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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to work more hours? (Universal Credit)

409 replies

Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 00:00

Hi
Have never claimed benefits before except child benefit as we've always earns over threshold, situation now is....
3DC ages 4 (preschool) 6 and 8.

I work part time professional job management - but job share 15hrs PW. Income £14500

DH professional job in region of £60-65k has never been out of work until now. His contracts ended in Dec. Had a job lined up for Jan- company funding issues have meant they've delayed his start indefinitely. Of course he is desperately searching.

Done all calculations and looks like we are entitled to some UC, so filled in all forms. Have to agree to commitments, DH has to look for work log jobs applied for work coach etc...all fine no problem

But my commitments have come back with I must agree to look for more hours work. I am not sure I can do this... my job is job share split 40/60 so there are no more hours. I have my preschooler everyday I don't work.

Main point is we were just looking for a bit of help for a few months until DH starts and then gets paid for a new job. Chances are he will absolutely get one in next 3 months and then of course will will cease claiming anything and then me working part time will be totally fine again.

It's not that I don't want to work more just not that easy to find something for a few hours a week that will pay more than childcare will cost? Any thoughts/experience? So AIBU not to want to work more hours?

OP posts:
Wasywasydoodah · 23/01/2024 00:03

i don’t see how you’ll get away with not looking for more hours, tbh. I assume that they think your DH will look after the preschooler. Of course, looking doesn’t mean you’ll find anything…

Ponoka7 · 23/01/2024 00:03

You'll be told that you should, on here but I agree with you using this as your safety net until your DH starts work again. Just agree on your journal. You've got Tesco and fast food places offering short hours, just pretend to look. You'll be self sufficient again soon.

Wasywasydoodah · 23/01/2024 00:04

Ps UC does help towards chilcare, though I’m hazy on the details

Nephthys21 · 23/01/2024 00:09

If you only need it for a few months, chances are you wouldn't find and start a job in that time anyway so it's a bit of a moot point. Just commit to looking and give reasons why what you find doesn't work.

YireosDodeAver · 23/01/2024 00:11

If DH isn't working he can look after the kids while you do a few shifts at a flexible service-industry or retail job that can slot around your main job's hours. Or did you marry a useless muppet who is incapable of looking after his own children?

As soon as DH gets work you can drop the 2nd job - you'll be on a zero hours contract so can walk away whenever you like.

lensa · 23/01/2024 00:13

Just go through the motions of looking for a job. It takes time for any action to be taken and you'll be off it by then.

Drosera · 23/01/2024 00:16

I think you could absolutely find an additional PT job within a few months. Even if it's a few evening shifts at Maccas whilst your husband looks after the kids.

Numberfish · 23/01/2024 00:19

What’s stopping you getting a few hours somewhere? The people suggesting going through the motions are benefits cheats. Do you have no savings at all from £80k/year to tide you over if you really don’t want to do a few hours?

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 23/01/2024 00:24

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

Charlie2121 · 23/01/2024 00:25

Everything that is wrong with this country is encapsulated on this thread.

The majority of posters suggesting the OP commits fraud and takes money they are not due from other tax payers.

No wonder the country is in a mess if that’s the prevailing view on matters.

Babyroobs · 23/01/2024 00:27

To be honest you'll likely be so broke on Uc that you should both be looking for anything you can right now. You'll only get child element for two kids and if you have a mortgage , no help with that although you do get a higher work allowance. Both of you should be searching and whoever gets work first , the other look after the kids.

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 23/01/2024 00:29

I would suggest that what's actually wrong with this country is someone looking for a little extra help for a couple of months is being made to feel like a villain and a thief.

Actual benefits cheats are on benefits for years, lying constantly about searching for jobs, have no plans to contribute in any way and generally are being a waste. This is just a woman wanting help for a couple of months because life has being unfortunate, a woman who is already working, raising a family and who has a husband trying to find a job to being to contribute back with his taxes again...

Hecate01 · 23/01/2024 00:33

Most people I know on UC get sanctioned if they don't keep up their end of the agreement so by all means listen to the people saying just go through the motions but expect less if you do.

Charlie2121 · 23/01/2024 00:35

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 23/01/2024 00:29

I would suggest that what's actually wrong with this country is someone looking for a little extra help for a couple of months is being made to feel like a villain and a thief.

Actual benefits cheats are on benefits for years, lying constantly about searching for jobs, have no plans to contribute in any way and generally are being a waste. This is just a woman wanting help for a couple of months because life has being unfortunate, a woman who is already working, raising a family and who has a husband trying to find a job to being to contribute back with his taxes again...

So in your opinion fraud is OK provided it is less fraud than some other people commit.

That’s a bold take.

SmellyKat10 · 23/01/2024 00:37

Hm, I’m not entirely unsympathetic but on balance I do feel like this is pretty poor.

In principle, you CAN work. Your husband could watch the kids. You just don’t want to. That’s not what UC is there for.

SmellyKat10 · 23/01/2024 00:37

work more hours I should say

AutumnColours9 · 23/01/2024 00:41

Yanbu
Working at all with several young DC is hard at the best of times. 'Fulltime' is a concept, years ago people worked 7 days a week, who is to say it is the magic number?
We should be angry at the people raking it in at the top not people taking such small amounts (UC is terribly low) at the bottom.

Original poster
Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 00:42

Hi all and thanks for replying,
@ButWhatAboutTheBees thank you for getting what I am saying...just need help for a couple of months to get back on our feet and in my mind that is exactly what benefits were designed for. I would say we would be on this for a max of 4 months potentially out of our whole working lives.
I've worked for 18years 12 of which were full time and Dh has worked for 20years entirely full time.

