UC and going part time

[secretmumoffour]

So with the latest updates to universal credit will parents who have a current claim each be able to work part time? I'm due back from maternity leave but struggling to juggle the potential of working full time while DH works part time AND child care with new changes to get people back to work or if it is acceptable to the government that both parents work part time so we can actually look after our children and don't have the expense of child care??

I think it will be changing. the rules sound complex but currently if one parent is meeting the earnings threshold then the other is in light touch group or if you have a child under three the main carers has no work commitments.
However it seems this may be changing, I imagine especially when the 30 hours childcare for babies from 9 months comes into play, but this won't be for a couple of years anyway. I think, from what I have read, that one parent working full time or meeting the earnings threshold will no longer exempt the other from not having work commitments so basically if couples want to claim UC they will both be expected to look for work which seems fair enough. Whether you both working part time will be enough I'm not sure, I guess it will depend how many hours you do between you. Hopefully it will become clearer in time. On other sites even the experts seem baffled about the implications. I think it's safe to say though that it look like the government are hellbent on getting people back to work asap to get those taxes rolling in no matter how young the baby !! Do you currently claim UC ? The earnings threshold is going up shortly but I imagine with you both working part time you would meet it current - I think for a couple it's going up to something like £960 a month which is still really low. the new legislation may not even be passed or government may change etc.