To wonder why UC claimants don’t have to work until their babies are three, when virtually everyone else has to?

[SeeYouLaterCrocodile]

I don’t know anyone who’s stayed off work until their kid was three. The vast majority go back after a year because that’s what they can afford. Why should they be working to pay tax for the jobless to stay at home for thrice as long?

@Christmasandallthetrimmings You think everyone who works is in good physical and mental health, has no caring responsibilities, has the luxury of a loving and supportive partner who pulls their weight equally at home and has a full unbroken eight hours sleep every night?

I am a widowed parent on UC, youngest child is 5. I only work very part time school hours, and have 2 weekly job search meetings. I didn't work until last year, I don't think any changes should be made to lower the age from 3 when parents have to look for work. Babies and toddlers do not need 30 hours childcare a week, and nurseries really aren't equipped for a larger number of under 3s attending. I'm happy I stayed at home with all of mine.

So many on this thread are really missing the crux of the point here. Regardless of WHY the rules might state that UC claimants don't have to work until their babies turn 3, the point is the message that this sends to the rest of us. The majority of families cannot afford a SAHP, no matter how hard the other one works. So why is it not fair to ask why do those on benefits have that luxury?
This is not a precendent set for the rest of us- fStatutory Maternity Pay is not only pitiful but lasts for a fraction of 3 years. Even the most competitive maternity pay packages rarely last over 6 months.

It is not 'benefits bashing' to question why one person's child deserves their mummy more around in those critical years, but the rest who haven't a hope of affording one SAHP don't?
I'm surprised how many people on this thread can't see this.

Because anyone can claim universal credit if their financial circumstances and age are such that they meet the criteria.

Interesting that you mention the constant rhetoric, how much do you feel that this has shaped your views? Do you think it is all accurate?

Make all mums work as soon as the placenta is out is my motto. Good for productivity, good for the economy, more work for childcare professionals, win-win-win 💯❤️

Welcome to America Mark 2

(i realise you were being sarcastic, just saying we are getting more and more like the States by the day)

It’s sad that a lot of people these days reserve a nursery place for their child as soon as they find out they’re pregnant because so many people send their babies young now and there aren’t enough spaces. It’s like we are taught to view babies as an inconvenience and a barrier to working the moment we conceive.

I hear a lot of 'Both of us have to work to afford to live' from families who have largish homes, two cars, expensive electronics foreign holidays etc. That might not be the case for you but it certainly is for some. Anyone in that or similar situation can adjust their lifestyle to allow one parent to stay at home until the child is of nursery or school age. That's what our family did. For people genuinely struggling I still don't see how demonising others even less well off is helpful.

Exactly. People saying i "had" to go back to work to maintain momentum in their career or to pay the mortgage- that is still a choice. They could have chosen a career break or a cheaper standard of living had they really wanted to stay home. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to get back to work as soon as you are ready, one of my friends was bored stiff on mat leave and found it jarring the way the days rolled into each other so she went back 4 days a week when her baby was 8 months. I went back 2 days a week when my first baby turned 1. Women should be supported in their choices whether that be getting back into the workplace as soon as they're ready or having those 3 years off to spend with their child.
I expect my generation to not retire until we turn 70, I started full time work at 19, in around 50 years of working and paying taxes a short break to enable me to raise my baby i do not see the problem. I'm still working part time.
People saying being a single Mum is a lifestyle choice- you could argue the same about smoking and obesity related conditions, or what about the person who suffers a horrible injury because they chose to partake in a dangerous sport.
Where do you draw the line.

Exactly. The only people I know who put their baby in nursery at 6 months are driving round in Range Rovers, wearing Tag watches with themselves and the children head to toe in designer outfits, with multiple overseas holidays a year. And i don't begrudge them of any of it, they've worked bloody hard and deserve some fruits of their labour.
On UC, I have zero savings, I have no money for myself, I have an extremely frugal standard of living, me and my children don't starve but once the bills are paid there is very very little left over to last the rest of the month. No pension contributions. Wow I'm rolling in it aren't I!
And il be looking to start a career from the bottom in my early 40s (the place where I work part time at we get death threats and sworn at every shift, I'd die if I did it full time!!)

