Universal credit what my husband to go to the job centre, AIBU?!

[ImEasyLikeSundayMorning]

After a string off 'errors' that occurred out of nowhere, we have been kicked off tax credits, and we cannot reapply.

Both DH and I work full time and have not been out of work for many many years.

We can only apply for universal credit. We are entitled to a very small amount towards DC3's childcare but we are absolutely broke and desperate so need to apply.

Despite checking and double checking, during the application they did not ask for DH's income (self employed), but they did require mine.
DH had a phone interview today and has to go to the job centre next week to prove he is self employed and working.

We hare always just used his self tax form for that in the past.

Who can just drop work like that with a weeks notice?! I know I can't.

Is this a normal expectation?!

Yes its the most ridiculous part taking time off work to go in and prove you work

Lol, it's not up to individual work coaches to make these judgments and gestures - but then you knew that already.

OP FWIW I found the process of getting my claim started slightly kafkaesque (did the online bit, showed up to the job centre appointment with all the requested documentation, showed up again to a subsequent appointment with random additional documentation they'd never expressed any interest in before - I wish I could remember which specific docs they asked for when because it was truly bizarre and really did just feel like they were waiting to see whether any were too difficult to supply at such short notice, rather than actually verifying my claim), but since its been up and running I've found it super easy via the online journal. I think I've had one phone call in four years? I'm not self employed though and I can imagine that adds some ongoing faff. For me as a PAYE employed worker with variable childcare costs its a much better system than tax credits, but there are definitely winners and losers. 😔

Claiming UC comes with conditions. He will need to show he's gainfully self employed. It's just part of the process.

Really sorry but it's not a one off. It's every 3months 😣

My husbands self employed, through an agency in construction. Does exactly the same 40 hour week every week, over the minimum income floor and they still drag him in every 3 months to check he's running his "business" effectively.

Frickin ridiculous. He has to take the afternoon unpaid every bloody time as jobcentre is far away

FYI to all the "start your own business" lot

The reason the building trade is booming right now is because new buidling regs are coming in next year. Eco requirements on new builds. But ....not if the foundations are already in place. So land is being bought and foundations thrown in at a fast pace to avoid the new regs, those sites will then be sold with "foundations in place" and the houses may or may not (probably not) be built. The building trade is going to tank in the next 2 years, its why my friend is looking into his options now as he works as middle management for a building supplies company and can see the redundancies coming.

So the OP's DH setting a up a business now would be utter foolishness.

Unfortunately the right-wing press has been demonising benefit claimants of all kinds for decades. This Tory government in particular has decided being tough on "spongers" is a vote winner. We get the government we vote for sadly and these are the consequences.

Someone can have building skills, but not have the skills to run a business.

And I have some friends in the trades. Being self-employed means being able to advertise your services, accurately quote, manage various jobs and timing, and manage the paperwork and deal with any issues such as non-payment and complaints.
Some people are in the trades because they are good at practical stuff and not at all the other things.

It's not unreasonable to ask to see a claimant in person, universal credit is an in-work benefit. Remember to update your online journal regularly and you'll be fine -you can also request telephone interviews

Oh they know that I work, they have all my details because I have to send monthly copies of my bank statements to show child care cost. The interview was to prove I am looking for work and they wanted me to take part in a job search! I work 30 hours, in a couple of years I will move to 40 hours when my daughter is more independent.

I work for a good company with good prospects and they know I’m very reliable so I draw the line at taking half a day off work to participate in something that is completely senseless.

It's public money and given how little there is, I'm pleased they're making sure it's definitely needed. Surely it will be an hour, tops.

This. I don't think they're asking for a lot when they are giving you money.

But the OPs family shouldn't be earning so little that they qualify for universal credit.

The OP earns at least £33.7k, up to about £41k if she's been in that band for a few years. That's even if she doesn't get antisocial hours or high cost area payments.

