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 😅

Yes, this is it. Experienced UC/working parent here for 5 years+. It’s the income equivalent to that. So, as long as I earn the equivalent to minimum wage for 30 hours a week, they’re happy.

Mumsnet is shit for supporting parents struggling. Properly shit.
It is hard OP. Possible, but hard.

OP have a look at the following who have very good family friendly policies.
Your local council
Any local government departments
Schools roles from admin officer/TA/lunch time assistant

@notnorman you can't possibly know whether she's sick or disabled. Not everyone wants to go around telling everyone their business and some might even lie about being fine if asked.

She could be a carer for someone who is disabled, that would exempt her from having to find work because caring is a job.

As PP mentioned, she might not be claiming income related benefits and have some other source of income/savings/someone else paying for things.

P.S. it does depend on the age of the child, mind. It is a minefield. The Facebook group in UC is really helpful as several moderators are either UC advisors work as independent advisors (CAB etc).

No childcare will cover those hours.
Often 12 hour days eg 7-7

They can’t force you to get a job.
You just need to prove that you are looking and applying and they will take into account your circumstances.

I would keep an eye out for a TA position in your DCs primary school.

These are very hard to come and you’ll have a lot of competition but you have good experience.
In the meantime, I would try and do some free online courses to put yourself in a better position for if one does come up.

I believe that if you work 16 hours a week then job centre will leave you alone a bit more.
Whereas if you do less, you will keep getting called in for meetings etc.

Try not to stress about it as things change all of the time but just focus on things that you can do to improve your situation.

Also look into nearby universities.
If you are a FT student you don’t need to look for work.
The money isn’t great but you’ll be working towards a career and often there are nurseries attached/close by.

Doing a degree can be difficult with young kids but you have more flexibility when it comes to time off.
You usually get the holidays off and if you can’t go in that day it’s not an issue, unlike with work.

Don’t rule out childminding- I childmind in a teensy apartment! It’s tiny! Good luck op !

It is based on your earning per month rather than number of hours, I work 20 hours a week and have 3 kids all at school. I have never been asked to increase this amount and get the full UC.

I was told this too.

It goes by wage rather than hours.

But I don’t know the minimum wage they need.

When I lost my job I got a PT job to tide me over which was only 19 hours a week but because it was a good hourly wage, it took me over the threshold for the weekly meetings.
I can’t remember the wage but I think I got about £1000 a month or just over.

OP, ask your job centre adviser about level 2 teaching assistant courses. There are plenty around, some at local colleges and some online, free for people on benefits. If you gain that qualification you have a really good chance of securing a job as a teaching assistant. You’ll be working school hours, term time only (which is invaluable as a lone parent).

Yes that is correct.

I actually have money taken off me each month as my wages are too high, work 20 hours and do a basic school leavers administrative role. It you can get above the minimum wage then you are fine to do less.

And they pay 85% childcare costs.

I would suggest you learn to drive, especially with being the main carer of 2 children.

I still had to get 3 DC up and ready for school/childminder leaving the house at 7.25am to drop at childminder and get into my school. didn't get home until almost 5pm after collecting from childminder each night. I had to cook all DC meals, supervise homework, get DC bathed and up to bed, throw in a load of laundry some nights before starting on marking. 2 of my DC had SN's. I then spent half a day each Sunday propping lessons for the week. Finances don't really come into it because I paid my childminder for childcare and OP will get 85 percent of hers paid. Emotionally I was drained.

Sounds tough! But you were not a single parent, and you had holidays off with your kids. It’s just not the same as OPs situation.

Yep, they don't make this clear but you need to be earning above a certain threshold called the AET. I work 22.5 hours a week but earn enough to be above this so I don't get bothered. For an individual claimant it's £895 a month you need to earn over. www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-earnings#:~:text=The%20AET%20is%20an%20amount,£1%2C437%20per%20assessment%20period.

I'm sorry you're getting so many "what did you expect?" posts, OP? Not many of us expect to be in this position. I used to earn a decent wage and work full-time but then my son's dad and I split up and I had to move back in with my parents. He then passed away so it's just me and my traumatised son. Who then developed separation anxiety and had huge issues with school attendance. I had to go part-time and very local so I was able to be there for him and I absolutely wouldn't manage without UC. But, we didn't get bereavement support payments, I don't get any child maintenance obvs and I paid into the system since I was 16.
Working 30 hours is nearly impossible if you live somewhere with limited wraparound options and even fewer employment opportunities. I honestly don't know how they expect people to do it.

It must be daunting OP and I do think it's much harder being a single working parent without the support of a partner or family.
I agree with finding a school with breakfast and afterschool provision and putting youngest name down for nursery.
Does sound like there is significant help with childcare costs. Jobs working in a school are like gold dust ime and not easy to get-even though pay often isn't great.
It maybe good to look at jobs with flexibility and that allow you to WFH, public sector jobs often offer this.
And as offers have said if you can find a job paying more than minimum wage so you have the option of working less than 30 hours a week.

No point anyone answering this OP. The OP doesn't want to work and has all the excuses not to.

Well, lots of us do!

OP it's also worth looking on childcare.co.uk. If you cannot find a nursery place then you can look into a childminder or nanny, especially if you're going to claim UC and get 85% of the cost back! It'll cost you hardly anything compared to those paying full fees.

I had a DH but he was working away during the week and Saturday and was only around on Sundays so I felt like a single parent.

Having a husband who works away some of the time is nothing like being a single parent. 🙄

also there will be inset days and teacher riots to think about

Teacher riots?!

"I worked full time as a teacher from the time my youngest was 1. I know I got school holidays off but I used a child minder. I'd drop off at 8am and collect at 4pm. I took my marking home to do in the evenings when all 3 DC were in bed. I had a DH but he was working away during the week and Saturday and was only around on Sundays so I felt like a single parent."
@caringcarer

Your situation isn't remotely like the OPs! You had a husband and a good wage! Also loads of holidays that are the hardest thing for a single parent with no support to manage.

You were most certainly not a single parent - you have no idea!

I know! They have absolutely no idea!

It's not just the financial side, it's the emotional side. There's only you when the kids are ill or haven't slept well (so you don't sleep well either and still have to work). You still have to do all the housework, shopping, admin, 100% childcare every single day and go to work.
Finding childcare in the holidays is a nightmare as you don't have enough annual leave to cover the school holidays. I took unpaid leave which meant I struggled during the summer in particular.