UC expects single parents to work 30 hours, any tips on how to do it?

[Llama98]

I’m new to mumsnet but this is really stressing me out at the moment. I have a son (will be 4 in a couple of weeks) and a daughter (will be 2 in a couple of weeks, there birthdays are days apart from each other 😆)
and I’ve already had 2 meetings telling me that when youngest is three in a year I need to work 30 hours.
I live on my own, have no help and the dads only have the kids over night every other weekend just for one night.
I always get “what about grandparents” but they all have full time jobs or are disabled and cannot physically look after young children.

So I just want to know, how do I do it 😭

Being alone with next to no help is hard enough as it is. My Daughter starts nursery soon and I couldn’t even find space for the kids to be in nursery at the same time!
I work a couple of hours a week but that’s dependent on if my daughters dad cancels on me (he likes to just declare he’s going travelling or has other stuff to do) as he will look after her a couple of hours so I can work but that’s only 5 hours a week.

i also can’t drive so doing drop offs, getting to the job then pick ups again will be difficult. If it was 16 hours needed to work I could probably just about (and I really mean just about) manage it all.

has anyone had any experience with not being able to meet the 30 hours and if so what happens? There are not many flexible jobs and I would need one to make this work.

sorry about any mistakes i do struggle with my dyslexia quite a bit 😅

Massively depends on what skilla,. experience and qualifications you have as to what sort of job you get - an office job will have more fixed hours than say a supermarket.

But basically you send eldest to a school with good wrap around, and use it. And you get a private nursery that has decent hours and you pay for hours over the funded ones . Ask the nursery to split the funded hours equally across the year, so you don't have big bills on school holiday months.

Personally I'd avoid a school nursery, unless there is local holiday provision that will accept a 3yo (there isn't near us).

Or you get a child minder that can do wrap around for the eldest and have the youngest, but childminders near us are like hens teeth!

I kinda didn’t expect to be a single parent, my kids dad earned quite a lot so we could afford to have a stay at home parent when we were together but these things happen. I’d been in full time work since I was 17 before I had kids.
Was just looking for advice ☺️

Bloody hard… consider working in school as TA

I would love to do something like that but unfortunately do not have the room

The schools in my area only really accept you if you are in walking distance, so you don’t get much choice I believe the one my sons going to does have breakfast clubs and all that. The main issue is nursery’s and child minders in the area, they are so full up your not guaranteed to find anywhere that has space on the days you want that’s the thing that will be difficult. Because let’s say I do get a job, but can’t get her in childcare on any of the days I need to be in what then?
i know I have a year but these are all the things that have been keeping me up trying to think about how I’m going to do it 😅
im planning on doing a bunch of those free courses to widen my skills and just see what I can do from then

Most nurseries in my area are so full up tweaking isn’t really an option, it’s more of a you get whatever is available situation. I tried to get my sons changed once and got put on a waiting list for months. Wouldn’t be helpful if I needed it sooner 😅

What did you expect op? Of course you need to work like everyone else. I would try to get a job as a dinner lady, kitchens or other school role so you can be at home in the holidays when the children eventually start school.

So I have care qualifications in working with adults with special needs, I know the care home I worked at would take me back but there sifts are 7-2:45 or 2:15-10 and you can’t pick and choose. Unless I can convince them to make a 9-5 shift 😂😂

Why not try and apply for a special needs school?

If you have skills in care and experience with children

I don’t know what’s with people going “what did you expect” everyone’s situation is different. I didn’t “expect” to be a single parent. Now I am I know I have to work, I’m just asking for advice on how to do so. In fact I feel a job would be great for my mental health and help me get back to myself a bit

There isn’t any in my area (there’s one being built with no updates on when it’ll be done)

So e request full time now, then in a year when you get the space you reduce to what you need. 12 month plus waiting lists have always been the norm for most nurseries

If you gave experience working with children with SEN any mainstream school will snap you up as a 1:1 support worker. Apply at the school you want your dc to attend, you'll guarantee dc admission and be there for pick up drop off. Win win

I’ve not worked with SEN children but have with SEN adults and have been there 1-1, so this might actually be the best idea! I’ll have to look into it!

I think that there's a minimum income floor you have to meet. if you don't meet it that is when the 30 hours requirement kicks in. So if you get a job that pays as much as the minimum income floor (I think based on the minimum wage at 30hrs) that doesn't take up 30 hrs, then it's fine (e.g. if your wage is more than the minimum wage, it would take less hours to reach the minimum income floor).

Any weeks / months you're not hitting the MIF you will be expected to search for jobs for 30hrs a week. Ridiculous I know.

It totally sucks and as a single parent I think it's unfair and very difficult in many cases to do this - not many people have family support or exes around to help - which makes 30hrs so much.

