Universal credit- not required to work but want to work

[MrsPRFD19]

Hello,

I am currently a SAHM wanting to work whilst the children are at school. My husband works full time and brings home about £1881 per month after tax and we get help with universal credit as a top up.

I stopped working in January due to end of seasonal contract and been fighting with universal credit for help me get back into work. All they do is say that i am not required to work and wont give me any other reason. I even asked to be put forward for any courses that might help but because im 'not required to work', they wont help with that either.

Has anyone experienced this before? Im convinced theres some system error and ive been lost through the net or something. My husband doesnt earn a crazy amount to warrant me not working so i dont understand. Does anyone elses partner earner a certain amount that stopped them having to work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

You don't need their permission? Just get a job and adjust your claim.

What help do you need? Surely you know how to apply for jobs? You have a CV or can easily produce one?

Do they still have you down as working full time?

I work full time and they basically send me a message on my journal every 12 months asking if I need any help with anything. I ignore it and they ask me again in 12 months.

Have you updated your circumstances to say you're not working at all?

That’s completely the opposite experience to most people! For me and everyone I know on UC, they want you to be looking for work and proving this. You can earn up to a certain amount without affecting your UC contribution, and then after that threshold you get something like 49p for every £1 you earn over and above the threshold.

Are you in the ' light touch' group, I think they call it , when one partner earns over the limit uc has deemed acceptable.

I imagine there isn't the resources ( apart from free and online ones) to help you back into work. These will be reserved for those who have claiming due to unemployment or their income doesn't meat the threshold.

Is there a local community group that supports people ? They might be able to help

Don't poke the bear!
Enjoy job hunting without the external pressure. Get a job and update your claim.
Their "help" is anything but helpful. You're not missing out on anything.

Cut the job centre out of the equation here. They probably fill their courses with people who need specific support.

Have a look locally to you and see what employment support services are out there. For example our local Talking Therapies service also run employment support courses all free of charge. Our Wellbeing Service also has employment support among the services it offers.

They help with stuff by looking at your skills, helping you write a CV, especially if you’ve been out of the workforce for a while.

I work for GP surgeries as a social prescriber and this is the kind of thing I get referrals for. Maybe call your surgery and ask if they have an SP in post who could tell you what’s available in your area.

No your not lost in the system, i am the same in my commitments/ work plan I’m not required to work or look for work it’s because of your partners income you can work if you wish I think I was told it has to be under 20 hours a week to still be able to claim uc I could be wrong

You don’t need the job centre to help you with getting a job though, just apply for jobs??

For all the people that just automatically assumed that I'm not looking for work - I am religiously in fact. Everyday.

Anyone with kids of school age would know how difficult and rare it is to find a job that is within school hours which is why I was hoping that the job centre would be more supportive. Or atleast just give me an appointment.

Why a job within school hours? You could do what most others do and pay for childcare or work weekends/evenings only to avoid childcare fees.

Your husband earns enough that you are not required to work. Therefore you are not eligible for any support from the job centre.

It sounds like your DH earns what UC deem "enough" to leave you be. As PP said, do not poke the bear.

My friend was in a light touch group and she has now moved to the more aggressive group. There is absolutely no help for school hours at all (she needs school hours or something that fits the measly wrap around in our area, single parent with absolutely no support at all as NC with her abusive parents, ex-bf told her to get an abortion and he refuses to acknowledge her DC, exbf parents equally won't believe their "golden child" would ever get someone pregnant). As far as the job centre are concerned she has to apply for every job (nights, weekends, unsociable hours, within a 1 hour commute by car) or face sanctions. They are not interested that she needs childcare at all. Their response is pay someone, there must be someone who is willing to work 14 hour nights so you can take a job an hours drive away on a 12 hr shift 6pm-6am.

I would leave them out of it, look at other help in the community like the CAB, Library, local business improvement group who all run courses similar to the job centre for very little money if not free. Search indeed and other job sites. That's all the job centre tell you to do, but with thread of sanctions and pressure to apply for unsuitable jobs and take them if offered or face been booted off UC or sanctioned. By leaving them out of it, you can take your time and find somewhere that fits your family.

The National Careers Service can be helpful in circumstances like yours. There's also a Facebook page called "Work from Home Hub" that posts jobs that can be done remotely.

It will be because her husband earns over the couples AET. My husband does. So when my youngest is three they won't nag me to work more (I work very part time).

Look for a proper job and use childcare/your partner shares the load, not a school hours one.

You need to look online for free courses, help for CV's etc by yourself and apply for jobs that you like. I would be glad that you aren't being pestered by them. It is a relief at the moment to me because there is very little available after school childcare here.

It is how much you earn that determines if you still get UC not how many hours you work.

Don’t feel the need to defend yourself I’m In the same situation , childcare makes it impossible, school hour jobs get snapped up in my area anyway I tried to do nights but couldn’t hack it my son has adhd and wouldn’t let me sleep in the day, uc messaged me awhile ago and said they can offer me a work coach could that be something you could ask for

Didn’t mean to quote that person but op

Oh I see. Single mum here.

Does anyone know what the couple AET amount is?

1189