Universal Credit - If I work 16 hours/week I'm still expected to job search?

SurviveTomorrow

So I'm starting a new job on Monday that is 16 hours a week.

I'm young, I live with a disabled parent but pay all my own bills, and I live quite frugally. 16 hours a week at around £9/hour is more than enough for me to exist quite happily for the near future at least.

My claimant commitment says I'm looking for full time work but will do part time.

I've contacted universal credit telling them about the new job, and they implied that I'll still be expected to job search as I'm only working part time. I happen to have an actual adviser meeting today so I'll be sure to grill her and get more details than I could over the phone.

My question to the forum is this: What if I'm perfectly happy working 16 hours a week? Isn't that a life choice one should be permitted to make? At least temporarily?

If that's that, then another question would be is there any way to change my commitment to 16 hours? I do have a history of depression and anxiety brought on by stress, but I've always said that wouldn't effect my ability to work. (Which is only half true.)

edit: I'll be earning a lot too much for UC to pay me any extra cash, which sometimes happens if you work for 8 hours for example. So that element doesn't come into it.

tomtontom

If you are closing your claim then you can do whatever you wish. If you wish to have an ongoing claim you will need to continue to seek full time employment/ a second part time job.

andrewmp

If you're not claiming benefits you can work as few hours as you wish. It's your life.

NYM

Undoubtedly your circumstances have changed now that you've found employment. Your Claimant Commitment will be adjusted to reflect those changes I'm sure.

You can always close your claim if you don't wish to adhere to the conditions.

Paully232000

Your post is quite confusing. When you start this new job are you stopping claiming any form of UC?

SurviveTomorrow

Paully232000 wrote: »

Your post is quite confusing. When you start this new job are you stopping claiming any form of UC?

Well I won't receive any payment from UC so as far as I'm aware I might as well close it, but they've told me they like to keep the claim open for 6 months (so it's easier to go back to if the job falls flat) and didn't present me with an option to close my UC claim when I expressed it might be a little inconvenient in my circumstances, I wasn't aware you could close it like that (I've always previously had JSA, which was different.)

They did however tell me it's possible I'll be put on the 'light touch' program or something like that, where I'll not have to go to the job centre but rather they'll just call me every 8 weeks or so, which sounds fine, and probably worth the slight inconvenience if it does mean if the job falls flat I won't have to wait several weeks to get back on UC, which I believe is the case.

Sorry, I talk/type a lot and am rarely concise. :P

tazwhoever

I guess that would mean no HB and JSA when closing your UC claim?

andrewmp - sorry, my mistake on JSA.

Can you close UC if you are claiming HB under UC?

andrewmp

tazwhoever wrote: »

I guess that would mean no HB and JSA when closing your UC claim?

You can't get HB and JSA if you're on UC, it replaces said benefits (and others).

knightstyle

If you are looking after a disabled parent can you get carers allowance or something whilst working part time?

NYM

knightstyle wrote: »

If you are looking after a disabled parent can you get carers allowance or something whilst working part time?

I believe you can providing you're not earning more than £110 pw (after deductions)

Check it out on Carers Allowance...

specialboy

NYM wrote: »

I believe you can providing you're not earning more than £110 pw (after deductions)

Check it out on Carers Allowance...

Op has said they will be earning £9 an hour so will earn £144 per week.