But if you're self employed it is pretty good for being a single parent (be warned that the minimum income floor is even higher for self employment though!!).

Well at least you'll be getting a decent chunk in maintenance which should help, if your ex was a high earner and only has minimal overnights. That and UC help towards childcare should make working affordable, plus UC on top. You'll be much better off financially.
I've always worked as a single parent, I don't know how people live on benefits.
You have a year so get your DC on wait lists now and have a think about where you could use your skills in a job with more family friendly/flexible hours.

The Minimum Income Floor only applies to self-employed work not PAYE.
At the moment if you earn more than the Administrative Earnings Threshold (18 hrs x MW) you go into Light Touch and would be left alone. The amount will change when the MW increases. There is also talk of increasing the 18 hrs. So I would continue to work on the assumption that finding 30 hrs per week is the better option and you have a year to plan for it. Speak to your Work Coach about help available with retraining, upskilling etc.

Every mother I know went back to work and paid for childcare after 9m or 1 yr maternity leave.

It's normal for mothers to work to pay their bills.

https://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2024-0442/198._Work_Related_Requirements_for_claimants_with_children_V11.0.pdf

Have a read of this Op. It explains what the work coach will likely expect. Just be honest about your circumstances and show willingness and you’ll be fine.

You've had some nonsense on here I'm afraid op.

It can be really hard starting back in work as a single parent - especially if you're in an area where it's hard to find childcare.

Once your youngest is three you will be expected to look for work. But if you're earning the equivalent of 18 hrs at minimum wage then you won't need to look for more work.

The trickiest bit is getting childcare sorted. I'd get them on waiting lists now with the aim of starting work as soon as you can after they get a place. It's important you start work within a month of them getting the place or you won't get UC help with the childcare fees over the funded hours. That might mean taking any job at all initially and then applying for better work.

Make sure your ex is paying maintenance.

And start saving now for the first lot of nursery fees

It's hard. Politicians who make these rules don't live in a world where people don't have savings and can't drive and don't have family who can help.

I’m on my own with 2 and have been since youngest 6 days old. He went to nursery at 12 months 4 full days 730-6 which allowed me one day off with just him and then the weekend with my 4 year old. Once the funded hours kicked in I went back 5 days but 3 were short days.

I earn more than min wage so don’t need to work 30 which helps. Both now at breakfast club on my office days and 2 after school days. It’s mentally and physically exhausting but financially I’m better off . It’s never occurred to me to only work a few hours.

jobs that could fit around childcare with your experience with care would be colleges that have send groups, day centres for sen adults, maybe if there is any urban farms? And maybe look at activity coordinator in residential homes?
Have you got a decent CV?
Also care company office work might be something to consider?
Lots of the TA’s in my dc school do lunch time assistant hours to bump up their hours.
Look on your local council website, jobs for schools and libraries often come up.
Also a KP for nursing homes comes up regularly and if you can state the hours you’re able to work they can be pretty understanding.
One nursing home I worked in one of my colleagues who lived local and I worked opposite shifts and did child care for the other one. That was handy but that’s going back a really long time now, people aren’t as willing to help one another any more.

Finding a job with no weekends is incredibly stressful, I do not envy you at all. Best of luck and if I can think of anything else I’ll let you know, but if you’re stuck age concern I’m sure has day centres across the country x

@Nonametonight what do you mean OP has had nonsense on here?

There have been plenty of comments on here from people in a similar situation to OP, as single parents with no practical help, explaining how they manage to work? Myself included and I have double the amount of children.

OP your first concern is getting your child on the waitlist for full time nursery. You can adjust the hours down if say you get a 4 or 3 day a week job.

You can't tell me there are absolute no nursery places for years and years. That means all the working parents (of which I believe in this day and age most do) would never be able to go back to work

The not driving will restrict you with job options but appreciate that cost is a huge factor to learning to drive and running a car so it's not that simple.

Most people don't plan to be a single parent either. I certainly didn't but I've had to make the best of it.

You'll have to be really organised OP, but it's possible.

It sounds like you have skills which you can channel into a career.

Of my friends who have hit the age of youngest child to be pushed back into work by the job centre- those that sort of try and "get out of it" if you will... by applying for jobs they have no chance of getting and things like that. Well I think it seems more hassle than it's worth personally as they seem to have to spend a lot of time attending appointments, have been put on work readinesses courses and that type of thing.

Yeah OP, go and find 2k for driving lessons. And the magical babysitter to look after your DC while you learn 🙄.

School hours would be a good bet though. Much easier than using holiday clubs.

UC are awful. I don't know a single lone parent who worked full time with little kids. I nearly lost my job due to excessive illness with little kids.