Universal Credit - how many hours with children?

[Catslovepies]

Hello, I am hosting a Ukranian mum and her two children ages 7 and 12. She's on Universal Credit and also has got a job at a hotel on a temporary zero hours contract working on average 20 hours a week for minimum wage.

The job centre has been pushing her to keep looking for a job offering more hours and has insisted she attend an interview at another hotel that's further away and that is looking for someone to work 40 hours a week. My guest has asked my advice because she thinks this is too much (combined with childcare and English lessons) and she likes the job she has. But she is afraid her benefits will be sanctioned if she doesn't attend this interview and keep looking for work. The hotel where she is working really likes her and has said they will try to help by offering more hours and maybe a better contract. But we are trying to figure out what will satisfy the job centre.

I've looked online and from what I can see, given the age of her children the job centre should only expect her to work a maximum of 25 hours to week. Is this correct? And do you know whether working 25 hours on average a week on a zero hours contract would be enough to say she can stop looking for another job? Or does it need to be a contract for 25 hours a week?

It's very difficult for me to advise as I have never dealt with the benefits system before, and it's difficult for my guest as her English isn't fluent. I just don't know what the job centre is playing at pushing her so hard when she is already working, looking after her children as a single mum, going to English lessons, etc. Any advice please?

This Gov website//www.gov.uk/universal-credit/your-responsibilities says 25 hours if she's the sole carer. Has it been made clear she is the sole carer?

I thought it was clear but perhaps she needs to emphasise that she's the sole carer. I've now taken a look at her commitments form - she has agreed to it but says but says was pressured into it because the advisor was in a hurry but she didn't understand what she was agreeing because her English isn't so good. The form says she will look for 30 hours work per week and that she is willing to travel up to 50 minutes each way to her job (this shouldn't be necessary either as we are a 20 minutes walk from the centre of a large town).

It's 25 x nmw they will be expecting her to earn. In reality she would be very unlikely to be sanctioned.

Thanks both. She has been told that if she doesn't keep looking for more work they will take her universal credit away! But I think this is wrong not just because of the childcare issue but because she is earning more than the earnings threshold of £355 for a single person already! They are just making things up I think.

Yes it's 25 hours as a basic commitment with children of that age. She will not be sanctioned if she's working 20.

Thank you @RaininSummer she is working on average 24 hours a week but it's zero hours and next week for example she's only scheduled for 16. I just don't understand why the job centre is saying she has to keep looking for another job and that they can take her benefits away if she doesn't. It feels like they are bullying her because her level of English is low. I wonder what is the best approach - maybe I should go in there with her and speak to them myself but I dont want to inflame the situation.

A major failing in universal credit is the variance in how the policy is applied by different job coaches. I suspect the issue is that her contract is zero hours, however you would expect some flexibility given the circumstances!

I would ask CAB for advice on how to challenge the commitment and she should be having an advocate due to the language barrier.

Has she looked into jobs in schools? Catering/cleaning etc just thinking that they tend to be contracts with set hours and are family friendly hours.

It may be because her wages aren't yet feeing through to the system. How long has she been working?

Is that how it works, @RaininSummer , that the Job Centre gets notified of her earnings rather than her just telling them she has a job averaging a certain number of hours a week at minimum wage? She has only been working about 3 weeks and just got her first paycheck, so you could well be on to something.

I have said I will print out the guidance for her that says she should only have to commit to 25 hours and that if she earns over £355 a month she shouldn't be asked to look for more work. She is going to take the printouts with her to her next appointment and ask what the issue is. Does this sound like a good idea?

And thanks @Biscuitandacuppa - I advised her to ring CAB but she was on hold for ages, then they spoke to her briefly and said they would email her some information but they never did. I'm afraid they are terribly underfunded and understaffed now.

How old are her children?

Age 7 and 12. And now she has just told me something else...they tried to schedule an appointment for her at the job centre this afternoon but she said she couldn't because she was working. So they changed the appointment to next week. Now they have said she has missed an appointment today but they have decided not to sanction her this time! It's almost feeling like they have targeted her and are bullying her. She knows other Ukranians who are being left alone even though they haven't been looking for work!

That is the standard process. All missed appointments have to be marked as failed and they have accepted her reasons hence the message saying no sanction. Perfectly normal.

Just saw your other questions. Basically her wages will be picked up by the system at the end of her assessment period assuming she is employed not self employed. At present the system isn't recognizing her work in a way and so until wages come through weekly appointments are needed for new customers in the first 13 weeks. Her wages will change that regime

Thank you so much @RaininSummer that's all quite reassuring. Could you tell em how long you think it will be before her wages come through? Her first payslip arrived with her today and she has been paid just over £100 for her first 2 shifts. She will be averaging 2-3 shifts a week so will meet the threshold but do you know how long it will take for them to officially recognise this?

Her end of assessment period will be 4 weeks after she first claimed and then the same date each month. Any wages received and reported in that 4 weeks will be taken into account in any payment due 7 days later. That is when her appointment regime may change depending on how much she has earned .

I agree the work coach is being harsh, many are happy to leave single parents on 16 hours. I would suggest she asks for a variation on her claimant commitment as a vulnerable person. She would not understand the commitment and would definitely have felt pressured. Does your local authority provide any help for Ukrainian migrants, perhaps they can advocate for her if you can’t. Who is looking after her children?

Thanks @dustandroses I will try ringing the council, they have actually been really good so far. In terms of childcare, right now the 12 year old is looking after the 7 year old while mum is at work- he cycles over to pick her up from school, makes her a snack or dinner, etc. He's actually a great kid and it works OK during the school term but it won't be fair on him at all during the summer holidays. 16 hours would be perfect.