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Original poster

Maternity allowance ending, not eligible for UC

63 replies

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 11:46

Hi, I’m just wondering if anyone’s been in a similar situation. I was at uni last year but had to take a study break when I got pregnant. I worked part-time in care, but had to quit as it was too physical, so I’ve been on maternity allowance which now ends this month.

My little boy is 6 months old and I’ll have no income once it stops. My partner earns too much for UC but not enough to cover both of us—he already pays all the bills, food, and rent. I still need to cover my car, insurance, and phone, but he can’t help as he’s also paying into an IVA. We can’t share a car as he only has a work van.

I do have some savings, but they won’t last very long. I’m not sure if I can return to uni in February, and I’d ideally like to hold off going back to work as my little one is only 6 months and i’m really treasuring this time with him. Also nursery fees would take up most of my wage. Has anyone else been through similar to this? I’d be really grateful for any advice or tips, as I’m feeling quite stuck right now.

OP posts:
LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 11:49

I'm not really sure what other suggestions you're looking for. Your options are either UC (for which you say you aren't eligible), have your partner cover everything, or go back to work.

You can work around your partner's shifts and have no nursery cost. If he works Monday to Friday you could do weekends shifts. If he finishes by tea time then you can work evenings.

Ilovemychocolate · 04/09/2025 11:50

Tbh I think you will have to get a job.
Maybe evening/weekend work so your partner can have baby?

sciaticafanatica · 04/09/2025 11:53

You need a job

miscarriageworries · 04/09/2025 11:56

How much over the threshold for UC does he work? Could he drop some hours ? If you rent will help a lot

miscarriageworries · 04/09/2025 11:57

Also another idea could be (unless you live incredibly rurally) to get rid of your car and the associated costs ?

Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 11:58

My issue is my partner does 24/7 call out which I forgot to mention in the post so it would have to be nursery to ensure little one has someone to look after him when I work. I will have to look into a job, thanks!

OP posts:
LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:00

miscarriageworries · 04/09/2025 11:56

How much over the threshold for UC does he work? Could he drop some hours ? If you rent will help a lot

As I understand it UC will count as income towards his IVA calculations so by dropping hours but receiving UC it still won't help anyway.

Mrsttcno1 · 04/09/2025 12:00

You’ll have to look for a job OP. If you’re not eligible for UC & your partner can’t afford to cover all costs then it really is your only option.

Childcare is not just your problem though. Your partner needs to either start looking for a job with more set shifts so that he can take on some childcare while you work OR he needs to be paying for some of that childcare so you can work. If things are tight I’d really say it’s best to have one pot,
all money in, all money out.

LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:01

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 11:58

My issue is my partner does 24/7 call out which I forgot to mention in the post so it would have to be nursery to ensure little one has someone to look after him when I work. I will have to look into a job, thanks!

Right but he's not on call 24 hours a day every day. I assume he has a rota. You could do care work and let them know what shifts you're available for, around the hours your partner won't be on call.

Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:01

LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 11:49

I'm not really sure what other suggestions you're looking for. Your options are either UC (for which you say you aren't eligible), have your partner cover everything, or go back to work.

You can work around your partner's shifts and have no nursery cost. If he works Monday to Friday you could do weekends shifts. If he finishes by tea time then you can work evenings.

Thank you. I know some people have been eligible for jobseekers etc or additional help but due to dyslexia I find it all difficult to navigate and due to being in education or work my whole life it’s never something I’ve had to look into. My partner is on 24/7 call out 7 days a week other than a couple of days a month so nursery would be necessary for me to work. Thanks though, I will look into work!

OP posts:
Mrsttcno1 · 04/09/2025 12:01

Also, can you not just get rid of your car? No car
payment & insurance would be a big saving, even if just temporarily until your finances pick up

Mrsttcno1 · 04/09/2025 12:04

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:01

Thank you. I know some people have been eligible for jobseekers etc or additional help but due to dyslexia I find it all difficult to navigate and due to being in education or work my whole life it’s never something I’ve had to look into. My partner is on 24/7 call out 7 days a week other than a couple of days a month so nursery would be necessary for me to work. Thanks though, I will look into work!

Show quote history

Jobseekers wouldn’t help you really even if you were eligible because you’d have to meet their requirements- to do that you’d need nursery for your child so you’d be far better off just finding a job

Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:04

LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:01

Right but he's not on call 24 hours a day every day. I assume he has a rota. You could do care work and let them know what shifts you're available for, around the hours your partner won't be on call.

Show quote history

Hi so he actually is other than maximum a week off call out spread over the month. He doesn’t have a set rota, it’s breakdown work and changes every week to fit the businesses needs due to it being a family run business (not our business). Thanks anyway! Probably would’ve been better to ask rather than assume

OP posts:
LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:04

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:01

Thank you. I know some people have been eligible for jobseekers etc or additional help but due to dyslexia I find it all difficult to navigate and due to being in education or work my whole life it’s never something I’ve had to look into. My partner is on 24/7 call out 7 days a week other than a couple of days a month so nursery would be necessary for me to work. Thanks though, I will look into work!

