to think I shouldn’t be made destitute because of a long wait to start work?

[WallabyJob]

Many jobs like civil service/gov require security clearance, what are you supposed to do about childcare while you’re waiting to start?

Most nurseries need 4 weeks notice to change hours (some a whole term), but you can be expected to start work within a few days of receiving security clearance. The timeframe for clearance could be something as vague as 2-10 weeks time.

So I have to pay for crippling full time nursery, but with zero income to cover these fees, potentially for several months?

Am I missing something?

Not eligible for help from UC/Flexible support fund because DP is working (his salary JUST covers mortgage/bills/food)

’Free’ hours are being claimed, yet the princely sum of £2400pm is still required to cover full time fees for 2 children 😰

If it’s only 2-10weeks, count yourself lucky! I take it that’s baseline standard or CTC. Because the DV wait these days is more like a year…SC more like 8-9 months.

Honestly? I didn’t even hand in my notice at my old job until my clearance was confirmed. And I am SO glad I did that. No Civil Service job would expect you to start days to weeks after - anything between a month and two months is usually acceptable…. because hiring managers work on the assumption that people will stay in other jobs due to the risk of clearance being rejected. Most hiring managers actively say ‘do not resign from your current job until clearance comes through.’ If you’re coming from not having a job, you will need to explain to them the difficulties (although this should have been discussed at interview) and ask for flexibility around childcare at the start (although this can be declined).

I also know people who have failed everything from SC - DV, and appeals have been rejected. So unless you’re going for baseline standard, you shouldn’t count your chickens until your clearance comes through…

Your figures are way off in terms of clearance times and shouldn’t really be discussed in a forum like this away

The information can be found online re. clearance. 😂Hardly state secret material!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7f7c5b40f0b6230268fc7d/20150623-NSVSubjectGuideDV.pdf

I'n April 2022, only 7% of DV applications were processed in the target time. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubacc/994/report.html#heading-2

It's improved slightly, but it's still pretty slow.

As I said, all available online with a quick search. 😁

Why not? The SLAs are published on the internet…

You can claim childcare on UC, it may possibly be worth contacting the job centre to see if they would help? Maybe not but it won't cost you anything. Or you could go on jobseekers, you'll need to apply for jobs etc, but if something did happen with clearance it wouldn't be a bad thing to have a new job lined up.

You aren't expected to start within a few days of having all of your checks done, the advice is not to hand your notice in until it's signed sealed and delivered and people have all sorts of notice periods. You'll be able to say I can start in x weeks time.

All civil service jobs/gov jobs clearly say in the advert and at various stages that do not quit your current job till all clearances come through. So you should hang on to your current job till then or do some short term job/part time job like in retail to pick up hours till it comes through if you want to get a nursery place early.

Nobody expects you to drop everything and start immediately.

If you don’t like the terms, you don’t have to apply for those jobs.

Can you apply for something like a supermarket job to help tide you over while you wait?

You don't have to start immediately. Most people are in existing jobs and therefore it's expected that there will be a month gap etc.

So get offered job. Arrange childcare. Then start a month later.

You might need a loan, credit card for the first month nursery fees if you have no savings.

But then sorts itself out.

They are used to waiting for people. These jobs can have a 3 month notice period and they understand that works both ways. Don't hand in your notice too early.

If you're stuck in the position now, do at least talk to nursery about the situation and whether you could reduce hours temporarily. It'll probably be a no but it doesn't hurt to ask. And do talk to the new employer to see if anything can be expedited. It won't be seen as a negative if you are keen to work.

I can't speak for the civil service but for the military they say don't quit until you get a start date which will usually be a few weeks even months, they do offer quicker dates if there's a drop out on the previous intake but you aren't obliged.