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?

@EvelynKatie

I think a lot of people don't have three months saved up. That's pretty hard for a lot of people right now.

And maybe it's not practical for OP to work more than part time. It could be she pays more in childcare than she earns.

Don't go on about the taxpayer, what bull. She is a taxpayer. I'm a taxpayer. We're all fucking taxpayers you numpty.

@lookwhatyoudidthere@Hmmmmaybe

Wow holier than thou. And so ignorant.

Lots of people work 'contract' jobs. Lots of roles are only for 12/18/23 months. Because that's how a lot of businesses budget at the moment. They don't want to commit to employing permanently, or beyond those months. Lots of people work contract to contract because that's the way of it. What do you think a maternity leave post is as an example?

And they have three children. That's the situation. I'm not sure how raging at them for that helps - should OP sell the kids??

And all the 'pick up more hours at your current job' commenters - again, many businesses have such tight budgets they cannot afford to pay more hours. I'm not sure where you're all working that has unlimited budgets with permanent contracts?

@Oliotya no, it's not that easy to just get a job. Recruiting costs money - they'll take a look at the CVs, realise it's a stop gap and not take OPs husband on. They'd make a loss themselves through HR costs, registering with HMRC, training etc. Maybe you need to live in the real world? You can't just walk in to a shop and start stacking shelves five minutes later, FFS.

@Peanutsforthebluetit we're all taxpayers.

I'm going to say this loudly for those at the back-

We all pay tax. Aside from council tax, which goes to local government, all the other taxes go into a big pot that the government then creates the budget from.

You don't all pay your employment tax into a special pot which benefits are exclusively paid from. No one is taking from anyone's pot like that. "Stealing from the taxpayer" is honestly one of the dumbest things on this thread.

Maybe you need to live in the real world? You can't just walk in to a shop and start stacking shelves five minutes later, FFS.

Job agency for temp work? I went to sign up and was at a warehouse for work an hour later.

@Kalevala

Unless you were working a job identical to that before, or filled out absolutely no paperwork whatsoever, I just don't think that's true.

Again they will take one look at the CV and decide it's not worth their time.

No, I had come from farm work. It was a short term temp job, couple of weeks, they got about five of us in for a big job. I had taken my CV and ID to the agency and was sent straight to the job. After that, I was sent to a factory job for an injury cover role, again, no experience.

It's very easy to get temporary work as they can just tell you not to come back tomorrow if you are no good.

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

They are, but they come with conditions attached. If you don't want to accept the conditions (work commitments) then don't agree to it, but that means you don't get the ££ you've applied for.

In that way, it's similar to a job. You're offered a job for X amount of pay to do Y work under Z conditions.

Benefits are not designed to support 2 well working adults who are capable of working full time.

It's not difficult to claim them if you're entitled. As a single working parent I've found it very easy.

I don't have much sympathy for contractors. It's a bit like self employment - you have to acknowledge the risks during quiet periods.

I recently gave up stacking shelves for a job in social care. I interviewed on a Thursday, started induction on Monday. It is that easy if you're willing to work. You tailor the cv to suit the job you're applying for, obviously. Nobody should think themselves above applying for anything going - snobbery and wishful thinking shouldn't be what welfare is for.

@OCDmama no need to sell the kids, I don’t think extra mouths to feed retail for much anyhow? The point is if you have 3 kids to feed, clothe and transport, that’s a massive responsibility and not one that should be taken lightly. If your main breadwinner is on a contract (most can be ended at a weeks notice), I’d definitely consider this the type of job you would need good savings to do with a clear conscience. Contractors (as a PP mentioned) aren’t actually eligible for UC as they are not counted as full time, you aren’t FT unless you have a FT contract and have passed your probation period. Hope that’s clarified my comments for you. Certainly not holier than thou, just a long term freelancer who understands how sporadic temporary work can be.

I agree. I've never had to wait more than a few days from contact with the employer to starting work. Some haven't looked at a cv, preferring a chat followed by a paid day trial. If you are willing to work and a fast learner, then it's not difficult. I've done all kinds of jobs.