Most builders earn more than that and if he doesn't want to run his own business, he can work on a day rate of £200+ for someone who does.

Even if he earns NMW, their household income is over £50k, even if he's the country's lowest paid full time builder, their household income is likely to be £60k or above and if he's earning typical/average builder wages, their household income should be £70-80k at least.

That's probably why they want him to come in. Because they know what jobs they do and on paper it doesn't add up that they qualify for UC because they are unlikely to be a low income household.

So asking you to go and search for work when you have a very good job is not a complete waste of everyone’s time. Focus on getting people without a job in to do a work search how about that? It’s different circumstances for everyone and I pay my tax like everyone else and have done since being 18. They give me a small percentage to cover my child care cost and that’s it. Ignorance is rife at the moment.

This!

Yes, I do know. It's what DP has been doing and everyone in the industries he works in (construction and something else) for years.

Labour only self employment. He works for other people on a day rate driving machines, and it's how pretty much all the other trades do it on the building sites. He has a few regular clients he is offered work from and is also signed up with a few agencies who the construction companies use to find workers. He gets multiple texts and emails a day from them offering work.

He never has to search for customers, price jobs, order materials, do a VAT return, employ or supervise other people or anything else that would be involved in running a 'small business' that sounds like what the OPs DH doesn't want to do. He turns up, does what he's told to do and goes home (yes I do know that it doesn't meet the HMRC definition of self employment but that's how the industries work and what you have to accept if you want to work in it.

So asking you to go and search for work when you have a very good job is not a complete waste of everyone’s time. Focus on getting people without a job in to do a work search how about that? It’s different circumstances for everyone and I pay my tax like everyone else and have done since being 18. They give me a small percentage to cover my child care cost and that’s it. Ignorance is rife at the moment.

But you're asking for government money, that comes with strings. If you want the money, then you have to accept the conditions.

OP may only be entitled due to childcare costs, which is why it makes sense for her to claim. When I had two in full time nursery I claimed but I wasn't entitled as soon as one started school. If I could have earned £100 more per week it wouldn't have benefited me as I would have lost 70% of my childcare bill being paid.
Fuck the benefit skeptics who claim they would make themselves £100's of pounds worse off. Bet they're the same who think tax avoidance is just good money management.

Absolutely this. If we want to subsidise those businesses then great, but paying in circular fashion like this doesn't seem sensible.

I get that it's annoying to go in and might take a few hours for some including travel, but I'm a bit confused about why people don't just ask for a different time slot? Depending on jobs an early morning / late afternoon / Saturday wouldn't conflict with work, travel can be done outside that time and kids can just go with you. Especially say on just 30 hrs per week, there's a lot of non-working time slots left. They are obliged to consider other slots, so it's similar to arranging or rearranging GP, hospital, dentist, optician, vaccines etc etc etc... occasionally there might be a lack of useful slots, but you'd be justified to complain to a team leader if there is never a useful slot on a regular basis.

I am not asking the government for anything, I did not even know I would get this. Obv they know though that one income in a household is not enough to cover the ridiculously high child care costs.

I am happy to comply with reasonable requests, my whole point is why would I need to go in to do a job search when I have permanent decent job that I do not wish to leave. Can't understand why people would not think this is hideous.

I am not scrounger, I live a perfectly good life. Becoming a single parent was beyond my control and traumatic and something I do not need to explain but be reasonable for gods sake.

Thing is that there isn't an appointment type called 'I work but just need a childcare top up". If you are working full time then a coach is unlikely to ask you to seek work but can't book anything else.

100% agree. I work FT and earn a good salary but still qualify for some UC (what would have once been the childcare element of tax credits). The amount of tax I pay every month is greater than the amount of UC I receive, I have no moral issue in claiming the money the govt calculations have deemed my household to need. It's kind of amazing how deeply entrenched the opposition to benefits has become - such a useful narrative to the cruel bastards currently in power.