To think she should look for work?

[Daisydoodo]

my sister is on the migration from tax credits to universal credit. Her husband works and earns around £25k a year and does not aspire to earn anymore she has 6 children 3 over 16 and 3 5-16years she was complaining today that she may be expected to start looking for work when she migrates and how she thinks it’s unfair as she is only just getting her life back now the 5yo is in full time school. AIBU to tell her to get a grip and get a job? I feel awful for saying it but it’s getting on my nerves as I was expected to return after 6 months mat leave. Should the UC system force her to look for work

@Catza she needs to get a job..... the gravy train has now finished...

That's it!

@Catza what support does she need??

@BreadInCaptivity what a disgusting comment. I was earning £25k up until very recently and I can assure you I was working full time. You have no idea where this poster lives or what he does. Maybe £25k is the best he can do. Doesn’t mean he needs to ‘pull his finger out’.

In response to OPs question, I agree with OP. I think people should work if they are able to.

It's funny how when people get benefits as a SAHP they are "lazy" but the SAHPs not claiming anything are told they are doing the hardest job, their DH should be helping more, etc. The double standards are hilarious to me.

Yes but that isn't the sister's complaint. Her complaint is that she doesn't want to look because she's just getting her life back now her kids are all in school.
If the issue was "this is so frustrating, I can't find any jobs that either have the right hours, or pay enough to make it worthwhile after paying for childcare" then I think most people would agree that that is hard, and can be the cause of mothers being out of work for longer than they'd like.

Absolutely she should look for work. It’s about time couples claiming tax credits were told to both work given single parents have had that pressure for a long time. Boo hoo she’s only just getting her life back, many parents work all the way through and she’s had years as a SAHM. Sorry but unless your husband can afford to pay for that lifestyle yes she should get a job, or don’t claim government benefits

I’m the last person in the world to benefits bash but I don’t know why people have so many children then complain they have no free time.

I’ve worked all my adult life excluding maternity leave with the kids. But when my youngest started school I was still part time and I had 2 terms of staying that way meaning I had 2 days per week to myself. It was total bliss! But I wasn’t claiming benefits beyond child benefit and it was a temporary measure because earning more money was a priority, so I went FT after those 2 terms. As much as I’d love days off that’s life with kids innit. Totally daft to have SIX kids (6!!!) and then expect a break at the end of it.

I mean if she wanted breaks from her kids why have so bloody many.

Sorry edited to say posted in wrong place!

To be fair with 6 kids 3-16 she won’t be sitting on her bum all day at home will she?

Hold on...

Aren't those still on legacy benefits still on them because they are in receipt of a benefit such as Carers Allowance?

Well, I can't say without assessing her but as per my above post people who have been out of workforce for a long time usually need support with:

1. Developing self-confidence
2. Interview skills
3. Soft skills
4. Help with CV
5. Identifying areas of interest
6. Identifying skills gaps
7. Training opportunities
8. Support around benefits calculations (let's face it, she won't be flying into a high-paying job so will likely still be entitled to benefits)
9. Practical arrangements around transport, work-appropriate clothing, childcare etc.

These are the things that people do without thinking but situation is very different for someone who may have never held a job and didn't have to consider any of this for 20 years.

@Catza most of that can be accessed via that marvellous thing called google....

She's also expressed no concern round that, just she wants her life back after deciding to have six children!

Lots of self help ideas about!

No, some just haven't migrated yet. I'd still be on working tax credits myself but I chose to migrate last year after doing the sums and realising I'd get more on UC. There's not many left now but a few. My colleague still gets tax credits.

Yep! 👍

No we should still be on tax credits (but have a £0 award) and have decided against migrating because we are now borderline getting any award at all. We have a mortgage so no housing element and only one child on the claim now in her final year at school.

As an aside I work 35 hours a week in supported living. I earn £1 over minimum wage per hour. I'm on £21500 a year.

Wrong type of SAHP isn't she according to those on here.

One that has six children, she cannot afford ....... well yes, she is.

Meanwhile in the real world people that can't afford six, don't have them.

You view is ableist and you are a prime example of the type of person currently employed by Jobcentre. No training in the subject, no idea and no compassion.
I am going to rely on my professional experience running employment programmes when I make judgement about what people may struggle with and what they are willing/able to express about the situation to others.

I agree, hence my comments above.

But if anyone reading this with school age children, please consider getting a job!

This isn't about being lazy or a scrounger. It's about the benefits reducing and then disappearing once DC reach adulthood.

By then many people find it even harder to get and hold down a ft job.
It's a slippery slope to homelessness.

It's better looking for pt work when DC are at primary school ...

@Catza good for you! Can you get the DS a job....

Because she's going to need one.

She's not disabled, she's made lifestyle choices that limit her job options, a choice, not something out with her control.

Yes this.

it’s so boring that people completely taking the piss out of the benefit system get supported by ‘but we need people to have kids to look after us when we are old ’

we do not need ANYONE to have 6 kids and especially not to give the example that no one has to actually work or try hard for a
living.

I can’t imagine these kids are ones that would be happy to wipe bums for £11 an hour when benefits are on offer instead.

the birth rate argument is total bullshit tbh. Get a job stop being so bloody lazy.

@Catza the job centre help with a lot of this. The focus now is on getting people into work. They’ve recently helped my brother into work after many years of not working due to MH and drug issues, and it’s been great for him.