If he finds another job quickly then great but part-time working is a luxury even with kids, and definitely not reasonable on benefits.

It's fine to take uc, it's there for situations like op's but the condition is they both urgently seek full time employment, nothing wrong with that. Take the money, get job hunting, hopefully he will find work before you op

@lookwhatyoudidthere said Contractors (as a PP mentioned) aren’t actually eligible for UC as they are not counted as full time, you aren’t FT unless you have a FT contract and have passed your probation period.

If you're the sort of contractor who has their own business and offers their services through it that may be the case.

If, as I am, you're on a series of fixed term contracts which are hopefully back to back but depend on outside funding and on PAYE then you're an employee - or possibly a worker. In either of those cases if the contract ends and there's no new role/contract you're out of work and can claim UC (or NS JSA if you've got the right NI contributions).

As I understood the OP's posts her DH was in the latter category.

Long term 'tenured' employment of the type I had in the Civil Service from 1978 to 2013 is a bit of a luxury now.

@LakieLady if you want an answer to your question above you might get some useful help if you repost in Cost of Living which is where most benefit related questions fetch up.

@lookwhatyoudidthere no I understand. I worked contracts for years before I was lucky enough to land a permanent role. What you don't seem to grasp is that not everyone chooses to work contracts. Sometimes that's the nature of the business. Some permanent roles can be rare.

@Oliotya I worked as a HCA. It certainly wasn't a case of interview/straight to work. There's the matter of DBS checks that need to be done, and basic training before starting work with clients.

I said "induction" didn't I?

@OCDmama I think what you’re failing to grasp is people in temporary employment and large families to support need a safety net, and that my friend is called savings, not benefits. You are of course entitled to your opinion, as am I.

Having a large family is a choice not a duty or a right. Taking contracts is a choice also, life is full of them, what responsible adults do is take calculated risks and cut their cloth to suit their budget. You seem to be of a mindset that people are entitled to saddle themselves with more responsibility than they can afford to and then revert to the state for help. This is partly why schools and healthcare is so underfunded- because many are taking from system and not giving enough back.

How, in the name of all that is holy, do you save on 2*min wage and in a private let?

Is it only the well off who can breed?

I was coming on to say about this. It's really not much - I think it was £145 a fortnight, at the beginning of this year. I claimed it for 12 weeks, without much question; I just had to show I was applying for work in my field. (My advisor was sensible enough to see that there was no point in making me take a job as an Amazon delivery driver, for example - I have a PhD, and work in Higher Education.) I would then have had to take something else, if I didn't get something within the first 12 weeks. I was starting to apply for hospitality jobs - which I've done before - when I got my current role. So, I think I got the JSA for 15 weeks in total. Wasn't eligible for anything else, as am single, childless, and have a mortgage....

Yeah I do get that, my query is: why in holy hell have 3 kids? Knowing that this is the financial landscape you are operating in? Close your eyes and hope for the best? Expect other tax payers to pay your way? There isn't a perfect solution, only choices.

Your forgetting a pandemic that no one was
prepared for. OP already said they took a big hit because of this, most probably why they now don’t have much saved. Sure they will take this into consideration going forward but they won’t be alone in not planning for such a massive upheaval

@lookwhatyoudidthere so far as I can tell the OP's husband was on a salary sufficient to pay Higher Rate Tax and she was on £14,500. Joint income nearly £80k. A job that was expected to continue - for me and many others life on back to back fixed term contracts is a norm as it is in many sectors - until funding failed. At that point hubby is unemployed.

If you cannot afford 3 kids on a combined income of c£80k heaven help the rest of us.

We only had two but managed a girl and then a boy two years apart. Might have been different if we'd had two of the same sex and wanted to try for a girl (or boy).

The pandemic was 2020-2021! That makes not having secured employment (with a large family) and no savings even more bizarre, not less. You do know we are in 2024 right?