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.

You did have the option.

Quit and claim UC.

I’m a single mum on UC with a one year old. I do work (though not full time) so just get a top up but if you don’t work, you don’t get the help towards childcare. I’m also not in England so I wouldn’t get any childcare funding either. I can confirm that there’s absolutely no way I could live on what UC give me without working and barely get by on what I do earn working with the top up so it really isn’t the life of luxury you seem to think it is.

Presumably you had somebody else keeping the roof over your head, food on the table, lights on and everything else you required at the time?

But providing 30 hours free childcare is already at everyone else's expense, as is any form of tax credit to subsidise the lower paid.

I say employers should pay people properly and the government - i.e. we tax payers should not have to subsidise employers not paying people enough to get by.

But as the press go fucking ballistic any time employers have to pay more towards the NHS through national insurance to more tax or increase the minimum wage, this seems to be an issue, so subsidise we do.

And hey ho, look at the birth rate, as people do the maths and decide not to bother. Oops, we have too many old people to pay for!

Oh look at the demographics of sub-Saharan Africa. Lots of young people there. But we don't want immigration. Lots of brown young men and women coming here, oh no.

But then oh dear the economy isn't growing as we don't have enough people with the skills to do the work. Let's blame the immigrants.

Rinse and repeat.

@BeastAngelMadwoman I don’t think it’s a “life of luxury” but as clearly set out in my OP, neither is working. So one person is getting the same for doing nothing and another is working just for the sake of working, or atleast that’s the impression I get.

It sounds like you want an equal outcome for everyone because you feel you got a raw deal compared to other women. Those women didn't keep a career going, and only got the minimum paid into their State pension.

But there cant be an equal outcome for everyone. Some women don't have careers, they have minimum wage jobs. Some women don't have husbands who earn enough to pay for them to be SAHM mums. The system is in place to stop people starving not lead an extravagant lifestyle, and there will always be someone better off than you.

Yes. A second parent. Two unemployed parents can also claim UC. So what’s your point? Two people contributed to the conception of my children.

How did you not have that option? Why didn't you ask your DH to pay his share of childcare so that it wasn't coming all out of your salary?

One has to meet the requirements to look for work.

Maybe you should do more research before starting, yet another, benefit bashing thread.

I don't think it's the case that people can just give up their work and go onto FC because if you're in a marriage or a joint claim I think if that person earns enough that you won't be eligible for UC you will just give it all up because When our son was born, I went back after maternity leave to work weekends only because if I had left my job, we would not have received any UC income and it wasn't as good as it is now as paying childcare, so it was give everything up the money and my work status or find a way of continuing that effectively brought in very little money, but meant I was retired myself in the workplace

It wasn't an option for me to just give up work and have a UC income for three years

I don't claim UC, or any other benefit, my point is that if someone qualifies for UC - alone or as part of a couple, then they're often not earning very much to start with and will likely be struggling. Some folk on UC won't have any money to themselves after essential billsband costs.

Firstly looking after a toddler is not "doing nothing"

Secondly the UC system was designed to ensure that people are better off working than not

Thirdly it is possible to work and claim UC and many people do

Not having money to themselves isn’t unique to claimants though - that’s my point, people are suggesting that I was inherently better off for working which isn’t true and I have illustrated.

It’s not economically productive is it? That’s my point. I’m well aware of what childcare entails having had children myself.

The net result for the household would have been the same.

But the amount they give you if not working is really not much money, especially if you own your home as you don’t get any housing allowance help towards a mortgage- barely anyone could afford to live on UC alone unless they get other benefits or have a working partner and if that’s the case, again they won’t get much.

Two unemployed parents wouldn’t get the three year pass- only one would.

If you're paying for all the childcare yourself and having less than £300 spare each month it sounds like a problem in your marriage rather than a problem with UC tbh.

Stay at home then. Tell your employer to hold your job for three years. Good luck with that!

Jealousy of people scraping by on benefits is loathsome.

Parents should have the opportunity to have a SAHP until the child is 3. Unless the parents aren't great parents it's usually in the child's best interests of the child to be cared for by their parent before they start preschool.

I didn't say it was unique to UC, but you seem to misunderstand how UC works or how ungenerous it actually is. 🫣

The problem is, working doesn’t really pay off anymore. The vast majority use the NHS for the same standard of care, often council funded care home beds are in the same facility as paid for ones, there’s virtually no chance workers will get a state pension in twenty years, houses have to be sold or rent paid whereas council houses are a home for life…

OP is right, those on benefits don’t realise how lucky they are. Barely anyone wants to go back to work when their child is tiny, but only those on benefits and the very rich have any choice about it.

So your childcare was £x, and you earned next to nothing.

so what did you survive on? No mention of the child father, so was he not contributing?

if the father is around, why are childcare costs not his responsibility? Why does he get to keep his wage while you bear the full load of the childcare costs?

Benefits as a lifestyle choice is loathsome.

Claiming UC because you're paid a very low wage isn't 'benefits as a lifestyle choice'. 🫣