What is the Working hours expected lone parents?

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I am self employed and I do doing16 - 20 hrs per week with study on tax credits. I have three teens needing support. Son has asd and needed a lot of support for years but is now managing to a greater degree but still needs support . I still have two 15 year olds with undiagnosed difficulties such as ocd and learning issues, anxiety . I don’t claim for disability.
I have been told that I won’t be meeting the MIF or be gainfully self employed so I will have to do weekly or fortnightly interviews and be asked to look for work of 35 hrs.
I barely manage now as a
lone parent with zero support I am
the only one at home for absolutely every need. If I have to do 35 hours I will barely be available to my children and dog. I don’t have anyone to lean on so I can do this .I manage carefully to do with my own health also. I give lifts every day ect. Can anyone help?.

I think the threshold is assessed against earnings for 35 hours on the NMW, so for example if you have a higher hourly rate in theory you would work less hours for the same take home pay. As they look at the take home pay I think they are less concerned about the hours iyswim. However I was in a similar position one month, working bank hours (skilled key worker) but unusually low that month and they actually suggested I instead find an unskilled FT NMW job instead. I pointed out I would be earning less and therefore be getting more UC than I was already getting and they had no answer for that! As I earned more the following month it didn't get raised again. Look at the UC website as it explains the different thresholds. It is confusing initially.

Thanks for your reply. It’s crazy after being on tax credits to be told 18:20 hrs isn’t enough and I will have to look for work as well!. I literally won’t cope in so many ways working full time. It’s sent me into a spiral of panic and stress. To the point of chest pain and feeling like I couldn’t breathe.
Some of my work is £19 an hour so I am hoping if I can get more of that they will leave me alone. But you have to include expenses before it’s counted.
I have friends in the same position with children 18 months younger and they seem to work the same hours and get left alone, both employed and self employed.
It’s so hard if you are the only one to do absolutely everything for your children and I think there should be some differences to those who co parent and have support from grandparents in order to work. It’s very different if you are literally the only one.

No words of advice but in this exact boat moving over from tax credits. I have long covid and am currently killing myself in a manual minimum wage job 4 days a week with no help. Told the kids we will have to get rid of their dog. Spend every available moment lying down trying to rest, so they amuse themselves/watch a lot of screens. Used to work two days, rest one then was kinda ok the rest of the time. No answer, but wishing you all the best. They really don’t care how it impacts on kids lives as long as you’re making a millionaire somewhere else richer 👍