth as it is so this has come as a huge shock and panic. I always intended to return to work and wouldn't have continued with this pregnancy if I foresaw this happening as it is

Do look into it, if only because you’ve mentioned that you wish you could do more so for your own sake if nothing else! Though I do agree with him re: you being pregnant and then having a newborn!

He could definitely have something else by six weeks. In the meantime, look into your benefits again. Good luck!

I appreciate the above calculation is hard to understand for someone not used to universal credit.

Ultimately you will be entitled to approx £1455 UC, wages of £1000, and child benefit of approx £132 a month. Total £2587.

cross post... so you do get benefits!

for working tax often you have to do 30 hours, its called the 30 hour rule so you may actually be better off! don't lose hope!

OP are you the poster who is living in a small flat in London paying huge rent because their partner wont leave London even though there is no family support there.

If so you need to move out of London because you cannot keep on going on such a huge rent.

If that is not you you still need to look at moving out of London and decreasing your rent and finding a new job

My husband was the sole earner for 4 years with a net incone of 1300 and we got around 400 a month tax credits. 2 kids under 5.

It won't be tax credits, as they will need to make a new claim for housing benefit - which they can not do as it us now UC. With this couples circumstance, they will be better off claiming UC to get the housing element.

So why don't you call and find out what you would get on this reduced rate at least then you'd know.

I really appreciate the advice and calculations, thanks for taking the time to advise me here.

Trying to calm down a bit and telling myself there is options and nothing is as bad as it might initially seem.

I'm not familiar with UC, housing benefit and similar benefits. Only CB and CT. I'm going to look into all of this today.

I've made notes of everything here, first thing I'm going to do when he gets up is speak to him about contacting the union, discussing implied contract and seeing where he stands in terms of law.

I feel so sorry for poor DP who has to go and work his backside off through the nights for the rest of the week knowing what's coming. He must feel so demotivated.

His colleague has just had a baby and is equally as panicked about his families security.

I’d second and third all the people who are saying that after 2years, the working hours and shifts are an implied term. Therefore at minimum, he needs to be consulted with to change them. If he has a union contact them. Hope all works out in the end.

Honestly they wont be entitled to housing benefit and but if they already claim tax credits they wont apply for universal credit as if you are already on tax credits they keep you on them.

It really isn't as terrible as it sounds, he is just entitled to like 350 pounds a month working tax on the 30 hour working week. It will probably just work out about the same as his wage tbh

OP are you the poster who is living in a small flat in London paying huge rent because their partner wont leave London even though there is no family support there.

If that’s true then he needs to snap out of that mindset sharpies, and do what’s best for his children!

@Worriedmumof2dc ignore people talking about universal credit! This is the wrong information!

You are not entitled to housing benefit even if a calculator online tells you you are. You also should definitely not apply for universal credit. DO NOT DO THIS! you will be screwed if you do and end up with less money.

London has not changed over yet to universal credit, maybe it will never anyway as its just been roled back a few more years because of what a cock up its been.

if you claim child tax, RING TAX CREDITS NOW

You just have to report a change in circumstances, no paper work till later, just have your husband there to tell them he is now on 30 hours and his yearly, monthly take home is...

Its easy and will be sorted

Good luck!

Landlord is lovely so I feel awful for him too. He's not the sort to give marching orders, I wouldn't have thought anyway

While I'd expect any LL to be able to cover a temporary shortfall, he may have no choice if this drags on - but hopefully it won't come to that

Definitely ask the union's advice, but also be aware that making waves could result in them finding a way to "let him go". They shouldn't do this of course, but if they're as bad an employer as you say I wouldn't put it past them to try

Overall his best bet would probably be to find a completely new job and not to put too much reliance on anything that isn't in the contract. Sending positive vibes your way for a good outcome

The new management wants to get rid of night shifts to save on the budget as night staff receive a premium wage. They don't give two hoots about the implications on staff or their families.

This is why this should have been written into his contract at the beginning:

He's on a 30 hour contract but has been working 55 hours a week for the past two years since he was hired. The understanding was that the 55 hours would be standard and consistent, so not to worry about what the contract says as he will always have the 55 hours

So, to be clear, his employers are canning the night shift entirely?

All stock has to be re-jigged to arrive in daytime hours and be replenished during those hours too?

If they are not canning the whole night shift (either way actually), then how are they resourcing the 25 hours he is losing (x all the team he supervises) - when and where is that workload being done? It isn't vanishing into thin air.

Leaving London would be extremely difficult at the moment regardless because we'd need to save in order to fund the move and we can't do that until we have a semblance of stability and disposable money again

Relocating to a cheaper area needs to be #1 on the list of priorities once we have the funds to do so, at the moment all focus is on securing the property we do have to avoid being on the streets and finding another job which will allow us to make changes.

The landlord has a full time job but rents out this place as a side line, I don't think he would be able to afford the mortgage if the rent were to suddenly stop. As nice as he is (in terms of not wanting to evict us) I don't see how he could do anything but that, if we weren't to get a handle on things sharpish.

Apologies if I've missed anything my heads all over at the moment. I've made a list of things I need to do, and what I need to relay to DP.

I'm happy to move but we don't have the upfront costs to do it, so we're stuck. He also needs to remain relatively local as he has family ties.

Some councils now run schemes where they'll help out with a deposit, even if private renting.

All evening/night deliveries are being rearranged for morning delivery enabling the day staff to work said deliveries in the daytime. The night shift is being completely stopped.

My guess would be they will be giving more hours to current day staff (normal retail assistants work 4h per day and supervisors work about 6h) or hiring more day staff which would still be cheaper than employing a small night team.

The staff turnover at this company is abysmal and the reviews online speak volumes. It really is a terrible place to work and this might end up being a blessing in disguise in the long term.

I've worked there myself albeit at a different branch some years ago and it was a miserable environment I wouldn't return to if I were paid treble.

I've been job searching all day and have forwarded in excess of 15 openings to DPs email. I'm going to get him to send his CV to me so I can do the bulk of applying whilst he works.