Show quote history

If your partner is available for work 24 hours a day 7 days per week apart from a couple of days a month then he either must be earning quite a bit or is exaggerating.

Are you saying that other than those two days a month you're never able to go out for the day together, go out for the evening and leave him with the baby because he might get called into work?

Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:08

LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:04

If your partner is available for work 24 hours a day 7 days per week apart from a couple of days a month then he either must be earning quite a bit or is exaggerating.

Are you saying that other than those two days a month you're never able to go out for the day together, go out for the evening and leave him with the baby because he might get called into work?

Show quote history

Yes this is correct. He’s currently looking for a job elsewhere but this was the only option for us at the moment. The shifts are 12 hours (the 12 hours shift every week). We spend the evenings together some days if we’re lucky and a couple of days a month as a family! It’s far from ideal and he’s looking for another job but it’s not easy in a town/county with minimal options. Any additional earnings go into his IVA with the thresholds etc. This was just a post to see if there were any options before going back to working full time, I’m not dead against going back to work! Thank you for your passive aggressive opinions and advice (:

OP posts:
Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:11

Mrsttcno1 · 04/09/2025 12:00

You’ll have to look for a job OP. If you’re not eligible for UC & your partner can’t afford to cover all costs then it really is your only option.

Childcare is not just your problem though. Your partner needs to either start looking for a job with more set shifts so that he can take on some childcare while you work OR he needs to be paying for some of that childcare so you can work. If things are tight I’d really say it’s best to have one pot,
all money in, all money out.

Thank you, yes he’s definitely looking for other means of work. If we have to pay for childcare he’d contribute as he’d let his IVA know which would decrease his monthly payments to them as they’d allow him the funds for that. Off on the job hunt for me, thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:12

Mrsttcno1 · 04/09/2025 12:01

Also, can you not just get rid of your car? No car
payment & insurance would be a big saving, even if just temporarily until your finances pick up

It definitely would but at that point I’d still have a few bills left so it would make more sense to bite the bullet and go back to work. Especially as then in the future when I return to work (early next year anyway) i’d be needing the car as we don’t live within walking distance to work places other than a local shop. thank you

OP posts:
FourIsNewSix · 04/09/2025 12:14

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:04

Hi so he actually is other than maximum a week off call out spread over the month. He doesn’t have a set rota, it’s breakdown work and changes every week to fit the businesses needs due to it being a family run business (not our business). Thanks anyway! Probably would’ve been better to ask rather than assume

Show quote history

It is very unusual setup, and I'm wondering whether it is even legal. Is he earning significantly more than he would in a more normal job?

Is there a paper work in place, is he paid for all those on-call time?
If not, he could just say "I'm not available on Tuesday and Thursday nights, Rachel is at work and I'm doing childcare".

In principal, at every moment, either he is being paid for that time, or he is free to do childcare and you can get paid for that time.

LuckyNumberFive · 04/09/2025 12:14

rachelleiigh · 04/09/2025 12:08

Yes this is correct. He’s currently looking for a job elsewhere but this was the only option for us at the moment. The shifts are 12 hours (the 12 hours shift every week). We spend the evenings together some days if we’re lucky and a couple of days a month as a family! It’s far from ideal and he’s looking for another job but it’s not easy in a town/county with minimal options. Any additional earnings go into his IVA with the thresholds etc. This was just a post to see if there were any options before going back to working full time, I’m not dead against going back to work! Thank you for your passive aggressive opinions and advice (:

Show quote history

Nothing I said was passive aggressive, but sure. 😂

StMarie4me · 04/09/2025 12:26

miscarriageworries · 04/09/2025 11:56

How much over the threshold for UC does he work? Could he drop some hours ? If you rent will help a lot

I’m sorry? You’re saying that a fit and healthy man should reduce his hours so the taxpayer can pay for this family, rather than a fit and healthy woman get a job?

Ok…

VanCleefArpels · 04/09/2025 12:37

I’d be looking closely at your partners work set up. Is he actually an employee, or a self employed contractor? Is he paid a wage or just for the jobs he does? Its not legal to be contracted for more than 48 hours a week on average. In any event it’s not working for you as a family. As a qualified driver there must be better options: Amazon, supermarket delivery etc etc with more regular hours / shifts

Sdpbody · 04/09/2025 12:38

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Cookingupmyfirstbornson · 04/09/2025 12:40

Isn't that work schedule like super illegal?

Chewbecca · 04/09/2025 12:47

You only really have two options:

  • you take on work of some form to increase the household income
  • you (both) reduce your outgoings so they become within the household income.

Ideally a bit of both!

Have you gone through your outgoings with a fine tooth comb to see what might be lowered? I would look at your outgoings as joint, not solo, you are a family with a shared child now, how to balance income / outgoings / childcare is a shared problem, not just yours.

Comefromaway · 04/09/2025 12:58

Lots of people have to go back to work once their maternity pay/allowance runs out. If your partner's income alone is not enough, then that is what you will have to do.

Universal credit is meant to top up a low income family income to cover the basic necessities, not to fund things like a car. When my daughter was a baby my husband was a peripatetic teacher, he needed his car to travel in between schools during the day so I had to manage without until I returned to work.