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.

Don't know if this has been said, but approx 40% of people on UC are working. I have worked with disadvantaged women, many of whom have grown up with generational unemployment. It used to be you could claim income support until your child was 18, then 12, then 7, then 5 and now UC is aged 3 (and then it's only 16 hours per week). Many of these women consider this very punitive and "against our human rights". They have little to no education, no work ethic, will most likely live on poverty line indefinitely, have poor organizational skills, little self confidence. Do not be jealous of them, it's really not warranted.

When mine were in full time childcare I cleared less than £50 per month after paying for it. I was an "older" mum and I did it so that I could continue to have a career, which really paid off in the long run. I'm really glad that I did, and I hope it'll work out for you.

Completely agree with the premise of the Op. The system is broken. Britain is broke, and the social and economic contract has totally broken down. The govt systems are also open to fraud and abuse.

Who isn’t this option available to?

Again, I didn’t say they did. Merely that it exists and scenarios like the one you noted are the reason why.

If you are a two parent family, childcare is a joint expense that enables you both to work. Sure, some families decide that one adult will stay at home for a few years to raise the children and that's usually the mother (or one of the mothers), but it's a mistake to think of childcare costs as the responsibility of the mother alone. I had several years where I was on a mixture of freelance work and short term part-time contracts. Childcare costs came out of our joint income and I always thought of my share as being to cover 50%.

The world is not going to be kind to those who have built a life around being supported by the state in the next 10-15 years.
The money has run out.
We borrow to fund all this c%ap
The state is too generous with taxpayers money and so the massive gravy train is about to terminate at the next station.
I used to be so pro Labour and welfare state. Not any more.
So OP - YANBU. At all.
there should be ZERO advantages to being on benefits. Otherwise, where’s the incentive to get off your arse and support yourself.

I don’t think people are necessarily jealous, just pointing out the unfairness of the situation. Do you think that the drop to three years has influenced behaviour in any way?

You do realise that over 55% of benefit claimants is pensioners?

You do have that option. You could have quit and lived on UC. But you didn’t because it’s shitty. No money but also no pension contributions from your employer, no career progression etc.

Being employed gives you a lot more than UC does, so you have to go back to work if you want to have those extra benefits. If you didn’t want that then you could have claimed UC. You did have that option.

i have never been on UC (DH warns just enough to mean we don’t qualify) but my understanding was:
It isn’t a choice to leave employment to go on UC because a) you can’t voluntarily make yourself unemployed to qualify and b) if you have a partner who earns more than the qualifying amount or c) you have too much in savings (single or as a couple).

So it’s not a “choice” as in one of a plethora of things you could choose from - you’d need to be in a bit of a pickle before you’d qualify going into maternity leave - as in already in low paid employment with little savings or you lost your job while pregnant or you and your partner both aren’t working before you got pregnant.

As I read the OP it’s more the requirement to not start looking for work until the child is aged 3 might seem like a big bonus when others have to go straight back to work when maternity pay ends but if I’m right about the qualifying scenarios someone on JUST UC who has had a baby doesn’t have maternity pay or job security, both things I’d value.

As I say I’m not certain - I’m an “unpaid carer” working PT and if I’d had the choice I’d have done the work - childcare not UC option.

Having children is tough (fun sometimes etc) but draining. But when pp say they work and don’t get respite from children - nobody really does. I mean if by respite people mean paid for respite then we are pretty much all in the same boat there!!

40 percent on UC may be working, but how many are part time or single parents?
so little personal responsibility amongst claimants means those few hardship cases get lost in a sea of freeloaders.

Yes definitely! I work 15 hours but I have no family help. So I get paid for 15 hours and get a top up from UC
Before my son, I worked 50 hours in a job so paid my way

If you have a partner who earns, and you don't qualify for UC, many women have no choice but return to work.

I agree it's not really fair that many women who have a job are forced to return to work by 9 months whilst others get funded to stay at home until 3 and even get free childcare.

Well you can start saving for a deposit… or start a relationship and start saving together.

No, you paid a bit of “your way” then decided to let someone else pay.
and that’s why the system will change because the money has run out and people who work for a living have had enough

£141.2 bn is being spent on working age universal credit for 2025-2026. That is huge

People are blaming each other. Be mad at the system not us that are playing it!!!!

People are blaming each other. Be mad at the system not us playing it!!!

Because wages are too low. UC tops up working people.

Nannies are usually a more expensive choice than for example a childminder or after school club.

Like I said upthread. The future is not going to be kind to those who have built a life propped up by the state. The system will change, and then you will have to crack on with supporting yourself, entirely. It won’t be easy.
I think people are going to be very shocked how quickly this is going to happen.

I would be very interested to see how much is topped up for people genuinely working full time jobs. I reckon many of these top ups are directed to people doing the bare minimum.

Good. It needs reform.

@TwoFeralKids not always. But I see you have decided to ignore my comment pointing that out.