I accept I could get a zero hours job in retail etc but surely by the time I'd applied interviewed, onboarded, completed training etc it would be pointless and a waste of everyone's time?
Of course if for some reason DH was still unsuccessful in a few months I'd rethink but in that event it would be much better for me to look for a FT job in my field which would pay so much better!

No @YireosDodeAver my husband is not useless at all he couldn't have predicted what happened and is trying really hard. If he had to look after our 4 year old while I did extra work at the moment he would miss out on job hunting time. Eg today a recruiter called him at 11 to set up a call with a company at 12:30- so if I was doing a 4hr retail shift he would have had to turn this down which seems madness!

I absolutely do not want to fleece the system I just can't get why benefits are not a stop gap for a bad situation- I thought that's exactly what they were for?! I think I'll just be honest with them if they call and go from there.

OP posts:
Babyroobs · 23/01/2024 00:47

Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 00:42

Hi all and thanks for replying,
@ButWhatAboutTheBees thank you for getting what I am saying...just need help for a couple of months to get back on our feet and in my mind that is exactly what benefits were designed for. I would say we would be on this for a max of 4 months potentially out of our whole working lives.
I've worked for 18years 12 of which were full time and Dh has worked for 20years entirely full time.

I accept I could get a zero hours job in retail etc but surely by the time I'd applied interviewed, onboarded, completed training etc it would be pointless and a waste of everyone's time?
Of course if for some reason DH was still unsuccessful in a few months I'd rethink but in that event it would be much better for me to look for a FT job in my field which would pay so much better!

No @YireosDodeAver my husband is not useless at all he couldn't have predicted what happened and is trying really hard. If he had to look after our 4 year old while I did extra work at the moment he would miss out on job hunting time. Eg today a recruiter called him at 11 to set up a call with a company at 12:30- so if I was doing a 4hr retail shift he would have had to turn this down which seems madness!

I absolutely do not want to fleece the system I just can't get why benefits are not a stop gap for a bad situation- I thought that's exactly what they were for?! I think I'll just be honest with them if they call and go from there.

They can help for a stop gap obviously. However to receive the money, you need to agree to the commitments and show you are making efforts. that's just the way it works. Does your four year old get the free 15 hours that all children over 3 get ? Could your dh arrange any appointments/ interviews during that time if you did get some temp work?
To be honest I very much doubt they will do much as long as you show you are both trying. I think in this situation myself I'd be panicking and trying to get any work I could.

Original poster
Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 00:49

@SmellyKat10 I take your point but by me working extra shift for minimum wage and DH looking after preschooler would detract from DH ability to interview/apply for/answer recruiter queries for £60k + jobs which would be much better for our family and the economy plus get us off UC quicker! He is absolutely capable of getting these jobs it's not a pipe dream he's a highly qualified professional who has just been unlucky. He literally had a start date early Jan and then they called and said the last quarter hadn't turned out how they thought and they weren't sure when he could start now could be a few months- so obviously he's looking for other options

OP posts:
L0bstersLass · 23/01/2024 01:03

Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 00:42

Hi all and thanks for replying,
@ButWhatAboutTheBees thank you for getting what I am saying...just need help for a couple of months to get back on our feet and in my mind that is exactly what benefits were designed for. I would say we would be on this for a max of 4 months potentially out of our whole working lives.
I've worked for 18years 12 of which were full time and Dh has worked for 20years entirely full time.

I accept I could get a zero hours job in retail etc but surely by the time I'd applied interviewed, onboarded, completed training etc it would be pointless and a waste of everyone's time?
Of course if for some reason DH was still unsuccessful in a few months I'd rethink but in that event it would be much better for me to look for a FT job in my field which would pay so much better!

No @YireosDodeAver my husband is not useless at all he couldn't have predicted what happened and is trying really hard. If he had to look after our 4 year old while I did extra work at the moment he would miss out on job hunting time. Eg today a recruiter called him at 11 to set up a call with a company at 12:30- so if I was doing a 4hr retail shift he would have had to turn this down which seems madness!

I absolutely do not want to fleece the system I just can't get why benefits are not a stop gap for a bad situation- I thought that's exactly what they were for?! I think I'll just be honest with them if they call and go from there.

@Abneyandteal19
That's not what benefits are designed for, that's what savings are designed for.
You obviously don't have any.
As your husband is now unemployed, he can look after the children while you also look for additional work.
It doesn't matter which one of you gets work first but as a couple you need to be maximising your income quickly rather than dawdling and pinning your hopes on your husband getting a new job.

Benefits are not there to enable the wife of an unemployed man to have the luxury of working part time hours.

Answersunknown · 23/01/2024 01:07

So two competent sensible adults want to work 15 hrs between them for a few months and use benefits as a ‘safety net’

this country is fucked

BobbyBiscuits · 23/01/2024 01:12

That sounds like pure BS from the Ddub, they really take the biscuit. You try and seek help and it feels like they are penalising you. You can only do the hours you do, the rest is childcare. DH is jobseeking constantly/ going to interviews etc. It feels like it's not even worth it, how much money exactly are they saying you're entitled to? The idea they expect you to find another (random) job to fit the other job and then what, you pay for childcare, leaving you with zero. Arseholes.

Original poster
Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 01:15

@Answersunknown that's really unfair and completely untrue... you've taken that so out of context- my husband wants to work and if a short term contract comes up tomorrow he'll take it! He has not decided to have few month off- that's so insulting.

OP posts:
Drosera · 23/01/2024 01:16

We should be angry at the people raking it in at the top not people taking such small amounts (UC is terribly low) at the bottom.

But these high earners are the ones whose taxes help facilitate UC.