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.

They already are. 51 percent of households receive some type of benefit.

If that figure is true it’s worse than I realised. How can 49% of households be propping up 51%

Utter maddness. It’s totally unsustainable.

Posters like you might see ypurxtax benefits cut too. 😵‍💫

Do you mean the food vouchers? If so they’ve got nothing to do with the free clubs.
Or am I missing out on some exciting holiday club voucher that I haven’t been made aware of?

What on earth does your husband do? £1500 a month is not a full time minimum wage income.

That's a very selfish comment.
Children wuth support needs actually do need support.

At the time I fell pregnant with DD1 I didn't even know tax credits existed. I remember looking at flats to rent and having no idea how we could afford the rent (DD was a "whoopsies" at a time where I still lived at home, worked part time and was very silly with my money!) Tax credits were such a lifeline to us.

When I had DD2, I didn't know about the rule about not needing to look for work until your child turned 3. It never occurred to me to not go back to work, because I thought doing that would mean I would lose my tax credits and be sanctioned because I had voluntarily left my job.

I don't know if I would have considered doing this had I known, I was in a miserable job I hated and would have loved to have stayed at home 3 years, but if I did I know I would have found it so much harder trying to find the motivation to go back to work! And in the end my miserable job led me to the job I'm in now which I really enjoy.

I only found out about the 3 year rule because a family member was telling me about her meeting with a job coach and that she didn't need to look for a job just yet. She also told me that she claims as a single parent and her partner gives her half his wage in cash and the other half goes towards their holiday payments. So even when her youngest does turn 3 I doubt she will go back to work as she has that cash coming in that UC have no idea about.

I know it's pathetic, but it's very hard not to feel bitter or jealous when I would have loved to have stayed at home with mine, working all the hours under the sun, missing assemblies and sports days, juggling childcare etc while she doesn't have those difficulties and is still subsidized by her parents and has childcare on demand. I just try to remember it's a long game, in the end we will be better off and they won't be little forever, it will eventually get easier (I hope!!)

@BlackCatGreyWhiskers It feels unfair because a non working parent (unless they are sick or disabled) does not need childcare. They’re at home, they get money (albeit not a huge amount) from taxpayers because they choose to spend more time with their children by not working, or only working minimum hours. The full time working parents have to pay for childcare, clubs etc.

I understand why families who earn marginally above the benefits cut off might feel aggrieved. I suppose we all need to remember it’s for the children’s benefit.

No - you get childcare vouchers for the local holiday club. When I rang to change my days I was asked if I’d paid by vouchers, which I hadn’t. Because the process for rebooking would have been different.

This is why the government pulled back from benefit changes. There is now a majority who are incentivised to keep the status quo, even if as a country we are going to run out of financial road very soon.
24 million people rely on the state for income or to top up their income.

The living standards will be forced through the floor for these 24 million over the next 10 years.

Keep going as you are though. Fight to keep financial independence from the state and do all you can to raise your kids that way.
the future is going to be very very unkind to those who can’t fend for themselves.

Wouldn't surprise me🙄

Yes you make a very valid point OP and I totally agree with you. But I expect most of Mumsnet won’t agree. I felt the same way when I had to leave my 11 months old baby at a nursery during the week when I really didn’t feel ready to leave him and had to pay £hundreds every month for the privilege.

So yes, it seems grossly unfair that some people are able to have multiple children and spend time with them when they are little and get free childcare (which how can they need it if they aren’t going to work every day like the rest of us are?).

When you’re in the throes of working with small children, battling nursery bugs etc it’s infuriating when you realise there’s parents dropping their kids off for 15 hours for FREE time!

My DC are 18, 15, 9 and 7. I study part time with the OU. 18 and 7 yo are classed as disabled so I am their carer which means I do not need to look for work under UC conditions. I last worked when my eldest was 6 months old but handed in my notice within a few months as DH was working shifts too and we didn't have the support to make it work especially with night shifts so made a decision to park my career and have never returned. Studying whilst two youngest are in primary school so I can increase my chances of employment once they are in secondary school and independent so I won't need any childcare provision to factor in hopefully...life doesn't always work out how we imagined🤷‍♀️

Childcare vouchers is probably the childcare scheme (20% off and open to all). Someone on free school meals and earning under 6000 a year gets HAF days which varies per council. Mine is 4 days free in the summer holidays.

The biggest benefit bill is the state pension, the 51% are still paying taxes!

No it’s not. I understand the tax free childcare and it’s not the same.

They will guaranteed get the state pension which all the working people have paid into but are now not guaranteed to get because there’s talk of it being ‘means tested’.

A large proportion of them will live in social or affordable housing and their benefits will cover most/ if not all the rent.

They won’t be expected to sell off a home which they have spent their whole working life paying off in order to pay rip-off care home fees.

If you live in a Council House, it’s a guaranteed home for life which in some circumstances you can even pass the tenancy on to your kids when you die. A nice little safety blanket to have.

Their children will be getting free school meals whereas everyone else has to pay for them from year 2 upwards etc etc. so yes, plenty of benefits.

No wonder so many people are so desperate to move to and live in the UK.

It's not infuriating if you're a decent or non judgemental person. I couldn't imagine getting "infuriated" by seeing children dropped off at nursery. And I went back to work when my oldest was 6 months, years before I realised that their disability was the reason we only got 3-4 hours sleep a night. My husband worked early, late and night shifts at the time.

This thread really is bringing out the cats' bum mouth brigade in force!

Do you question everyone then? How do you apparently know so much about other people's finances?

But you were on maternity leave? So why would you be commuting?

OP is trying to paint a picture that isn't reality. We established that quite early on.

Then why don’t you go on the council list and live that life.

🙄 if your lucky you might even get a crackhead for a neighbour

There are no current plans to means test the state pension: the government explicitly stated so this year. Stop telling lies.

The rest of your post is a mishmash of half truths, misinformation and spite. The majority of us don't live our lives in such hatred. You don't speak for most.

Isn't that how much she had after paying for childcare? So she was in work.