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.

Large organiations used to offer extended unpaid maternity leave with return at same level. So it is possible.

No one is making mothers in relationships work. They could just live on their partner's income. But most of them wouldn't be willing to take the cut in lifestyle and opportunities that relying solely on a UC level income requires, especially out of work UC. That's fine, it is a very poor life and anyone with any sense wants better. But the choice is there if people in better circumstances wish to downgrade their life.

Funny how no one has an answer, they just tell OP to claim UC then 😦

I would disagree with this. Working for £77 a month left me with nothing to invest in myself… once you add in the essential payments of car tax, car insurance, contact lenses there was nothing. No gym membership, no hobbies, no holidays, no socialising. I went into severe burn out. I quit when my dc was 3 so he could still access the free 15 hours at nursery. I managed to find a job that I could work evenings (clerking) that paid very little to cover the essential payments and at least there is no burn out! My dc deserved more than a depressed mum! Especially as it had no financial impact

But it does, I'm a working mum on universal credit. I was entitled to UC whilst on SMP and went back to work after 1 year. My understanding is all working mum's are entitled to universal credit if they have a lower household income, not sure what the household income is but I think the OP said it was in the region of £30,000. The working mum's who are not entitled are those who have a higher household income. However I do believe some high earners can be entitled to the childcare element depending on where they live and housing costs. I'm sure there is someone here who is more knowledgeable about this and know what the thresholds are.

I completely agree with this!

I am fed up of being called a benefits basher!!

People need to sort themselves out

Ok the very second my dad dies i will be back in work and the taxpayers can pay for my disabled child because I need to sort myself out

What do you predict will happen?

I am sorry @N3wUs3rNam3Again but it absolutely does not. My husband earns well self-employed, but all of our money is spent on bills, mortgage, cost of living etc. This means I / we am/are not entitled to any benefit. We have paid into a tax system all of our working lives yet barely benefit from it. We are 50/50 on our mortgage, while he covers bills. We can’t afford for me to be on mat leave for a year. It’ll likely be 6-9 months at most. How is that fair? When there are people out there having multiple children and getting basically everything funded.

🙄

Only 37% of people claiming universal credit are in any type of work.
As long as you make 18hours equivalent of minimum wage, or for a couple £1437 between them, there is no requirement to seek more work. I would imagine that it’s a very low percentage that is in full time work, but can’t find a breakdown.
I think even from this thread it’s clear there is a problem with entitlement and people wanting to work fewer hours (or no hours) and claim benefits. When they could work more and contribute to society for everyone

Or employers pay a decent wage? Childcare be cheaper?

Those people who are “terrified of work” should be pandered to and paid for, forever? They’d get much more out of life with structure, reward and responsibility, not endless patronisation.

I mean I agree it’s unfair, but in reverse. I think we should have a much longer paid maternity leave like some Scandinavian counties, and extend that to paternity leave as well. Those early years are so important, we should be showing that through policy. Not just subsidised childcare, but through policy that supports people wanting to become parents. It’s why so many people don’t want to have kids these days, because it’s a rubbish deal for working parents.

Those two things as well, but there are A LOT of people who play victim-hood to their circumstances. I came from a poor background but I worked, worked, worked.

There is a two child cap. Not to mention so many things you think are free aren't actually. Many on UC are not entitled. I am not entitled to free school meals but we earn half as much as you do so probably should be! I suspect many claimants are the same as me.

I think a lot of posters are missing the point. Nobody is villainising people for taking advantage of a broken system to benefit their families. That’s human nature. What we are against is a system that allows it, by the billion, when the country can no longer afford to.

10000%

Absolutely back this - how parents (especially working parents) are treated in this country is criminal. No wonder we have so many attachment and mental health issues.

The welfare bill is enormous and the system is swamped. We can’t afford it anymore, we are essentially paying interest on the benefits bill due to the huge deficit and structural debt that we have. It’s not sustainable.
In the meantime an ever diminishing pool of net contributors, hard working women, are paying for mass claims that are spiralling.

How do you know you earn half as much as we do? And if you’re going to make inflammatory assumptions, perhaps I could purport that you don’t work anywhere near as hard as we do. Nobody should be entitled. Having children is also a choice, and I would argue that you shouldn’t be having them if you aren’t in a position to provide for them.

What is the point of forcing both to earn more? The government will have to pay for childcare if they do. They won't be saving anything? My son starts school preschool soon but they don't think he will manage full days due to possible autism so I will just work one day a week. What would be the point of forcing couples like us to work more. I have no family nearby. As long as one is earning what is the issue?

I think Reform will get into power, and then I think there will be an overhaul. Their manifesto said ‘if you can work you must work’. I don’t want Reform to get in, but with how they’re doing in the polls, and with Labours lack of popularity with the u-turns, I feel that they probably will

Another brilliant post to balance out the sense entitlement on this thread. That very sense of entitlement and lazy, worklessness is fuelling a problem that urgently needs addressing.

The problem any government have now is being brave enough to pull the welfare plug. I would suggest doing it gradually to minimise harm, but there are always going to be some unfortunate cases. Some people have got too comfortable passively claiming benefits when it should be dedicated to the most vulnerable in our society. Not those who can’t be bothered to go to work and support themselves and their families.

Going by the figure you put on here? You will have a pension, mortgage paid off. Think how many of these mothers will lose all the child related benefits once they turn 18. They are scrabbling to make up that money they have lost.

Only the wealthy have children? Right. My husband lost his job when I was pregnant. The next few jobs haven't been as well paid. Things like that happen.

I am sure you can have a longer maternity if you don't spend as much or is that advice just for low earners?

Not over haul. They want no benefits at all. Hope you are versed in for example Victorian poverty levels?