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.

Aww thanks. Maybe there’s hope for you yet. Glad to have educated you a little.

And yes the benefit system is well and truly f##ked

Pipe down hun

This argument is so middle class. Absolutely loads and loads of people never have any sort of 'career'. They just have a job or a series of jobs. These are also extremely valuable members of society and I don't mean to disrespect or slag off such people. I expect most people would miss bin men and shelf stackers a lot faster than we'd miss brain surgeons.

For some it’s more appealing than working….

Thing is, low paid workers face very similar financial challenges. Plus they have to work full time in hard boring jobs.

The irony is, that if you listen to today’s news on the impending pension crisis, the increasing numbers currently taking from the welfare system are going to be in for a shock when they eventually do go back to work once their children are over 18, because the likelihood is that a lot more of their wage will be paid towards a pension, and they’ll be working until they’re 74. There’s got to be enough people earning and paying tax and insurance to be able to support the next generation of pensioners. But the gap between workers and none workers is narrowing. The reality is that very soon more people will be subsidised by the state than those supporting themselves

People like you are the problem. I go to work full time to make sure that my DS understands what a work ethic is and does not turn out like you.

If you read this person’s comments there are many, it’s evident they are trolling.Making comments to rile people up.It’s very sad that someone takes pleasure in doing this.

It’s a choice. It’s not great if you take a very long career break and have little skill, 3 years after having a child, you might have to start from scratch.

I believe this is for people that really need it so that they can wait until their child starts school to start work if they really have zero support system.

But what we are seeing is people using this to their advantage and not working at all - you could keep having children for a decade and Berber have to work - but it’s rubbish if you end up mid-life, needing a job but don’t have a decent CV - it’s something I’ve witnessed and it’s hard.

Thanks @Justchilling07 I should have checked. What a waste of discussion for everyone!

Husband earns 1.5k a month. Our rent costs 1.6k a month - our rent is over £15,000 a year and our landlord who owns property pays their mortgage using that money, or perhaps their mortgage is paid off and they just use the money as income. That's actually below market rent here and we are planning to move in two years, however our rent will probably still cost up to 1.2k.

That's why most people who claim UC actually do so, because of the unregulated private rental market! If the government would sort it out then people wouldn't be struggling so much! We have a 1 year old as well as an older child, neither of them in any kind of childcare. If they were it would cost UC 2k a month so it's actually better for the 'taxpayer' for them to stay home for longer but worse for me and my skills.

In reality as soon as your child turns 1 they start messaging you and scheduling appointments, you don't just get left alone. That's despite having a partner working long hours and earning money. It's much worse for single parents, UC only covers the bills if you have a working adult in the house. There is a lot of pressure to get your child into nursery from the work coaches, that's my personal experience anyway. They also send you on employment courses etc.

I completely retrained in a different field, doing multiple qualifications when I wasn't expected to look for work while my child was under 3, I also cared for an elderly person. So much unpaid caring, not valued at all by our society, if we are not economically productive 🫠

I went to look at nurseries and applied for jobs but yes after childcare costs it wasn't worth it - I think it was nearly £1100 I needed to find upfront for nursery before the UC 85% would kick in and the 15, free hours were not free because of all the extra stuff like consumables, it was £170 a month.

Back then UC did not help with the starting payment for nursery so I just couldn't send her at 2 because I didn't have the chunky of money upfront. They've changed this I believe they help now. I think maternity leave should be longer and working parents should have 3 years but many mums on UC go back to work way before 3 anyway.

In my field you have to start early in the day - 7am during the busiest time of the year. I was actually offered a great job when my child was 2 but they couldn't give it to me. I couldn't get any childcare starting at 6am. Husband leaves for work at 6.30am. I still have an issue unless I find a very unusual childminder or do what I plan and go self employed. All parents need to be able to access flexible hours!

Just to add, looked it up and the same nursery now costs £300 more several years on. Husband just got a pay rise this week so will be on 1.9k a month from next month. If everything keeps rising and wages remain stagnant then I don't know what the answer is!

Live with parents for as long as possible and don't have any children would be my first thought and it seems like that's what's happening. We live in London and schools are closing down because of a lack of pupils 🫠

Not buying that. After coming off benefits I had a minimum wage job, ex got a job which was only a few pence higher than minimum wage. We never had the money issues we had when on benefits.
We had two children at the time so we were using childcare and still life was easier and we had more money.
I struggle to believe people who say they'd be better off on benefits, they know it's bs otherwise they'd quit work and claim.

The reality is that very soon more people will be subsidised by the state than those supporting themselves
That’s already happened…

I think the OP is just stating it like that for easy comparison of how much childcare costs compared to take home pay rather than get husband is financially abusive. Above she says it has the net same effect on family finances.

I had a young child in Sweden and I you could get 35 hrs a week of nursery places capped at £150(ish a month) if on benefits you had to pay for childcare. What subsidised hours available to you was based on the hours you worked but always capped at the maximum cost above.

I didn’t say I couldn’t afford to have a child and given we didn’t get ANY benefits. Who do you think did pay. I was talking specifically about the financial rewards of me returning to work:

Even when I was unemployed and on UC, I never seen no free holiday club.
Actually there is one, for 2 hours. Once a week. For three weeks.
Open only to P1 children and older
So wouldn't have been any use to me
But two hours isn't exactly heaps of luxury hours to yourself

Yes. Exactly. It’s odd that people are suggesting we apportion things differently as though that’s a magic bullet, we’re married and run a household together. The fact remains that the household was only £300 pcm better off.

In reality it’s something that impacts and disadvantages women. If you disincentivise women to work as others have said, there’s a CV gap, skills gap. Then when relationships break down and they’re left holding the baby they’re even less well equipped to cope, let alone thrive. A very real consideration especially with the rise in unmarried parents who have no recourse to the other parents wealth, assets or income other than CMS.

People saying I should get a better job - I have a decent professional job, I could earn six figures but then I couldn’t support my family practically and it’s always been important to me to be a present parent. These are the real decisions middle class parents are faced with. In some ways the more you have the more you have to lose!

Okay then. I'm the problem hahaha give your head a wobble

I agree plus on benefits you have to pray they don't forget to pay whereas if you work you know you will have your wage.

I doubt the free clubs are all day.
Isn’t it 4 hours every day for 4 days? Whether that’s clubs or events you go along to.

My kids are going to forest club this morning for 4 hours. And yes the parents who don’t get free sessions have to pay.
Yesterday I took them to a skate park set up by the council at one of the schools. Thursday there are free events going on at the park. If the free clubs also keep kids busy and happy then why is that a bad thing?

That’s not true though. If you’re ill, need to take unpaid leave. A wage is less protected than benefits - especially if you work for a small business.

Im self employed, practically (I won’t go into the structure of my contracts) and don’t get paid holiday, sick leave etc. So it’s quite volatile. Of course if pays off most the time hence I do it, but there’s no safety net. I’ve just had a week off with my children and obviously need more time off over the summer - project permitting and it’s all unpaid.

They are! They get vouchers.