Contracted hours - advice needed

[HairyToedHobbit]

DH's contracted hours are 20 per week. He only gets paid for the hours worked. The shift system means that each day he works he needs to do an average of about 8.67 hours to work out as 20 per week. Over the last couple of months his shifts have dwindled to mainly 4 hours and a couple of times he has been allocated no hours at all.

I suspect that the employers want him to leave as anyone new is taken on with a zero hour contract. DH is one of the very few who is not on zero hours. Incidently the zero hours people get the same length shifts.

DH is currently looking for another job as we are relying on tax credits and housing benefit - which is probably a whole other thread.

So I suppose my question is whether an employer can continue not to give the contracted hours or whether DH should be paid for them anyway?

If he is contracted to work 20 hours a week and is able and willing to do so, he should be paid for it as he is fulfilling his side of the contract as far as he can.

However if his contract says he is paid for whatever hours he works, usually 20 but there is provision and expectation that this will vary, that might be different.

The first two sentences in your post are contradictory. What does his contract actually say?

Thank you flowery. Sorry, I realise now that doesn't make a lot of sense. DH is attempting to dig out his contract as we 'speak'. All I remember for certain is that his holiday pay is worked out at 40 hours full-time divided by 5 = 8 hrs per day. Now he is part-time he still gets paid 8 hours but is allowed fewer days.