Harassed by universal credit!

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Hi
I was just wondering if anyone else felt harassed by universal credit and how to deal with the situation.
so I have worked full time since 16 now 34. In 2020 my partner left and I had a baby (now 3) I have worked part time 8-10 hours a week since he was 9 months old.
recently he turned 3 and I have been non stop harassed by the job centre about getting 16 hours of work. I currently work 12 hours on a self employed basis but for a company. I have very limited child care only 1 day a week, going to 2 mornings and 1 full day in September when little one starts nursery. I don’t drive so need to stay local and also have no family to support with childcare. My sons dad is not involved in his life so I am literally on my own!
my question is how do you get the job centre off your back, they call me in 2-3 times a week and have done since my son was 9 months old. I feel like I’m doing everything I can right now to work but it’s never good enough and they are constantly on at me. Has anyone dealt with this before?
its making me so anxious! I literally don’t know how I can work more than I do without leaving my child home alone! (Obviously this isn’t an option)
Thanks in advance

Sorry I don’t see it as much of an achievement to be honest. Most people I know worked a lot more hours than that from 9 or 10 months, single or not. I really don’t think 16 hours at age 3 is a big ask, especially as UC give help with childcare costs.

OP didn’t have to work AT ALL till her child is 3, so she would have done 0 hours …….
Shes already been working 8-10 hours from when he was 9 months - now 12 . It’s a shame that you can’t ‘bank’ hours worked before a child is age 3 so that if you can’t meet the 16 he required after age 3 those banked hours can be used to balance it

If you have a job in the future to start or have increased childcare from a set date they will back off but you need to show them that you are increasing hours as soon as available. Are you on waiting lists for instance. From3 you can get 30 hours funded

Ffs why are we trying to crush someone who is trying their best and just asking for advice ? Every time there’s a thread like this the same thing happens , a pile on telling someone how they need to earn their benefits or they aren’t doing enough etc etc.

There are no available spaces in my area and yes I’m on waiting lists for 2024. The advice they gave me was to find someone off a list they provided and every single one of them are full or only have space for school pick up

Your child is in childcare. Ask them to up the hours. I very much doubt in the last 2 years there’s been absolutely no way to up how long they are in childcare.

It doesn’t matter if you paid tax since you’re 16. That doesn’t mean you can claim without meeting the criteria. I don’t understand where people get the ‘I have paid tax it’s my right to do what I want and claim and do as I please’

I have been incredibly lucky to be in a position to pay stupid amounts of tax for the last few years. I can’t imagine that gives me more right to anything above what others gets. If something happened and I needed benefits, I would expect to have to meet the criteria. Just like I did when I was a single parent.

What area are you OP (if you don’t mind saying )

OK OP I get you. There is NONE available. This has been happening in some areas near me, there were literally no spaces.
It isn't that you haven't tried!
Not sure how to make them stop harassing you but just wanted to add some words of support.

Have you tried posting on Nextdoor/local FB page?

If you post on fb etc you need to be very careful as you need someone qualified and dbs checked to look after your child . Do not accept anything less as it could put your child in danger

Can you get an email off each person on the list saying no vacancies till 2024. Submit this to UC and tell them there’s nothing you can do so can they just wait

It's probably worth doing this as a starting point, get the availability in writing and see if they'll foot the bill for a nanny (they wont).

Can you work in the evening while he is asleep?

That’s not how UC works. It’s not a savings account that you get back what you’ve paid into. You’ve worked for approx 13 years. Assuming you’d paid National Insurance all that time, on a basic annual income of £25000 you’d have paid approx £1800 last year rising to £4800 on an income of £50000, and obviously less than that for preceding years when you’d have been earning less.
Have a look at how much UC you received last year - I’m pretty sure it was far more than £1800

Your child is 3, so is entitled to 30 free hours childcare. There is no reason why you can’t work for those hours, you’re choosing not to. You need to job with more hours rather than relying on UC to live.

If you are working for one company then you aren't self employed and they are breaking the law here.

There isn’t childcare available what is OP meant to do ??

They're calling you 2-3 times per week. Are you actually speaking to them, or do you not answer? If so, what do they say to you? Have you explained to them the difficulties you're having working more hours, as they might be able to help find suitable childcare or a job with more hours?

Definitely try this. As a result the UC people might be able to reduce your 'work commitment '.

It’s actually not that simple. There’s several criteria.

Yes there is - she’s already using it.

Unfortunately the government haven't properly considered the issue of childcare, they assume because they will fund it you can find it, even when that is clearly not the case and childcare is going to have to increase capacity considerably when the hours required increase in the near future.

But if there isn’t space for her child to do more hours ??

But yes the only way to 'get them off your back' is to do what's required. Another option which they don't advertise is that studying counts towards those hours, and can be much more flexible around the needs of a child

The system is there to help people like myself left in a situation beyond my control! I’ve worked all my life, I still work now! I am certainly not lazy and would work more hours if I could find childcare! Unfortunately there is no availability where I am until 2024. Why should I get called up the job centre 2-3 times a week with my little one and harassed when I’m currently doing what I can? I never asked to be a single mother.

I’m using the hours they have available at the moment. I can’t increase his hours as they don’t have space in any of the local nurseries and no spaces with local child minders

No I work for a company providing me work on a self employed basis