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

[Abneyandteal19]

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?

I still think looking for more work should be the default rather than applying for benefits. He's already been out of work 6 weeks, end of feb is another 6 weeks away, thats an awful lot of hours that could have been worked.
I resent our taxes being spent supporting 2 capable adults to work half a job between them. Plan better or lower your expectations.
I work evenings and sundays, why can't one of you?

It's not hate for your husband at all. But you have a job, he doesn't so he finds work. The default shouldn't be the state.

I agree with you here, DH will be at home, so no reason OP (or actually DH) could pick up some extra hours doing something...

When you are so dependent on one person's salary why on earth does your husband not have income protection insurance?

It would not have paid out in the situation where a fixed term contract finishes at the time that was known and agreed 12 months in advance.

I think it's self evident, isn't it?

I am talking about people who are proactively looking for work and open-minded about the kind of work that they would be willing to do but who are unable to find work for whatever reason. It might be short term or it might be long term. And it might be because they lack basic skills (in some cases due to undiagnosed learning difficulties etc), or because they need specific adjustments for disability etc that employers are unable to make. They may be struggling due to factors like racism, ageism, disablism etc. Or it might simply be that they are applying for tons of jobs and narrowly missing out each time for no obvious reason. Obviously, in the longer term, if people are unable to find work over an extended period, then additional support should be offered in the form of training/skills development, interview coaching etc. But the support needs to be available to those who genuinely can't find a job, for whatever reason - not for those who don't fancy looking because it doesn't fit with their lifestyle.

@Abneyandteal19 I think, given your earnings, UC will treat you as what they call 'light touch'; see my previous message about the Administrative Earnings Threshold.

Your husband is looking for work and, no doubt, will need to evidence what he is doing. He will have to commit to what he will do. I suspect he'd be allowed some time to explore options in his previous line of work before being leaned on to work at MacDonald's!!

You will need to commit to look for extra work too but I don't think you'll be pressured hard, certainly not immediately. Anything would need to be compatible with the fact you have young kids. I think if you can say you're exploring extra hours at your current employment and putting out feelers that would be enough.

Go to your interviews, explain your circumstances but engage constructively and I think you'll be fine.

If you need expert help speak to Help to Claim, funded by DWP but provided by Citizens Advice, on 0800 144 8 444.

Why can't your husband do agency work while waiting for a full time permanent job? You don't need to work more hours or look for more, just don't claim Universal credit.

Why can't they? They have a loss of income.

Or OH could get the part time job until his FT work is organised.

If the OP and her DH were both actively looking for work and were willing to do whatever work was available, and neither of them was able to find anything, and OP's existing part time wage wasn't enough for them to get by, then absolutely, I would agree that they had fallen on hard times.

However, if one of them is choosing to stay part time and choosing not to look for work, despite being perfectly capable of doing so, then I would class that as a lifestylye choice rather than having fallen on hard times, and I wouldn't expect the state to pay for people's lifestyle choices.

Look everyone, he’s a man. He needs to be allow to dedicate himself fully, heart and soul, to the quest for the new job, and the new job that his heart desires. Not any old job. He can’t have any limits on his time to do this, or to have to work around children at all.

Its absolutely absurd that anyone should suggest that a man does his job hunting to work around children, that a man should ever be asked to exert himself beyond office hours, or do what is necessary to keep his family going.

Silly post

You're right about them making it as difficult as possible, @AmethystSparkles .

Earlier today, I had an email from a client who was well enough to work (and did work) and now isn't. They tried to submit a FIT note to their work coach yesterday, and they refused it, telling them that they could only accept a FIT note if it was for a different health condition.

They have 2 main health problems, both of them are fluctuating in nature. This cannot be right, surely? There are loads of health conditions that vary massively in how severe they are from time to time.

Anyway, the bottom line is that UC comes with conditions, which claimants can accept and comply with or not. If they don't comply, and don't have a good reason for not complying, they can be sanctioned. That sanction can be challenged on the grounds that it's unreasonable, but challenges can take forever (a year or more if it has to go to a tribunal).

I don't agree with it, and I like it even less. It is particularly hard on people with MH conditions, ASDs and mild learning difficulties. But it's what people voted for.

Would you care to elaborate?

Exactly this, sorry OP is going through this but it’s a bit different now we know it’s contracting.

