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.

I think it’s clear I want all Mothers to have the same ability and support, at a policy and legislative level to stay home with their children for an equal amount of time.

So how would you implement this?

Staying at home for 3years will destroy most careers. I went back after six months maternity - any longer and I’d have lost my promotion prospects and career path.

It’s not really the premise of this thread but I believe we’re on the edge of a digital revolution, which much like the industrial revolution will render great swathes of the population unemployable.

As we are no longer an economic superpower, and are competing with countries with significantly lower overheads, we won’t be able to pay out for an ever-increasing number of people to sit at home not being economically viable. How that’ll pan out, who knows. But I expect our grandchildren’s grandchildren will look back at this era as disgustingly complacent and short-sighted.

I don’t know precisely. This happens in Germany though. I have a good friend who took advantage of a policy very similar.

The other option being ... oh, wait...

Yes op I’m in your camp. I think everyone should go to work and pay own bills. I couldn’t afford to stay home with my child so I went back to work. I didn’t ask the government to fund my life. I didn’t really consider that it was possible to live on benefits for 3 years to stay home. In hindsight I should have thought more about it.
I have made my peace with it because in future my family will have assets, savings, pensions and my child is likely to be financially comfortable for his lifetime.
DS will of course be dreadfully scarred because I went to work while he was under 3 but I guess in every situation you reap what you sow.
I will reap money and all of the mum’s at home on uc will reap perfect and clever children who are not emotionally scarred and live a perfect existence or so the studies say.

Well the counter argument is to change the policy so UC claimants are expected to return to work sooner, rather than employed Mothers go back later. So there’s two approaches to consider. Although unsurprisingly those engaging with this thread from the angle of claimants haven’t entertained that idea.

Tell us practically how you think this would work OP?

I like how some people are saying how awful it is while also wishing they’d known about it. Telling!

Tell us practically what 'happens in Germany' then? Current Germany, not the former DDR.

Go up a little - it could involve getting claimants back to work earlier, bringing the expectations of them/their statutory rights in line with employed mothers or it could involve legislating to keep Mothers jobs open - like the German model.

Nobody has said UC policy is perfect, they've said that it's not appropriate to bash people for accessing funds they're allowed to access, and for doing the best for their situation.

Why don’t you tell us? I don’t know exactly and haven’t professed to. I’ve said I have a German friend, our children are similar ages and she was able to take more time off but still retain her job.

I don't think that the answer is to penalise the children of UC claimants by putting them in childcare from an increasingly young age. Studies show that such children already have significant and lasting disadvantages on their physical health, mental health, emotional and social development and educations outcomes than other children.
Surely we should be looking to level up, and not down?

Give us more specific detail about the German model please, not glossing over the ridiculous shortage of KITA places in some areas.
Do you really want to make it better for all, or worse for some so you feel better?

I agree this is frustrating. Also when I went on mat leave last year my employer pointed out that whilst my wages reduced massively during maternity leave, if I were to quit the job and claim UC I would receive no such change or reduction in income during this time.

I'm not the one suggesting we adopt the German model, you are, thus you need to tell us what's good or bad about it. 🫣

@SmallPeachKoala it’s this! Why should someone claiming UC get more than I get on SMP when I’ve been working? 😂😂

I don’t need to anything, other than go
to work, apparently.

I loved being a single parent on UC after my partner battered me so badly he broke bones in my hand (protecting my head) and I struggled to lift baby.

It was a barrel of laughs over the following decade or so. Finding jobs, being told hours had changed...

I don't even know why I'm bothering to try and justify my journey of bringing up 2 children alone with no support.

Quit your job, leave your husband, rent a property, make it your home of 10 years. Rental income boom occurs, find yourself homeless.

You really should try it. It tends to stop one being a condescending twat.

You would think so. Unless she's only cou ting one income in a 2 income household

What other benefits? Apart from Child Benefit?

That’s it.

@TheBuffetInspector Im sorry for your experience. I was discussing parenting and more specifically the expectations of Mothers to work. We can all share our trauma but it’s not really relevant to the topic.

You can claim universal credit while on SMP? So then you’d be getting the same as them?