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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:
Original poster
Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 01:18

@L0bstersLass but surely it DOES matter who gets a job first??? DH with enough earning power to support the family without benefits or me getting a zero hrs contract in a random place to work a max of 10ths per week minimum wage??

OP posts:
Drosera · 23/01/2024 01:19

And I've never understood the animosity towards people that are doing well. It's a bit like hating people for being beautiful but arguably more irrational as beautiful people didn't have to do anything to attain their natural good looks.

If somebody starts their own business and does well they don't owe me anything just because I'm not doing as well.

TousBous · 23/01/2024 01:19

I thought with UC, if you have children under 13 and there are 2 parents, the main carer of the DC had to commit to work or search for work for a set number of hours per week depending on the age of the youngest child (0 hours for under 2, 16 hours age 3-4, 25 hours age 5-13) and the other parent had to commit to searching:working for 30 hours. You get to nominate who is the main carer for the DC, not UC. So your commitment would be to search for extra hours 1 hour per week on top of your 15 hour job if you are the main carer. That could be out of date info though!

CAB have a good UC helpline. Better than UC themselves…

Alex Drake · 23/01/2024 01:27

Oh FFS all those giving the OP a hard time. This couple are not the reason that this country is on its knees! This is a working couple who between them earn a good amount to live and raise their children. They've had a stumbling block, it happens, they need to claim benefits for a few months to get by. That's what the welfare state is there for.

What the welfare state shouldn't be doing is insist that they jump through hoops by getting the benefits they're entitled to. What is the merit in the mum applying for, interviewing for, taking a minimum wage job, going through the induction, training etc to the expense of the company then a week or so later saying, sorry, need to leave now as my husband is back earning £60k plus! What a fucking waste of time.

As for those saying, why don't they have savings? Try earning a good amount in this country with no UC, child benefit, help towards childcare etc, it's still a struggle. It's not a race to the bottom.

The system is broken, it's broken for those who have to suffer going from minimum wage jobs, getting paid off, having to wait weeks and weeks for benefits to kick in, getting hassled to take any job whether it suits or not, repeat repeat. It's also broken for the OP in her scenario.
Let's not kick others when they going through a tough spell.

L0bstersLass · 23/01/2024 01:38

Abneyandteal19 · 23/01/2024 01:18

@L0bstersLass but surely it DOES matter who gets a job first??? DH with enough earning power to support the family without benefits or me getting a zero hrs contract in a random place to work a max of 10ths per week minimum wage??

@Abneyandteal19 Why would you only be looking for zero hours contract work? And why only 10 hours? You need to be maximizing income. This could go on for 6 months to a year or more. You need to be applying for a full time job.

Mariposistaaa · 23/01/2024 02:03

Can’t you go FT and he looks after kid(s), then when he gets a job you stay FT and between you you have the funds for FT nursery?

ilovesooty · 23/01/2024 02:12

Mariposistaaa · 23/01/2024 02:03

Can’t you go FT and he looks after kid(s), then when he gets a job you stay FT and between you you have the funds for FT nursery?

She says she job shares and there aren't any more hours, if I've understood correctly.

L0bstersLass · 23/01/2024 02:14

ilovesooty · 23/01/2024 02:12

She says she job shares and there aren't any more hours, if I've understood correctly.

Show quote history

@ilovesooty - she can get a different job with full time hours.

BobbyBiscuits · 23/01/2024 02:15

Some people on here are blaming all sorts for the country's demise. The benefit system is there for anyone and everyone to seek help as and when they need it for however long (depending on fitting the increasingly BS criteria). That's what we pay for. Benefits are not only for the fully terminally destitute/ incapacitated as some are claiming on here.

catotangent · 23/01/2024 02:17

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.

Agreed. I'm sure some people would like to work only 15 hours a week and be topped up by universal credit payments but you can see why that's not fair surely.

coxesorangepippin · 23/01/2024 02:18

But if op applies and gets a full time job she'll only be on 30k per year, as opposed to the 60/70k her DH could earn?

Plus they'd have to pay for more nursery days?

chaosmaker · 23/01/2024 02:27

This thread is exactly why there should only be about 3 'benefits' and everyone should get UBI. It's a complete no brainer especially as tech is being foisted on everyone - think AI - and many traditional jobs will disappear to it anyway.

