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?

Thanks for clearing that up, I’m obviously thinking of the old system. I think ops options are either to agree to look for work (with more hours)or for dh to apply for job seekers allowance, even though it is less money.

Indeed.

Fraud is fraud. The above comment screams tory mindset. Point the finger at the plebs but turn a blind eye when the middle class do it.

I think the system is doing exactly what you expect it too, but with conditions.

The idea your husband need to be ‘available’ for opportunities is false, as people manage to get new jobs and change whole careers while working full-time jobs. If a recruiter wants him enough, they will schedule an agreed time for a chat / interview.

There’s also no guarantee of when he will get a job, so you may indeed need to increase your hours or he takes an interim job until he’s back on form. UC is going to be a shock to the system for a family accustomed to £80k, and especially one with so many expenses they have no safety net. It will help to get creative very quickly.

YABU - the rules are there for a reason.

If you don't want to follow them, don't claim

Do you have any savings to tide you over?

I agree with @SmellyKat10

Benefits should be a safety net for those who need it. If your DH isn't currently working, then he's available to care for the children. Or, he could take temp work while he seeks a long term role

Sadly, you can't know how long it will take your DH to find another job. The job market is tough right now. So you looking for another job is a good idea anyway.

If you don't want to detract from his job hunting (which is really not all day every day ...), then why not look at evening or weekend jobs? Hospitality/retail don't take weeks to "onboard" people - you could be started pretty quickly, and if DH did find another job you could just walk away.

I found the UC checks soul destroying. I think you will struggle to prove you've made the requisite amount of effort to find another job if you haven't. If you want the money, you have to jump through the hoops.

Why would she claim ESA, does she have a condition of some kind. I may have missed an update.

YANBU to not want to do it but I think you'll have to do a bit of hoop jumping. I've been a claimant for 15 years and it's best to just do what they ask.

Tbf..., her youngest is 4 and the others are in school. Soon all will be school age. We're not talking about leaving 3 babies in childcare at this point (which is expensive) - she's got school age kids.

End of the day the system doesn’t care if you paid in for 40y and suddenly have a stroke or lose your job. You get same rules and regs as everyone else or indeed “never paid a penny in”.

it simply looks that 2 adults are supporting a family on 15hours and that both of you should be looking to increase your hours. There are 168hours in a week. Your partner will need to commit to 35 hours job search while the child is in nursery. Maybe he will have a job interview while you are working in Tescos on Thursday but more likley your work will be extra at evenings and weekends so childcare and his job commitments will not be affected.

In the past two adults could work 16h between them and that would just be topped up now it’s based on two adults having commitments working once the children are 4/5. But you have to play by rules and show you are looking for more hours anyway. Same as anyone else in the system. It sucks the system is designed that way. Good luck.

Do you not have any savings to tide you over?

And job searching does not excuse your husband from doing a bit of child care when you are working 15 hours a week between you.

How do you think other people manage? Come on now...

Not that easy just to walk into a 'few hours' retail job or something similar. They want you to be flexible to cover last minute sickness, holidays etc

You are expecting too much from the benefits regime. Benefits are to protect people from starving or becoming homeless, not to protect them from having to adapt to changes in their circumstances.

Side note op, you say in your opening post, that you claim child benefit, but your DH earns 60-65k. If you didn't already know, you should be repaying the majority of that due to his earnings, so you may want to look into how much you could potentially owe, if you haven't already been doing so. Hopefully you're already aware of this, as I know alot of people aren't, and end up owing alot of money due to backdated child benefit payments.

Im surprised on those wages you dont have more than the UC lower limit of 6k saving? With upper of 16k.

With the age of your youngest you may as well look to become full time as they would be in school in less than 9 months.

As long as you earn over £1080 a month and put him down as the main carer then they shouldn't pester you to work more hours.

As long as a couple earn over a certain amount (either one or both) they shouldn't be pestering them to work more hours.

How are you entitled to any UC with a household income of £70k+?

Both get part time jobs while your husband looks for work.’ Applying/interviewing for 60k job’s I won’t take all week and all employers will understand that some days he maybe working so will schedule and interview for another suitable time. Most people get new jobs whilst also in a full time position , he doesn’t need to be available Mon-Fri 9-5. If you applied to a local shop a mc’ds you could be both working within days. Picking up a simple job is not a long process.

Think the husband is losing his job?

Not read whole thread OP but be prepared to pay every penny back when he gets a job. They’ll calculate what you earned in a tax year and if over threshold you’ll get a massive bill for it all at the end. Prepare for that, catches SO many people out. Honestly not worth claiming whatsoever it’s not free money.

As long as you earn over £600 a month you'll be on what they call, "light touch," and they'll more or less leave you alone.

If there is a gap of say 6 months and husband the earns 35k for the tax year they’ll have to repay every penny back if it puts them over threshold. Income calculated annually. If I eared nothing for 11 months and 50k in the final month I’d end up paying back everything claimed int he 11. Not fair but how it works.

That is tax credits. UC goes by what you earn monthly.

@WithACatLikeTread but UC is awarded on your previous months income - if they put a claim in this month the calculation would be based off Decembers earnings, not Januarys so it would be a nil award.