Working expectations for parents on UC

[BlackCatGreyWhiskers]

AIBU to find this really frustrating? Basically there is no expectation for parents to work until their child is age 3. So if a family has more than one child that could be several years.

Whereas maternity leave is only 9-12months.

Especially as universal credit claimants can actually get help towards childcare expenses.

I don’t understand why there is a mismatch between the employed and unemployed?

When I went back after maternity, my pay was around £1500 and my childcare £800, then after I went back with my second my childcare went up to £1200. So I earnt next to nothing for 5 years before the eldest started school.

It is absolutely a pain in the arse. You don’t know the amount that you’re gonna get until two days before. They can also stop your payment for any reason and then not respond for days when you contact them to ask why you’ve not received it when you don’t know if you’re not gonna get any money to eat!

Believe me - I have evidence. I went to school in a very deprived area of SE England. I know many people in that very situation.

Obviously we cannot pay for everyone to have benefits when they are working. UC does make women reduce working hours but that suits them. Too many dads not paying up is half the issue but I have an unmarried family member who got all the benefits, kept house she co owned with former partner and did a bit of work but not anywhere what her professional full time role was - that was given up. So all that training and money down the plug hole plus £0000s from benefits. It’s a deliberately chosen course of action by some. Dad had dc 50:50. It’s a choice to get as much as possible from the state.

@Whosenameisthis i have never known a private sector employer pay 6 months sick pay. It’s usually 10 days for sickness of the employee. You can take 2 days unpaid for dependents leave and then if you were ill it would be SSP. If you were taking leave to care for dependents you’d need to quit your job.

This exactly. People play the system. Not always, but it needs a crackdown. It’s not fair, and it’s insulting to honest hard working tax payers.

People can be so naive. Of course if you have a system where you don't have to work with a child under three then people will space their children 3 years apart.

Anyone who denies it frankly lack credibility.

I'm asking for factual evidence, not "believe me... I know things".

And yet here you are using words like "unemployable" and "thick".

Same. I work privately, and you wouldn’t get 6 months sick pay, that would be ssp at that point which isn’t v much.

It is better for children to be home with a parent for the first three years of life.
There is a direct link between household income and life chances of children born into those households.
Presumably, your household income is higher than it would be if you were an unemployed single parent, therefore your child is hugely benefitting compared to the child of the unemployed single parent.
Therefore the government have made the decision that putting more funding into their child then yours at this early stage could mitigate some of those disadvantages and close that gap somewhat. In my opinion, that is why you are not as hard done by as you seem to feel.
Also, presumably you and your partner made choices that have led you into the situation you are currently in?
I stopped work for 8 years when my children were younger because I wanted to spend more time with them when they were small. My husband is on a healthy wage but way way below 6 figures. We decided to buy a house that we could afford on just his wage if we needed to, didn't go on holidays, and cut our cloth accordingly for those years. I now work part time in a job I love that earns me a good wage.
There is an element of personal agency here, your situation isn't inevitable, you made choices that mean that you are worse off for a few years, you didn't have too.

What other benefits would i be receiving? Child benefit, like anyone else with children?

CB is means tested.

So is UC.

You did have the option. You chose not to take it. And you made that choice because you know that decision left you better off in the long run. These goady, and often uniformed threads, are really quite boring now

@BlackCatGreyWhiskersSo if someone gets cancer they get 2 weeks sick pay? DH’s company paid more but they take out insurance! You cannot be that mean to really ill people!

Yes, usually. That’s why income insurance protection exists.

Really? That’s all you have to add to that? I gave you the factual amount of what people are entitled to on universal credit. And you automatically assumed it was more because of ‘other benefits’. Its not.

So is universal credit?

If it’s boring don’t participate.

There’s a myriad of reasons I didn’t choose to resign. But had I been able to hold my job for three years - or 5 in total, because I had my children two years apart, I might have made a different choice.

Can you explain the comment where you called unemployed people thick OP?

I’m unsure what your point was and trying to give you the benefit of the doubt that it was clumsily worded.

Maybe you could rephrase it to clarify?

Exactly.

The poster said they also got CB “like anyone else with children” but just like UC - not everyone with children receives CB.

Why are you paying all the nursery fees? Where is your DP/DH?

I’m the same as you. To be honest, I’ve been feeling more and more like I’ve been living completely wrong and have made a bunch of foolish choices. I’ve worked at a financial disadvantage. For the last 10 yrs (with childcare being more than I made) and had I realised it was a reasonable choice to pause work and get UC, it probably would have been a reasonable choice. It’s too late now though as they’re in primary/secindary..

I didn’t call unemployed people thick. Unemployed people encompasses a much larger group of people than UC claimants.

No, I don’t believe UC claimants are all thick either. You’re right it was a clumsy and not n justified comment. Maybe engage with one of my other comments of which they’re many.

So you want inequality in your favour, not equality? The unemployed parent on universal credit also doesn't have a job guaranteed once their child is three.