To push ds into claiming

[Lacky301]

Ds has just finished uni and never worked through me and ex dp give him £450 a month between us plus I've always bought him the odd thing and gave a bit extra here and there.
Me and his dad are seperated and his dads just received notification that he will now be charged full council tax as ds has finished uni I'm under strain financially. I've told ds he needs to claim universal credit until he finds a job but he keeps saying I want my results first. Am I wrong in pushing him to claim to take some pressure off me and dp. Fwiw he would get around £370 per month as living at home.

Yes people think it's a easy ride on benefits it's no sail in the park you have to keep attending meetings and benefits are only a last resort if he can't find a job I only mentioned should he claim now in case he has difficulties getting a job. My ds never mentioned it and he is on about giving us money back when he starts earning he is a decent lad not a benefit sponger like people are suggesting.

@Lacky301 encourage him to see the careers service whilst still in uni town. They can help with a plan.

I feel that my post has been misunderstood I asked this question as claiming benefits is something we have never done. It seems to have turned into something else which wasn't the intention and ultimately ended with me been called a failure and ds a lazy sod.

@Lacky301 ask to have the thread deleted

Yes ds did apply for jobs during his time at uni without success so he stopped eventually. I have seen that others have had the same problem as in a uni town there is alot of competition.

Yes it’s harder than expected.

I encouraged dd to take on volunteering roles, speak to uni careers and eventually apply for UC. It all helped.

I would make an appointment at the job centre regarding universal credit, not so much for the money, although he is entitled to help whilst looking for a job, but for the support and advice they provide.

I don't think mumsnett delete threads anymore they just tell you to turn off notifications

They are useless unless your on benefits

That’s a shame that you’ve had that experience, my son must have been lucky with his work coach.

Was he on benefits

Sorry I misunderstood you mean if he claims he will get help to find a job.

By registering he would get benefits

No he wasn’t. He had just finished college and hadn’t had any luck to start with. He isn’t the most confident so that’s probably why. I hope your son gets on ok with everything.

If he is entitled to it, then yes he should apply. However they do ask for proof you've applied for 2 jobs per week. You have to be available for interviews in the job centre too.

He could be applying anywhere in the country, rather than constraining himself to just his uni town and home town - especially if competition is fierce and he's unsure as to whether he's passed or not

He needs to claim, at least for the short term, but as for finding employment I'm afraid the JobCentre is the last place to get a job! They're not called JokeCentres for nothing.
Pure box ticking exercises.

Ps: the main reason he needs to claim is so he'll qualify for National Insurance contributions - or there will be a gap in his State Pension.

But many years to make it up I'm still paying contributions despite having now paid full stamp

Unless he's over 30 years old, the small gap in NI from unemployment would be insignificant. Plus he could pay NI from getting a job rather than UC. It's not really an excuse

OP, you are ignoring all of the posters who are asking if you are sure he is due to pass his course? Have you asked him? Is he ok?

I dont think he's work shy, bloody hell we all used to sign on back in the day between jobs, studies etc 😁 suppose its a different world now though. Top tip for him though @Lacky301 or any other parents of students out there, tell him to look on his local councils jobs page, there are nearly always casual cleaning jobs on there. I cleaned my local town hall every tea time for 2 hours while I was at college. Best days of my life! Hours are always early morning or early evening. Payed me better than my mates who worked all night in a bar back then. Though that's probably changed too.

Job seekers (income based) is now subsumed in to UC the only Job Seekers is the contribution based one (he wont have the necessary NI ).

Then he needs to move home and start looking there.

There are endless bar jobs or temporary work.

the only reason anyone is unemployed right now is choice.

No we did not. Never claimed a penny in benefits.