Benefits reduction

[Bonsaitreepic]

I got my UC payment today. Just checked and it’s almost £300 less than usual. This is because my oldest is now classed as an adult as he’s left ft education. He’s not currently in work.
I have 3 other children but now I seemingly only get support for 2 of them due to the child cap.
Im freaking out. I only get maintenance for one of the children as I have the other 2 50/50 with their dad. I cannot afford to lose this much money every month. I was already struggling as it was. I’m unable to work just yet as one of the children has complex needs. I already get some DLA for them.
im quite sure there’s nothing I can do about this but I’m so worried

SO your whole entire comment was irrelevant then? We're talking about OP's son.

True. Exactly what my two kids have been doing this summer when they couldn't find jobs, both working in local charity shop to gain expereince.

Another poster that lives in a geographical bubble and has zero concept that maybe other areas of the UK isn’t the same as your small village. How do you know this exactly?

Actually, I don't think there are many parents that are happy for their 18 year old to sit around for extended periods of time while they work out what they want to do. For 2 or 3 months maybe, but OP's DS has already had 3.

Certainly, my DS was in exactly the same position and he was told that we expected him to do something useful whether that was more education, work (which could be voluntary) or some other type of training. He got a job in Tesco for 25 hours a week (so not even full time) while he looked for jobs that were more to his liking. If OP's DS did that he could give him mum the £300 she is short and still have a load of money in his pocket.

He can get a live in job in a hotel. Loads of them around and they will give him food and a bed. Sorted.

P.S I did this myself for six months so I could save money to do an unpaid internship. Working for free. Get your noggin around that!

Lots of jobs in big hotels where you live in, room and 3 meals for £10 a day deducted off your wage. Completely possible to save £1k a month if you’re frugal, more if you’re happy to do overtime.

Excuse me? What is your problem? I literally just added my perspective on the job market as a young individual as many posters are shitting on OPs son for not trying to secure employment or assuming he could get a shift by the end of the day. God forbid providing different perspectives and having earned the “you’re irrelevant” award .

Also, OP never mentioned anything about her son TRYING to find work did she? He just wants to sit at home all day and eat his special snacks.

Are you in rented accommodation OP?

One unfortunate thing you might find is that when your son gets a job (which he 100% has to do) he might be expected to pay towards the rent and your benefits might be cut further. Even if this happens, he has to get a job, full time if not studying . You really, really mustn't let him just laze around, it's so, so bad for him and an easy trap to fall into. I know this might me difficult for you to enforce, but you must. Even if him working leaves you with a lot less money, cut back everything you can to enable him working, even a crappy starter job is better than no job and is something to put on a CV.

We had a Ukrainian living with us for a while, she absolutely refused point blank to get a job and was on UC. She didn't want a job because she wanted a posh job that she wasn't qualified for in the UK and wouldn't take a supermarket job or something like that. I told her that this was a big mistake because any job looks better than no job to an employer and a basic job will help her get a better job. She's now nearly 18 months down the line and is now much less attractive to even basic jobs, never mind posh jobs. Don't let your son fall into that trap. To further explain my Ukrainians thinking, apparently, in Ukraine, taking a basic job would look bad to employers there and count against you. She expected it to be the same here despite me telling her it would be the opposite.

@Babyroobs fair enough "get a job" isn't always quite as easy in practice as it sounds in theory. But, and forgive me if I'm wrong here OP, this chap doesn't even seem to be trying. I'm not pretending that he'll be in a full time job by next friday, but you miss every single shot you don't take.

Sign up with an agency, look smart and speak clearly and enthusiastically even if you need to pretend, tailor CVs to the jobs you're applying for, write speculative letters, maybe accept part time until more hours or something better comes along. Do you know any local tradesman looking for some labouring? There could be an apprentership opening if he does well. Get a part time job in Tesco, do well he could get on a management scheme. Make your own luck.

