A million WORKING adults face benefits cuts next year.

[Darkesteyeswithflecksofgold]

If they cant find additional hours or higher wages they will have to do direct mandatory activity.

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/04/million-working-adults-benefits-cuts?CMP=twt_fd

As a lone parent seeking 16 hours, I now have to up it, and seek 35 in a years time?

I might as well start now then. Luckily, there is a fair bit of work available here ( new centre parcs being built and 1500 jobs going!)

But in the meantime I've been looking at working nights in a care home. Which means my teens are going to be my childcare.

Isn't it that you need to earn the equivalent of 35 hours at minimum wage?

Yes, but at the minute moment DP earns much less than that, but we get topped up by tax credits.

Under UC he's simply will not be "allowed" to earn less than minimum wage.

The world has gone mad, ho hum . Personally, just from the little I understand my family will lose 6k a year.
If it turns out to be a fair system I think its ok, but I hate the fact that p/t workers with children who value time at home will be penalised. There is no way I would work full time, so people like me will lose out.

Someone upthread said 'why don't you work part time too, and take advantage of tax credits'

So, who exactly are the people who should be working full time in order to subsidise those who don't wish to?

I know some people have illness or disability which prevents them from working full time, but most people don't. And the fact is, people have different 'thresholds' of what is acceptable to them. Some people only want to work part time even after their kids are in school. Why should other people be expected to work full time to facilitate that

janey the issue is that there are now t enough full time Jobs for everybody, even if they wanted them.

Also, while I accept that having a child may be seen as a lifestyle choice, many parents simply cannot afford the childcare to have a full time job.

Those families with 2 adults will fare ok. Its us lone parents ( again) who will find it harder

Oh shite. I am self employed and on less than minimum wage.

I am only doing it while awaiting dd's surgery and recovery. Better hope she gets it done asap then.....ohh look, there's a flying pig.

Transitional benefit protection is meant to mean initially know one is worse off. In some areas UC won't be introduced till 2017 and in most it's from2015. So whilst it is scary it isn't suddenly going to be upon most of us and hopefully details will slowly become clearer before 2014 to give us time to prepare for 2015-2017.

I'm not defending any of it BTW just I'm trying to rationalise and not get whipped up into hysteria.

Janey68.

I suggested that a poster upthread had the choice to work part time as they were suggesting that only some people had this choice.

I value my time with my children and will never work full time as I don't believe in childcare. If my family lose money because of this then so be it, we'll manage. But don't kid yourself that people who work full time are paying for the likes of me because I can assure you its quite the reverse. I have never received subsidised child care or pre school. I save the tax payer money by not taking a school place. Oh and my dh does pay tax and subsidises those that work full time and use child care so guess its pretty even.

That link is the scariest thing i've read in a long time Itsall

So if instead of Yearly accounts for the self Employed, they'll do it per month, if one doesn't earn £212 per week each week, you're buggered.. That doesn't take into account seasonal work.

If you buy a piece of equipment one week, thats not taken into account, (no outgoings will be i.e shop rents) even if it improves business prospects and therefore earnings. If i spend my weeks earnings on a new sewing machine, i will not qualify for UC as i do not have that weeks earnings.

Above all a) if i earned £212 a week i wouldn't need WTC/UC (no rent to pay) and b) I thought the govt were all for small business? Theres going to be thousands having to give up work and claim full wack of UC, thats going to cost the country more!!

As the link says, the most complex ill thought system ever..

JellyKat.

It is scary, I know. I'm only hoping that there may be some benefit in forming a Ltd company rather than self employment. I am looking into it now but don't know much yet. Hope it works out for you.

Oo good luck to you morethan..

We and thousands other self employed people are going to need it.. all the independent artists, writers, cleaners, gardeners, jam makers, upholsters, curtain makers, dress makers, bakers, web designers etc etc that earn less then £15,000 a year profit!

I work 16 hours a week on NMW and I am a lone parent, so does this essentially mean I will be forced to do 35 hours a week or lose my universal credit?

prickle I hope not. I'm terrified about all of this. It's not practical for me to work long hours as I have 2 young DC's. The poor NHS is spending ££ trying to keep me well, any more hours and I'll break. I've already cut back on food as we'll lose out when we have to pay for the CSA, if UC kicks in then the kids will start to suffer.

As if my boss would agree to pay me more! No boss alive would agree to that, pay is structured, you can't give more to one person and not the rest. Although will this piss off employers who then struggle to fill certain low hour vacancies?

I have a young dd, ex doesn't help out or bother much with her and childcare is expensive. I can't find a full time job nor can I commit to one due to the many appointments I have to go to for my health. Its very worrying.

Well my understanding is that you will currently be 'protected' due to transition arrangements. What I dont understand is this one benefit in work or out of work thing. If you earned under the min wage amount for 35hrs, as a lone parent with kids, would you receive your child disregard amount (as you would if unemployed) but not be eligible for the 'working' element incentive?

I assume you will have a basic 'disregard' amount according to circs that tapers up or down according to the hrs and amounts earned. Am I right?

Yup, XP is long gone here (although as he was abusive I certainly wouldn't let him near the dc's again!) It's crazy how the system is set up to make LP's work, but I just cost them more in childcare fee's (the same as my salary) and NHS procedures (which I didn't have before I had to work). I'm struggling with life and desperately trying to raise the DC's and work while there are people out there in a better position to work (and wouldn't cost anything in childcare tax credits) but can't get a job.

I am possibly single-handedly responsible for the deficit. Better pack my bags for the workhouse then!

My ex was abusive too. He does nothing for dd all boils down to me. I am really worried, I have nobody to help out with her so 35 hours a week at work will be gone in childcare. There will be no chance to raise dd if I am never there!

MissPrickle and Meglet

I really hope it isn't too bad for you and you have my sympathy. Here's hoping that by the time it has run for a while in our town (one of the first) it will be scrapped.

I am a single parent, work 16 hours I will be fucked. I work 16 hours because that's the job I managed to get after 100's of applications and interviews.

The foundation warns that "with little over a year until implementation it is of concern that little has been said about how a fair, consistent and adequately resourced conditionality system for working claimants will be implemented. It also questions "whether an extension of conditionality to working claimants can function in the current context of a chronically weak labour market in which millions of people want to work more hours, but are unable to do so

From OPs link.

What is happening about childcare?
Support for children within Universal Credit will be provided in the form of a child element. This will be included in a claimant?s Universal Credit award where they are responsible for a child or qualifying young person that normally lives with them. The child element is comprised of two rates; one rate for the first/only child and then a reduced rate for second / subsequent children.
Universal Credit will provide more support for childcare costs. Under current tax credit rules, support towards childcare costs is only available to parents who work more than 16 hours per week. Under Universal Credit, this requirement will be removed and support will be available to parents regardless of the number of hours they work. This will provide an important financial incentive to those taking their first steps into paid employment. It will mean that around 80,000 extra families will be eligible to receive support through childcare.
Universal Credit is expected to be particularly beneficial to lone parents, including those who wish to work a small number of hours.
July 2012