I wrote a big life essay originally, then decided against posting as it just went on and on and on … and probably created more questions than anything! So I deleted and thought I’d keep it more brief. But now I’ve come back up here to add that it isn’t as brief as I thought it would be!! 🙈
My partner and I are both currently claiming universal credit. We both have a child each from previous relationships, both under the age of 10.
I started claiming a couple of years ago after a separation with a financially abusive (amongst other) person of almost 16 years. After moving in with my new partner, I discovered we needed to make a joint claim otherwise it stops (I didn’t know this). So we put him on as he was barely earning anything anyway so it worked out ok. However, just recently they’ve begun requesting to see him all the time. He is a farmer, it’s been in his family forever, he can’t afford to take a wage from it and last financial year only took £5,000 of dividends. He did have a flexible part time job of 6 years prior but unfortunately lost that recently.
When he lost his pt job, we both decided to put more in to the farm and make use of what is already here. So we’ve begun selling meat directly to customers (before it was market only) and included more stock. Also started selling firewood from trees on the land. This means the farm requires a lot more man hours but currently the income isn’t changing an awful lot due to rising costs of everything!
I have a part time job which suits me really well as fits around school and I can still put hours in on the farm. I have debt including a CCJ, which built up after the separation with my ex and also my business at the time had to close.
Going back to the job centre requesting appointments. They have a habit of requesting them at times of the day which just aren’t suitable. I had a period of this earlier this year where they kept making appointments at the time as school pick up, when I’ve explained that I have no one else to get her. They’re now doing it to my OH. The farm is really busy at the minute as we’re preparing the sheds and animals for the winter months. When they come in, the work increases massively and most days are non stop. But the JC request appointments that just don’t work and have already withheld money once. We don’t want to claim it, we both hate having to do it, but we don’t have much choice at the minute. We’ve spoken to them numerous times and give them more suitable days and times, but I’m assuming appointments are computer generated as they never change. And even more frustrating, the appointments themselves last all of two minutes! But having to finish the job at hand, get cleaned and changed, drive to the JC and back, to get changed once again to finish what was being done, it takes a huge chunk of the day out! Then it’s bloody school time. Both kids attend different schools .. and come out at the same time. So we both have to leave at a certain time. Then it’s after school clubs or whatever else they have on. Then before we know it, it’s the daily evening jobs of feeding everything! There just isn’t enough time and I feel like we’re constantly hitting our head against a brick wall. And we both have to attend appointments at different times. Why can’t they do phone appointments??
I get really upset and frustrated at the whole thing. I’ve never claimed before, I’ve worked since I was 13 .. always been very independent. My OH hasn’t either, he lives a very basic life anyway so doesn’t want for much. But shit hit the fan and we now rely on it. Yet feel like we’re being punished for needed it. It isn’t like we sit around watching tv all day every day. We both work very hard. Ugh!!