Also , surely the effort and form filling your son has had to do to claim his own UC , he could have used that time to apply for jobs ?
It just seems he’s went straight to that ? Again , it’s completely abnormal and unthinkable to just go straight to UC at that age , everyone I know worked from age 16 , nobody would have loafed around then claimed UC.

If your DS is not in FT education, then I take it he left at the end of last term in June/July? If so, what has he been doing since then?

There are loads of temp jobs coming up before Christmas from end of Sept/ Oct until end of Jan. a F/T supermarket or retail job will bank him £1500 a month.

Sorry, but your son needs to get off his arse and get a job. Working hard in any job is better than being on benefits at 18. It won't look good on his applications if he has been on the dole at this age when he could have been getting some work experience. My DS is 17 and in 6th form and he has 2 jobs and earns £600 a month.

Tell him to get a job, any job.

Yes, the problem you will have is that if will only pass to your youngest when your second youngest reaches adulthood. I wish I could say something more positive than that and frankly I think the 2 child law is the kind of evil that belongs in Communist China but that will not help you now.

I guess you youngest must be under 7 but how old are they? Your next battle is going to be when they expect you to work more hours.

There are people from other countries who travel thousands of miles them cling on to a boat 26 miles across the channel because they know how much easier it is to get a job in the Uk compared to their own country. They arrive with nothing, not even the same language, and yet, somehow time and time again they manage it.
But no, special Uk born people can't possibly - because they live in a village.

It takes about 20 mins to make a straightforward Uc claim !

fair enough "get a job" isn't always quite as easy in practice as it sounds in theory
While this can be true to an extent we need to make sure doing something at 18 is the norm. As a late teen I wouldn’t have considered not studying/working doing something and neither would any of my friends. Fair enough we were all from families where at least one parent worked but it’s important 18 year olds are not given doss around and claim UC as an option. Jobseeker’s Allowance as it was was for that- short stop gap between work.

Yes, but most of them are planning to work for a dodgy uncle who will pay them cash in hand under the radar. It's a bit more difficult when you are a registered citizen in the UK.

No one is preventing people from having more than 2 kids ! just saying they are not going to get more benefits for doing so. Communist china comment is ridiculous.

I commented something like this earlier. I volunteer at a food bank and I see it all the time. I don't live in a "big city". And no, most of them get legit jobs not dodgy jobs from so called uncle.

As a carer , op has no work commitments so please don't try to frighten her into thinking she will be made to work. She has no commitments to work any hours when she has a disabled child.

But no, special Uk born people can't possibly - because they live in a village.

If you decide to live in a village, the trade off is often that you have to commute. My DC commute an hour to their school. I commute an hour to work and my DH commutes an hour to an hour and a half into London.

Agree.
Seems quite bizarre if you ask me that they can claim anything at all living at home. Would they be able to claim UC if the parents work? My oldest is just doing university applications, looking at finance, we'll have to give her money every month to top up any loans (fully expected and stated amounts in the load applications) . Or she could do nothing, stay at home, we'd have to give her nothing, and she could claim UC? That can't be true?

Has op actually confirmed she lives in a tiny village with no hope of employment for her children? 🤔. I can't see it if she has.

Now all the kids are grown and gone and her and her DP have a fairly miserable life in basic benefits, claiming all sorts of ‘sick’ benefit for their imaginary ailments and are trapped in a cycle of poverty.

I'd love to know how they manage this, @Whereforartthoudave . I have enough trouble getting ill health/disability benefits for clients who have genuine disabling health conditions, over half of them have to go to appeal before their claims are successful.

We are in a small town, 15 year old DD applied to every job at out local shopping centre that was posted online, got about 5 interviews from that, was offered all positions and accepted one.
16 year DD applied to 5 or 6, got offered a trial shift immediately and was offered job the same day.

It's not impossible.
Every single one of both DDs friends were all similar.
Maybe it is geographical but I've not seen a single older teen struggle to get a job extremely quickly here.