Benefits over summer? Job for September.

[scuttlebeeb]

I am currently at university and finish in four weeks time. I have a job starting in September (teacher).

I am worried about finances over the summer period. I am a single mum, youngest is 5. Does anyone know if I’d be able to claim UC to help me until I start work in sept?

thank you.

I was in a similar position but different job but I imagine it will work the same. I could get the benefits but had to go to the job centre weekly to show I was applying for jobs in the meantime. It felt like a farce because it would have been an 8 week job max not including application/interviews/collecting references/waiting for induction but I did it all because I needed to eat.

I had a feeling they’d still want me to look for a job!

I can understand why, but it’s ridiculous. Especially if you are going into teaching because I imagine you could use the time getting prepped, and then the 6 week holidays with your children.

Well yes, I’d have to sort childcare out too! And who will employ me for 8 weeks?! It would have to be flexible work or 0 hour contract.

At least you’ve got ChatGPT now to fill in the applications poorly so you can show them you are applying.

Plenty of hospitality jobs would over the summer and also some childcare providers running holiday clubs, the jobs do exist. And it’s not the end of the world having to put a small amount of effort in to meet the criteria. I can see why it’s pointless for you when you also have kids to find childcare for, but the system has to be generic to work.

When you look to apply bear in mind it takes 5 weeks from your application to receive money so you may want to fill out the application sooner than you think. Not sure how that works with student finance, but I’d look into it to try and time it right so you don’t end up stuck without money for most of the summer anyway

And it’s not the end of the world having to put a small amount of effort in to meet the criteria. I can see why it’s pointless for you when you also have kids to find childcare for, but the system has to be generic to work.

It's a waste of time for everyone involved.

I worked in hospitality for the summer between finishing university and starting as a teacher. I appreciate that’s not so simple when you are a single parent though.

Don’t you think it’d waste more time if they had to go through the details of everyone’s personal situations to individually decide who needed to job search and who doesn’t? How would that be fairly managed?

If you have a good job lined up your bank may be willing to extend you an overdraft ahead of time.

You can also look at getting the sort of summer jobs that students do. Waitressing, delivery driving, shop work and so on.

Yes they will.
Could you try to get a job with a summer holiday kids club (potential bonus you might get a staff discount for your kids to attend)
If you are making every efford to find employment over the summer and not getting anywhere then you qualify for benefits.

No, because they'd only need to do that once. This way they need to review everything OP has done every time they deal with her. OP herself is going to have to waste time on this pointless farce. Employers are going to have to waste time processing her pointless job applications. The total person hours wasted across summer doing all this add up to way more than a two second look at a job offer letter.

Yes you can certainly apply for UC but the conditions of receiving money will be to do a certain amount of job seeking hours. You will have regular appointments to show what efforts you are making. UC will pay up to 85% of childcare costs up to a certain amount.

Looking at her job offer letter alone wouldn’t explain why she doesn’t need to do look for any temporary work

LOL. They think it's money for nothing.

I do not think it’s money for nothing. You could say that to the millions of people who are on benefits who aren’t actively seeking a job.

I am not shy of work, I have never had to apply for benefits or even really look into it at all! So don’t be so rude.

I potentially can find a summer job yes. And that’s fine. But all I want to know is if I’ll be able to apply. I have done some reading and I can ask for an advance so I’m not waiting 5 weeks for the application to kick in and be paid.

Look for jobs anywhere that is summer-focused. Swimming pools and lidos. Summer camps. If you have teaching qualifications, you should have a better chance than most.

Just be careful with the advance as it’s like an interest free loan and if you only plan on being on UC for a few months it may not be worth the hassle (although I assume they’d still allow payment plans to pay it back). It may be that if you rent you are eligible for UC when working anyway though

She’d probably pay more in childcare than she’d earn at temp jobs like that though

Recently retired DWP here. My advice @scuttlebeebis bang in your application and jump through the required hoops. Jobcentre staff are humans but ridiculously micromanaged by a results based system under the last government that gave them little autonomy to fit the person to the situation. However, that is slowly changing back towards a more employment advice and support ethos so you may find it genuinely helpful. Regardless of how you find it, be kind and agreeable to the job coach and agree to look for work that fits around child care in the summer holidays.. a pretty difficult prospect I imagine. Take you proof of job offer with you and I can almost guarantee you will be virtually ignored if you go through the motions as the job coach has people on their caseload who don’t have jobs lined up and will be focused on them.

Alternatively find something part time 18hrs pw at NMW and get UC as a top up with child care costs and housing if you rent - and you will be exempt from job centre visits.

Congratulations on graduating and getting your job.

Don’t worry about the advance. It’s interest free and you can set up a payment plan when you start work. It can be pretty low ie £20 pm. Over a very long period.

Apply for UC OP because even when you start your teaching job and for many years you will still be eligible for the benefit as it will top up your wage. UC received your monthly wage amount from your employer and I think you will be surprised

If earning on low pay in jobs like that OP would almost certainly quaify for a UC topup which would include 85% of childcare costs

If you are entitled to claim, then claim.

You don't have any money coming in so I don't see any issue with that.

Not really worth it when shes about to start a full time career though