Universal credit confusion !!!!

Mfox2012

Hoping someone can baiscally answer this simply. i have read everything under the sun and still cannot answer this question. Basically i am part of a couple, we are married and have 3 children age 1,2 and 7. From what i can see Universal credit means it is compulsory that we both work full time 35 hours per week. Now this is is going to be near impossible with my 3 children and childcare etc.
So what will the sanctions be if it continues on with one at home caring for kids and one of us working full time, which is how it is at the moment.
I cannot get clear info anywhere and its making me ill, actually think we will need to split up if this will be the case.
Any help would be great thanks.

zagfles

Mfox2012 wrote: »

Hoping someone can baiscally answer this simply. i have read everything under the sun and still cannot answer this question. Basically i am part of a couple, we are married and have 3 children age 1,2 and 7. From what i can see Universal credit means it is compulsory that we both work full time 35 hours per week. Now this is is going to be near impossible with my 3 children and childcare etc.
So what will the sanctions be if it continues on with one at home caring for kids and one of us working full time, which is how it is at the moment.
I cannot get clear info anywhere and its making me ill, actually think we will need to split up if this will be the case.
Any help would be great thanks.

I don't know where you got that from but it's complete rubbish, with children under 5 only one of you needs to work 35 hours. There are some conditionality hoops you need to jump though if your OH earns under a certain amount, such as attending work focused interviews, but you will not both need to work or to seek work until all your children are school age, and then it's only hours compatible with school, and then it's only if your OH doesn't meet the a certain minimum income.

Mfox2012

Great thats a good help thank goodness was really worried about this all, as nothing seems to be clear anywhere. And people have all said different things thanks for your help !

princessdon

There is so much scaremongering even on this site!

Once you youngest is school age (and your OH) is on a low wage, his wage may take you out of conditionality, the worst case is you look for school hours work.

Mfox2012

Well i will sleep tonight lol wish they would basically set out clear guidelines in simple terms

bestpud

I know you were worried but I can't believe you think splitting up would be an option!

You have 3 children for goodness sake! Is money really that important to you?

princessdon

bestpud wrote: »

I know you were worried but I can't believe you think splitting up would be an option!

You have 3 children for goodness sake! Is money really that important to you?

I predict many will "split up on paper" once uc kicks in, its a sad reflection on society

Mfox2012

No money is not more important at all. But the fact that money buys the food and pays for the house our children live in we would havr no choice. Childcare would be a nightmare and take most of our income !

bestpud

Mfox2012 wrote: »

No money is not more important at all. But the fact that money buys the food and pays for the house our children live in we would havr no choice. Childcare would be a nightmare and take most of our income !

Rubbish! There is always a choice!

How do you think people managed before tax credits! You chose to have 3 children together and should look to each other for support, not the state!

Sheesh, that's a depressing attitude and shows the welfare reforms are long overdue!

zagfles

Mfox2012 wrote: »

Well i will sleep tonight lol wish they would basically set out clear guidelines in simple terms

Yes it really isn't very clear on the DWP site, and newspaper articles have been even worse with complete rubbish and biased reporting, so no wonder people are worried. It really won't be as bad as people think, in a lot of ways UC will be much better.

zagfles

princessdon wrote: »

I predict many will "split up on paper" once uc kicks in, its a sad reflection on society

It's a sad reflection on the tax and benefits systems. Other countries don't have this problem, not anywhere near as bad as we do anyway. Because they have tax/benefits systems that actually encourage people to stay together.

Although this doesn't really get worse with UC, the system now is probably worse for encouraging "paper" splits.