Universal Credit implications for long-term SAHMs??? Help please!

[CSLewis]

Hi, I've just read the Mumsnet summary about Universal Credit, and read that parents of children aged 5-13 will be required to seek work during school hours, though I think those with a baby under one may be exempt.

Does anyone have any further details about this? It feels to me that a parent of young (primary-aged) children is being forced to return to the job market, regardless of whether they judge it to be in the best interests of their family

Back to the UC thing, and with constantnamechanger in mind, isn't part of the problem here the complete lack of specific information? It makes people anxious and they're unable to plan at all. It's about time we saw some hard figures (unless they exist and I haven't found them?)

He he, xposts. And there's me thinking I sound like a loon. It's frustration, makes me chuck my toys out of the pram (just ask DH )

Morethan your attitude astounds me. Your children are 9 -17. You really can't see why the tax payer shouldn't top up your dhs income so you can home educate your dcs? I am usually fairly left wing and liberal but I am that you cannot see how unrealistic your expectations are.

Will someone explain to me why it is in the best interests of their family to be a sahm and to claim UC when their children are at school, rather than to work during school hours?

I can see how it could be nice to have some time free of your own and you could do the shopping and cleaning at your leisure, but imo the state should not be subsidising it.

Also I would think the 17yo could be left with the 9yo in the evening so Moreton could pull a few pints TBH

With reference to artists and musicians not getting to stay at home and express their talents - some of our greatest creative minds held down full time paid work all their lives. (TS Eliot - civil servant, Larkin - librarian to name but two).

If you want to be creative, you have to find a way to finance it - a job is the usual way of earning a crust so you can do what you want in your spare time.

There is no promotion on the dole - if you get a job, you may like it and start to progress. If you stay at home, your dependency will never change.

Yes, you have a choice. I choose to work, be creative and raise my children. You can be snotty about my lifestyle choices, but it doesn't matter as I am not relying on benefits to fund them. This is more liberating than having to cope with every 'unfair' benefit change as all governments like to tinker with benefits. I do think long term benefit reliance must be very draining.

I work 22 hours a week & my dh works 40. My ds goes to a childminder 2 days a week & we are fortunate that my mil has him one day. I still pay my childminder £400 per month & often wonder whether it would be better to try & make it work without working, but no matter how I crunch the numbers as a family we are still better off with me working & paying the childcare.
My cousin lives in Italy and there all children are entitled to free full-time childcare until they go to school. I know that our children are precious & obviously you need to know they are being looked after properly but do feel the government needs to help families more.

I have now seen both sides of the coin as it were. All I can really say is that it was infinitely preferable to work at least part time. I have worked both full and part time as a parent and reduced my hours as my son's needs became more challenging and exhausting. It is no exaggeration to say thst I clung onto my PT job for as long as possible. ...it was my lifeline. Going onto benefits was a leap of faith tbh but I felt so much healthier once I did so......although definitely poorer financially.
I would encourage any parent to give work a chance if they get the opportunity.

Even now I am still looking around although I don't need to officially. I don't see myself as a Carer forever but equally I recognise that the highly prsssured and responsible job I had previously is not appropriate given my other responsibilities.
A less pressured job I could do though hence the voluntary work which has led into a very part time af hoc job which might lead yo something more.....who knows.

JakeBullet, I salute you!

Jakebullet, good perspective. Maybe I should stop trying to convince my dh that we would be better off if I gave up my job & just get on with it & appreciate the days I'm fortunate to be off

Bloody hell, the word entitlement keeps popping into my head!

No one has said parents shouldn't work fgs. The Government actively made this.impossible for some in the past due to the 16 hour threshold on childcare help, a point people are conveniently ignoring. All I am saying, ad nauseum, is that it is not always best for the family OR the taxpayer for both parents to work, and the people best placed to make that judgment are the family themselves. Not sure what's so difficult to grasp there.

And sooo many people who think life choices of any description, including how one's children are educated, should only be the preserve of the rich. Who would have thought Mumsnet would be so bourgeois.

They came for the unemployed and you did nothing.

They came for the single mothers and you did nothing.

They are still coming after the sick and disabled, did you do anything?

Now they are coming for YOU, and you fight amongst yourselves.

The Government has played a master stroke with UC. Now everyone, whether the jobless parents with 10 children, or the people who pay thousands in tax and get a few hundred quid back ALL get lumped together as being on the dole. Fantastic.

Great post Leithlurker

For those who say that home educators shouldn't be subsidised do bear in mind that our children are not occupying a state funded school place. Certainly in my case the cost to the state of educating my children would exceed what I receive in ctc. I'm currently saving the state money.
The frustrating thing is that before the economic slump DH's work was doing well enough for us not to rely on tc. Not the case now.
I do worry about the new system not being flexible and sensible. I would be willing to work weekends or evenings when my youngest turns 5, but I don't want to be forced to work school hours and disrupt the education provision that I have dedicated the last decade to.
I know some will say that I just have to do whatever if DH doesn't earn enough. If we ever get some economic recovery then chances are he will be earning enough

Leithlurker - way over the top. We are talking about sahm with children at school who are complaining that they are losing a government subsidy that allows them to stay at home rather than work during school hours.

Let's have some economic regeneration please.

What do sahm do during school hours while their children are out of the house that makes the time so precious?

gaelicsheep you asked where are the jobs. It's not in the job centre. They are a waste of time really. We are hiring a handful of C/C++ developers. I know of two posts that were filled in my company after advertising for nearly a year. (Admittedly, they don't fit my skillset so I can't say there's an opening for my role). DH's company has trouble filling vacancies but their management admitted their pay isn't competitive.

Of course, if we are made redundant, we'll be in trouble. The economy being so bad as it is. In that case, there will be many of us looking for the type of work in our area. We aren't in London so there isn't a lot of companies here. We are very fortunate that we have local jobs. I'd fully expect having to commute if I lost mine. Same as DH.

mirry2 I think what they do depends on how much their DH earns. The rich ones shops, lunches, have facials, goes to gym and volunteers for the NCT. I can think of two who stopped working after their first baby. Both have their children starts nursery a day a week around 6mo, before we even return to work after maternity leave. Some of them blogs about their clothes or their home renovation projects. (See some of the mummy bloggers and their clothes).

I don't know personally any SAHM struggling financially. I assume they have to clean, shop in multiple places for bargains, budget, etc.

Posting here reminded me of another rich mummy. She worked PT until she lost her job in the recession. She whined how the JC gave her a hard time on the JSA because she was going to a ski holiday. There was something about not being able to go overseas while looking for a job. She was signing on for the contribution based JSA, so I guess she felt she's entitled to it. Her husband earns too much for her to get any benefits otherwise.

DP has today applied for a Saturday job on a farm.

Yes thats right. One day a week. How many applicants? Well the guys not sure but hes estimating it around the 75 mark.

75 people want to do 1 day a week. And its not Polish either. There arent that many around here.

Onelittletoodling - that stil doesn't answer my question. The deathly silence speaks volumes.