I don’t begrudge contractors, but the reason the money is so good is because it’s high risk and you need to be prepared for times of unemployment. This is very different to losing a permanent FT role, it’s the nature of the game with contracting. In my own specialism contractors are being paid £700 + per day for certain projects which is far more than I earn - but I prefer the security of a FT role.

So my sympathy wanes for those who make hay whilst the sun shines but don’t do any risk analysis then expect me to facilitate them moseying about waiting for another high paid opportunity. Yes he’s paid tax, as have I, but taxes aren’t a savings account you can dip into unfortunately.

I also think during a COL that I’d be pulling up my bootstraps and doing whatever as a lot of Industries are reducing expenditure - contractors are the first to go which is happening in my own industry. We’ve cancelled a load of projects + contractors due to financial pressures.

It doesn’t take all day to job hunt if you’re in a specialism, utter nonsense. In my specialism (sounds like OPs DH also has a specialism as a recruiter is organising his interviews), we hand our CV to a recruiter or head hunter, smash it on LinkedIn and then wait for calls most of the time. Gone are the days of printing out your CV and posting them nor being on the phone all day asking around for work.

Ive lost my job before which is a niche specialism so I have sympathy, I get the almost snobbery of not wanting to take a min wage job (even though I would/did as I’d rather work and I’m sorry but it does come across as slight snobbery OP - whether you meant it or not). But that’s a luxury only those with savings can have I’m afraid. To claim benefits, we all have to follow the same rules.

I hope your DH finds something soon especially during this economic nightmare.

not his first move, no.
But you were being very precious about how he can't parent his own children, 2 of which are at school? - at the same time as looking for a job. And that you don't want to increase your hours by taking a temporary 2nd part time job for whatever reason.

That is the stick you're getting.

I have to say I'm aghast at the unemployment money situation in the UK tho. When i got made redundant and went on the unemployment here for a few months i was a) entitled to 60% of my take home (plus a bit more for a dependent child at home and b) as over 55 entitled to that for 15 months (I took 3 to get a job)

after that time I'd have gone onto the basic allowance for unemployment.

You’ve defined contracting. Contracting is usually the same length as a project (6-24 months sometimes) but the point is it can be terminated at any point because you’re not PAYE. I don’t know any contractor personally who hasn’t been hired for a min of 6 months as a starting period.

I don't agree with it, and I like it even less. It is particularly hard on people with MH conditions, ASDs and mild learning difficulties. But it's what people voted for.

ask your electoral candidates how they will handle unemployment, and UC when they come round canvassing and place your vote carefully at the next election

Absolutely he's far too important 😂😂

I do think there should be some sort of recognition of previous tax paid or something; those who normally are net contributors should maybe get an “allowance” before making the part time worker seek more work (as long as the full-time worker is continuing to seek employment obviously)

Something more like contributions based ESA.

there is - its called job seekers allowance and is payable for 26 weeks and is not means tested

OP as an aside

make sure you put in a claim online today for council tax relief from your local council - this is income based and will vary from council council on the rules slightly - but you can claim and get council tax relief. Although council tax is paid over 10 months it is charged le over 12, so you may even get some money back.

Don't delay in applying, do it today and it is not back paid through ignorance of not applying and with an income of £14k you'd most likely qualify.

Don't delay in applying, do it today and it is not back paid through ignorance of not applying and with an income of £14k you'd most likely qualify.

You might qualify and its worth a try but in most councils in England even at that salary plus UC you'd be close to missing out.

Just out of interest there did used to be an earnings related element to unemployment benefit - I was working at the time when it was in force but never needed to use it.

The abolition in 1982 of the Earnings-Related Supplement (ERS) to unemployment benefit, which had been introduced in 1966, left the UK with no element of income support for the unemployed linked to previous earnings.

I’m not going to join the bashing because I think that you should get UC temporarily but I do think that if it takes DH longer than expected to secure a job, you could be in some financial strife. So for that reason alone, I’d agree to the commitments OP. I hope it’s not the case that it takes ages for him to be offered something, but you never know.

Evening work which you could quit with a few days’ notice is rarely interesting work, but it is easy enough to come by. Needless to say, your husband picks up the childcare and domestic slack whilst you do this.

Best of luck to him.