Leaving work - relying on UC

[mummatotwo14]

So I’ve taken the decision to leave work. I’m currently spending over £300 a month on taxi and bus fares. (I currently work 3- 10pm Wednesday and Friday, 7am- 2.30pm Saturday and 2.30-10pm Sunday)

Plus £200 a month on childcare for a nanny from 6pm- 11pm

I’m getting a bus to work, and then having to pay £25 for a taxi home at 10pm due to the last bus been at 6pm back home. I work 25 miles away.

I’m going to look for a job closer to home. That’s better hours. We only moved last month so it’s all new and I thought I’d be able to make it work staying at my old job but hasn’t worked. (N)

Has anyone managed to rely solely on UC? I know it’s going to be a struggle and will need to budget. I’m hoping it won’t be for long.

UC depends on your circumstances.
Such as age
Children
Rent

Best thing to do is complete a benefits calculator.

You can claim UC if you resign but the reason has to be "good enough" otherwise you could face a sanction on your award for up to 3 months.

I’m already in receipt on UC, so been told I’ll give receive the max entitlement with no work deductions.

I’m currently getting UC, child benefits and DLA (for my son) No one has mentioned anything about been sanctioned :/ I’m literally paying all my wages out on travel and childcare. Just seems pointless working at the moment. I really want to find a job closer to home rather than 25 miles away. Plus it takes the stress off me of my son is to have a seizure I’m in the same town as him so can get back to him faster at the moment it would take me an hour to get home to him and it just worries me so much. :/

If you need to give up work to care for your son then I would hope they see that as a good enough reason. Its difficult to say as they don't really state whats a good reason and what isn't.

Yeah, seems so strange, like if I hadn’t gone back to work after maternity I wouldn’t be asked to start work preparations until next year and then wouldn’t need to go back to work until he was 3 but because I’m working you get penalised for leaving but if I wasn’t working I wouldn’t be asked to go back to work yet... I wish it was like old style tax credits where only one parent needed to work and not both, puts so much stress on parents especially when you have little ones under school age too.

what rate DLA is your DS on? if it is middle or high rate care you would qualify for carers allowance and you do not have a o work so definitely no sanctions. But you cannot get CA for a child on low rate care.

He’s on high rate DLA, I get disabled child elements plus careers elements, careers allowance is deducted £ for £ but because I work I can’t receive it. I’ve got a couple on interviews this week (on Skype and Zoom) so hopefully it’ll have something soon. Just might be a month or two where I end up with no wages. My partner works full time so will have his wages, just going to be tight losing my wages as well.

just get CA in the meantime. once you are out of work you will qualify and you won't be required to look for work. With the current climate it may take a while.

It’s taken £ for £ so doesn’t really seem worth it? :/ I’m not required to look for work anyways due to the age of my children and my eldest been on DLA, plus my partner working as well, I only went back to work after maternity because I didn’t want to not work plus I’m a key worker so felt like I needed to go back but I didn’t realise I would get sanctioned for not working even though I don’t actually need to work. I only went back to work in September Xx

You won't be sanctioned for not working. However because you have resigned they may decide to sanction you if they don't think the reason is good enough. However if you have resigned due to your child's care needs then I am sure they will accept that especially as he is on higher rate DLA.

You won't be sanctioned because as a carer you have no work commitments anyway.

It’s taken £ for £ so doesn’t really seem worth it?

no, it's not. It's worth it.

also the DWP will not view you as a carer without getting CA. My DD gets high rate DLA and I claimed JSA a while ago instead of carers allowance (I was job seeking and JSA was higher than CA) and I was not treated as a carer. Had to look for full time work with a 90 mins commute each way instead of being allowed to look for part time work in school hours. They treated me horrendously.They said the system is not designed to treat carers as such unless you actually are in receipt of carers allowance.

@dairyfairies

also the DWP will not view you as a carer without getting CA. My DD gets high rate DLA and I claimed JSA a while ago instead of carers allowance (I was job seeking and JSA was higher than CA) and I was not treated as a carer. Had to look for full time work with a 90 mins commute each way instead of being allowed to look for part time work in school hours. They treated me horrendously.They said the system is not designed to treat carers as such unless you actually are in receipt of carers allowance.

I help a lot of people to just claim carers element of Uc. Can honestly say they have never had a problem.

I work part time and it's topped up by UC and I still struggle. You're never going to be rich on UC.. you will have to make sacrifices just so you can get through the month, that's what I do and I work. x

So, I’ve spoken to UC. Due to my youngest been under 1 and my partner working full time I have no work commitments anyways so if I left work I wouldn’t be sanctioned as I have two under 3s. They’ve said it’s up to me if I want to claim CA but I won’t be sanctioned if I leave work and don’t claim CA.

@mummatotwo14

So, I’ve spoken to UC. Due to my youngest been under 1 and my partner working full time I have no work commitments anyways so if I left work I wouldn’t be sanctioned as I have two under 3s. They’ve said it’s up to me if I want to claim CA but I won’t be sanctioned if I leave work and don’t claim CA.

Yes exactly. that is totally correct.

I’ve sat and work out finances, even with me not working we’re actually going to be a lot better off because we’re not paying about £500 in taxi and bus fees or childcare fees.

Maybe I was just unlucky, baby but without claiming carers, they would not consider my caring responsibilities at all. I even put a written complaint in to my local job centre and got nowhere. Luckily I found a part time job quickly and got out of the fangs of these horrid people at the job centre. Don't think noone ever made me feel to worthless.

Careers element and careers allowance are completely different aren’t they? I get the care element and higher child disability element on UC plus DLA but don’t claim CA which is the benefit that’s taken off UC isn’t it?