AreYouMeOrWhat · 23/01/2024 02:29

I'm no expert but why have you claimed UC rather than your husband claiming contributions-based ESA? That is 6m of payments so presumably meets your needs better.

setsailsam · 23/01/2024 02:43

YABU

the benefit system is there for those who need it most, not those who choose not to work. I hope you get sanctioned for not following your claimant commitments

SENwoes · 23/01/2024 02:57

I do understand your logic but I cannot stress enough how punitive the UC system is and I would strongly discourage you from ‘just being honest with them’ and telling them your plan. There is no leeway for bargaining with them. You either accept your work commitments or you don’t. I’m afraid if you want to get any money from them you will need to be seen to be looking for more work. If it means you end up stacking shelves for a fortnight then so be it.

Mariposistaaa · 23/01/2024 08:30

coxesorangepippin · 23/01/2024 02:18

But if op applies and gets a full time job she'll only be on 30k per year, as opposed to the 60/70k her DH could earn?

Plus they'd have to pay for more nursery days?

Sp they survive off her 30k until he gets a job - he looks after the kids. When he gets a job, her 30k plus his 60+k will be enough to cover the extra nursery days. Kids can be in nursery FT and both parents work FT.

hanschristmassolo · 23/01/2024 08:35

Why doesn't he look after the 4 year old whilst you work additional hours surely that's the logical answer

SecondUsername4me · 23/01/2024 08:35

Surely a household income of 80k combined means you have some savings to help towards the main bills for a couple of months?

But generally, yes, if there are two adults in the home capable of working, then they should be working. Why is it unreasonable to say that now one adult will be at home full time, The other adult shouldnt step in and plug the gap in finances by working full time?

Babyroobs · 23/01/2024 08:41

AreYouMeOrWhat · 23/01/2024 02:29

I'm no expert but why have you claimed UC rather than your husband claiming contributions-based ESA? That is 6m of payments so presumably meets your needs better.

It would be JSA he claimed as he is not ill. But I'm guessing they are claiming UC instead because they have kids and Uc will pay them a lot more than just Contributions based JSA for the husband.

Spacecowboys · 23/01/2024 08:42

Would it not be better for your dh to claim contribution based job seekers allowance? If you claim universal credit and then dh secures another job earning 60k , won’t you have to pay back all the universal credit? I believe it is based on tax year earnings, not on a month by month basis? I’d look into it a bit more.

Babyroobs · 23/01/2024 08:42

I think the key thing is here how confident you are that he will get something else paying 60/ 70k within a few months ?

Babyroobs · 23/01/2024 08:43

Spacecowboys · 23/01/2024 08:42

Would it not be better for your dh to claim contribution based job seekers allowance? If you claim universal credit and then dh secures another job earning 60k , won’t you have to pay back all the universal credit? I believe it is based on tax year earnings, not on a month by month basis? I’d look into it a bit more.

Uc does not have to be paid back. It's not like the old tax credit system which is calculated over the years earnings. For a family like this, UC will pay far more in benefits than JSA which is around £85 a week.

roarrfeckingroar · 23/01/2024 08:46

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.

Exactly. And why should we be angry at those "raking it in" if they pay taxes?

roarrfeckingroar · 23/01/2024 08:50

I see the OP's point. She has a job that works well for their family so giving it up for a FT job doesn't make much sense, providing the husband does get a FT job soon.

They've clearly paid in as a family, I can't begrudge them a bit of support for a few months. It should be savings, but I would rather support a family like this in a tough situation than the perennially unemployed.

ButWhatAboutTheBees · 23/01/2024 08:51

FFS
OP is not trying to get out of work
She IS working. And she is also looking after 2 younger children. Her husband is working hard to find another high earning position and by the sound of it, he will have one soon. Potentially even before all the UC stuff is sorted.

If she went full time then she'd invariably get criticised for leaving her kids in someone else's care all day.

They're a family who have hit a stumbling block. It happened to a LOT of people during Covid. Only at that time UC just paid out without the work expectations.

Essentially some of this comes off as jealous that she lives the way we should be able to - part time to be there for children whilst the other parent works to pay the bills. Like it used to be, only it should be acceptable to be either parent now