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.

Sorry- he needs a job- any job. He wants to stay in uni accommodation, 'working on' his CV, and then start applying for industry specific jobs......he's funded currently by his parents, and you'd rather he applied for the dole than juts went out and got a service industry job until something more industry specific. That is just lazy.

What do I do?
Well I've worked since I was 18 and never claimed a penny we are not a dosser family by the way.

XenoBitch isn't discriminating against people claiming benefits that are there to help and has the sense to understand that we are all different in what we can manage at one time.

Alot of you are completely lacking empathy and are downright judgmental and have my ds labelled as lazy, incompetent, etc etc just because I asked if he should claim a benefit between transitioning from uni into work shame on you all social media is pure evil at times.

I haven't called him lazy. I still don't think he should be claiming JSA when he is not actually seeking a job.
People don't get to claim benefits for being poor multitaskers.

Alot of people on here have called my ds lazy and incompetent a young man who has bloody worked hard at university not sat at home not even having entered education to try and do better.
Fwiw ds will be attempting to get some bar work in his uni town before coming back home to get one.

Many of our DC have worked very hard at university, predicted firsts and in punishing courses. Still didn't expect the taxpayer to fund them while they were off finding themselves.
60% of the country is being funded by the 40% or less. This isn't sustainable. Most of those may be working or unable to work. You son is neither.

Get him to claim online. Don't tell anyone about it because many people don't like it. I actually lost some friends when they found out I claimed benefits, while I wasn't working. People get quite angry about it. Benefits is a great temporary fix, to get us back on our feet in-between jobs. If he is entitled then ask him to claim for UC.

So we should all be the same it's a transition from uni into work no need to benefit bash help is there just in case. On here we will only hear from posters who say thier dc have never had to claim or never been in a position where they've had to and then we only have thier word for it.

Spot on I'm not saying claim benefit instead of a job or to look for one only as a temporary measure as I'm struggling now. Has I said before he may find a job before he receives a penny so you can all calm down and he isn't going to claim yet anyway only of he struggles to get a job.
Just to mention he applied for around 20 jobs previously without any luck.

I have no qualms with someone claiming UC if their actual circumstances mean that they can't work, but to have someone not even try and then get encouraged to claim because of their own laziness/incompetence does make me angry

That just about sums it up for me - the different between can't and won't

And no, benefits aren't supposed to be there "just in case" someone can't get a job or whatever; they're intended for those who've genuinely done whatever they can to help themselves and still need assistance

Or at least they were, until folk were enabled to see them as a lifestyle choice

How did they expect you to pay your bills?

I don't think 20 applications is that many in this job market. He needs to get into a routine of applying for at least one good and long-term role per day as well as applying for whatever temp roles he can per day. Possibly also looking into volunteering/apprenticing/interning in something that will give him experience for his long term career.

If he can't financially afford to take a break, then he needs to be proactive about gaining work and experience. As his tenancy in his uni town is ending soon, he isn't actually constrained to anywhere in the country - he could be applying nationwide or even abroad! I think he needs to think in broader terms than his current approach, especially if there's a chance he's not passed his exams or if he's passed with a third.

I don't think 20 applications is that many in this job market

Maybe worth pointing out that, while OP's been quick to mention that "we only have thier word" for what others have done, the same applies here?

Well we have more or less the whole of mumsnett against one person

Well actually they are there for that reason also how else are you meant to survive whilst job hunting also how would many of you feel about a bunch of strangers calling your ds lazy and imcompetent because he dared to concentrate on studies and leave off working whilst studying.

OP’s ds can claim in his circumstances.

it used to be case that students could claim benefits (IS and HB) in the long summer holidays but that changed years ago to just being able to claim once course finished.

He won’t be in it long and will get support with job seeking.

@Lacky301 I do think you should give less money though as you can no longer afford to do so.

Thanks he most likely won't claim hopefully.

Even if he were seeking a temporary seasonal job, he should still claim UC while looking.

So will the magic money tree fund a move cross country or abroad ?

DD applied for over 50 before getting a job. I am not trying to be nasty, but her degree is from a top Russell Group university and she worked or did internships throughout uni. She stil had a lot of trouble. 20 applications isn't many.

He has a few weeks at least to get saving through a temp job. If the salary is good then he can take out a loan or ask for an advance on his salary to facilitate the move. As he is young his moving costs will be low - the price of a megabus/cheap flight + deposit for a cheap room to set him up for the first few months.

I don't get the mentality of not doing anything because you might not have funds - apply first, save money, if the application is successful then see if funds accrued from temping and saving allow the move, if not then negotiate with the employer, if unsuccessful then at least you got some useful interviewing and application experience.

Not applying is a 100% surefire way of not getting the job

Fair enough but it does show a job doesn't always magically pop up

This made me smile, like the old story about the parents watching a kids' parade: "Oooo look, they're all out of step except our Johnny!!"

We can all only go on what an OP's said, but if on that information they take one view and practically everyone else takes a different one, maybe - just maybe - it's time to revisit the view?

The system allows op ds to claim. That’s all there is to it.

There are a lot of unclaimed benefits. What’s happening to ensure it reaches the right people? Is there an outcry about the ethics of this?

I am so shocked you are even thinking about him claiming UC when he is a fully functioning adult, with complete ability to find a job... Really doesn't sit right with me. Also about his self esteem, do you really think it would be good for him to start his professional life on this basis, claiming UC? I'm all for benefits for everyone needing it, he doesn't!