It doesn't help that they raised the retirement age for women also so that many parents are prevented from getting childcare from their own family.
It's always women as well isnt it doing all the caring responsibilities on top of working.

You don't want enough female GPs then? Or nurses? Police officers? All the other people who look after you? My kids were in nursery just before 1 so I could go back to seeing patients and I don't have a range rover......

I literally said women should be supported in getting back to work if that's what they are wanting to do. Can you not read.
It's in my post above the one you quoted

You said the only people you know with kids in nursery at 6m have range rovers etc etc......

See other post

@redphonecase

Women should be supported in their choices whether that be getting back into the workplace as soon as they're ready or having those 3 years off to spend with their child.

At 6.44am. It's not hard to scroll up

If you can afford to stay off work to raise your children, good for you. I’d have loved to but couldn’t afford it. So I work and pay huge amounts of my salary in childcare.

This - you should be more annoyed that people need to go back to work so soon in this climate. 3 is the age childcare generally is beneficial to the kid (educationally/developmentally - my kids were all in nursery before this age, we only get 15 free hours from age 3 - September for April born DD! 😭)

And that is literally true. The only people I know personally who put their babies in nursery at 6 months drive range Rovers. Not the one who put her baby in nursery at 8 months or a year. That is just my personal experience

But then you have to question why are so many teens in need of camhs help - has there been early trauma and if we force every child at a young age into childcare (as let’s face it not all nurseries are good) will this problem just get worse

But you believe that only the super rich go back early?

I think we’ve lost sight of what young children need in this country. It is of no benefit to them being in childcare under three. Once they are three they start enjoying peer play, before that they still prefer seeking adults to play with over peers.

Yes, they do make friendships and bonds with peers from babies but they can also become very peer oriented from age three to the point they ignore adult direction and look at their peers for direction. I always know which preschoolers have been full time from babies.

We are making a whole generation institutionalised from babies. They aren’t seeing the wider world day to day. We need to look at this obsession of everyone working as much as possible to the detriment of actual people.

Did i say that? Stop putting words in my mouth. You're just out for an argument now. See ya later have a nice day. I wont be coming back to this thread il just hide it on my threads list now.

Those who say 'why are they jobless after having a baby?' Have you ever worked in a tough, physical job whilst pregnant? I have. I was a shop manager for a small food retail business throughout both my pregnancies, hauling crates around, on my feet all day, half hour lunch breaks, constant bending and standing to restock, climbing up and down stairs constantly (stock room was upstairs). There is a huge difference between this sort of work and an office job when you're pregnant. Luckily I had two straightforward pregnancies, but I couldn't have done this if I had complications, was high risk, had extreme sickness, etc. Plus these sorts of jobs find it easier to sack you or talk you out of coming back.
If I think of my friends who work in Caffè Nero, as HCAs on health wards, in care homes, supermarkets etc, there is a big difference between how long we work (most can't work right up until labour due to physical aspect) and how long we get off (not much!) and then again, we have to go back to shift work which is much harder to find childcare for than conventional office jobs.
We had a problem where my shop shut at 7, nursery pick up was 6, and my ex wasn't quite back in the area until 6.30. He couldn't put her in a nursery near his work as it was the other side of town and he started at 7am.
Working class people have lives that many in office jobs who don't claim UC can't imagine. Many of us don't do desk jobs, we have no authority over our working day (e.g. you have to be in Aldi for the whole shift unlike my job now where I can pop out or finish early just by changing my outlook cal) we also are less likely to drive! We're less likely to live in areas where there is better choice of jobs. We're more likely to be in controlling relationships or suffer MH or domestic abuse. We're more likely to be in ill health (look at life expectancy and stats), our parents are less likely to be retired and more likely to be in ill health at a younger age. It's not hard to see the reasons why women on UC are less likely to go back than someone who has a career and a desk job.