Lone parents - universal credit / changes to working hours re. budget / Jeremy Hunt?

[catsinwater]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/mar/22/jeremy-hunt-universal-credit-benefits-mothers-30-hour-weeks

Anyone read this yet? Although my child is 10 it could have a massive impact on my life as a working single parent. I feel really sorry for the people with younger children, it's difficult enough for many lone parents to work the 16 hours a week (I struggled with health issues and stress related to the burden of being a LP when my son was younger and it's not even easy now so goodness knows trying to do 30 hours a week).

I am really worried about this!

I am just about getting by and work a lot of hours in my self employed job but am worried that I will be made to take a job for less money to push me up to the difference of 30 hours, which will set my career back massively as well as my mental health and reduce my hourly wage etc (even if I am working more hours).

What do others feel about it?

The fact remains that a child who needs an ehcp to access school has a legal right to that support in school but if they need extra support to access childcare and clubs there isnt the same right. some schools might offer it, some clubs might be a good fit, but its not a right as i found out. And many many others like me.

@caringcarer wow. It seems that you are in a very privileged position. Your foster child can access a holiday club for a month at a time?! My child can access 3 days A YEAR and that's if everything goes to plan, it's often cancelled due to lack of specialist staffing. My child had over 100 appointments last year, and was an inpatient for over 4 weeks. You have been able to just ask for time off and get it. You must understand that this isn't the reality that most of us are living?

@megletthesecond I think if you are not a single parent it can come across as quite presumptuous don't you think? Telling others about their experience and you know what exactly? Because if there are 2 of you it's completely different. In fact it's comes across as VERY judgmental.

@Comii9 my point was it's not easy to find work within school hours. Actually it was you who questioned someone working 21 hours but you dont know why they do....

Sorry that was for @caringcarer

I agree the variables DO matter a LOT. Two parents is half the workload! A disabled child will obviously need more time and care. And there are no term time only jobs that allow for travel to pick up from school and drop off to school except for dinner ladies and the hours aren't enough. The variables do need to be considered. Just because someone middle class on a high wage working at home with flexitime and a husband and family supporting them doesn't mean someone on their own with a disabled child and no support can do it! That's the problem with the blanket policy. Judgemental, dehumanising policies.

I don't think foster carers are expected to work any hours are they? They 'just' care for Children 24/7 and do '0' hours 'work'? Foster children are recognised as having needs. But children who live with their parents can be dumped in church hall no problem.

Forgive me for saying this, because to be a foster carer you have to be a very special type of person and I don't think what I'm about to say is at all the reason for people doing it, but I did think foster carers received some kind of financial allowance/salary, so being a foster carer is their 'job' could you do that and have another job anyway?

@caringcarer what purpose does it serve you spouting off about how you can manage your FS when you are not a single parent. It literally isn't the same thing. You have nothing to contribute so just fuck off

Yes, when FS was at his special primary school I worked part time as a teacher in a secondary school. He left for school on a minibus that arrived 45 minutes early as it had to drive around collecting several DCbeforetaking them to his special school. Same at home time in reverse. Once he moved to secondary school I had to resign as I had to drive him to school and it was too far to drive back through traffic to my school. I do get a fostering allowance and the child we care for has been assessed as needing 2 foster carers as he's a single placement DC. This means his needs are such that SS have judged a single carer could not cope with his behaviour and needs. DH does a lot with him most evenings and both overnight. I could have worked when he was at school if I wanted to. I did work part time when he was at primary school, 3 days a week. Now he's at college so I have to drive him 49 miles to attend his college and then drive home in the morning which takes 1 hour 15 minutes and again to collect him late afternoon taking about an hour and 5 minutes. I do get about 4 1/2 hours a day in between college runs. I live off my Teachers Pension now and btl income. I get the FC allowance and much of it is spend on DC and I also save some of it for him too. DH works full time 35 hours each week but luckily has Flexi time and wfh 3 days a week. So if there is an emergency as there sometimes is he can take time off at short notice and catch up later in the evening.

My point was more if foster caring is a Job when a child needs extra support. Why is it not viewed as a job if a parent has a child with extra needs? Either it's a job or it is is not. Do think having a supportive partner sharing the load also makes a huge raft of a difference.

comi it would be like me wandering onto the twins and multiples board and start telling them what to do. I'd quite rightly get my backside handed to me on a plate.

I’m a lone parent to a 4 year old and I work 40+ hrs a week. It would be impossible to do this if I didn’t have my mother stepping in to help. I’m lucky to have her support, but I’m on the bones of my ass financially and I’m mentally breaking, because despite being a professional in a respectable career, it’s public sector and the pay just isn’t keeping up with inflation.

I’m disgusted with this policy. If anything happened to my mum, I’d basically have to drop my hours and I wouldn’t have the money for childcare- it would leave me in an impossible situation. There’s a complete lack of understanding toward how difficult it is to juggle literally everything on your own.

You raise a few really good points here. 1)you are exhausted and its not manageable even with your mums help 2) the wages are too low even for a professional - so a shop worker on minimum wage would be absent betweem 7 am and 6pm for what gain? They need to make wages better, agile working more available, term time only school hours jobs and decent childcare whete homework is done and proper meals are given. My child is exhausted by 6pm and cant do quality homework at 6:30 pm when we get in and I need to do meals, bathtime and bedtime with my last shred of energy anyway. Will absent parents not have to help extra if the parent on the pitch is having to do even more work?

It's an income equivalent to 30 hours at minimum wage.

@PatFussy exactly... it's how much you earn TOO. Like I said though nobody has ever questioned me.

Sorry in advance if this is a dumb question... if you earn, say £20k pa working 16hrs, would you be expected to jack that in if they offered you a job that needed 30hrs per week but paid £19k pa?

Would you be expected to ask your employer for 14 more hours? What if there were no more hours available at your current work - would you be expected to take on a second job to make up the extra hours to hit a 30 hour total?

@PestilencialCrisis it's not really about hours as because UC won't really check that as such. They calculate what your salary each month that's what is essential.

You could do this because you have your mum. Your mum happily cared for your child. We are talking about lone parents here. Actual lone parents with no family or support.

Thank you 🙏

Disgusting. Let’s hope it’s not for too long though - if Labour get in I’m sure they will change things back which would be for the better.

Out of interest what is the daily sanction rate in UC if you don’t comply ? It’s only for a set maximum time isn’t it ? Shame there’s not some kind of charity who offer grants to make up the shortfall for parents who are sanctioned ….

Hi single mums…. Please give singleparentrights a follow if you haven’t already. They are campaigning to reverse this inhumane policy and may need your help. It’s run by single parents for single parents.

I have a 3 year old with no father and my family live in a different country. I was barely keeping my heard afloat even before all of this. I’m very worried about what this will do to my mental health and how that will in turn affect my son. So worried, I’ve stopped sleeping.