universal credit working hours

annandale

No, they don't Base it on last year's earnings. It's done in real time, month to month. Will you be significantly better off claiming uc than not? There are some work coaches who are happy to have telephone interviews with staff and some work coaches will take your travel time into account. Some don't but some people are sticklers. So your travel to and from work should mean that you don't need to jobsearch. I'd get that clarified. My work coach took my travel into account and my jobsearch was reduced accordingly

annandale

No. I don't think you can be self employed for two hours on uc. Depending on what you earn, you might not get any uc anyway. Ive seen people refused who earn 350 a week.

iammumtoone

annandale wrote: »

No, they don't Base it on last year's earnings. It's done in real time, month to month. Will you be significantly better off claiming uc than not? There are some work coaches who are happy to have telephone interviews with staff and some work coaches will take your travel time into account. Some don't but some people are sticklers. So your travel to and from work should mean that you don't need to jobsearch. I'd get that clarified. My work coach took my travel into account and my jobsearch was reduced accordingly

In that case it looks like I will be finding another job. I will be a strange case at the JC until then :rotfl:some months (I am guess it will be month following the wage) I will not a have to attend as I will earn well over 35 X MW / 12, on those months it is unlikely I will get much if any UC payment (which is fair enough)

Other months if no overtime I will need to find 9 hours extra work at MW a week (its less than 9 hours if overtime at work as I revive more then MW)

My overtime mainly involves holiday/sickness cover so is done in 1-3 weeks blocks at a time, its not evenly spread throughout the months. Its all abit of a mess, it is common for part time workers to cover holiday/sickness. I can see part time work becoming something only those who do not claim UC being interested in.

iammumtoone

Does anyone know if the UC team will speak to me as it not in my area yet? Is there a telephone number I can ring?

I think I have a better understanding of it now, thanks everyone.

It going to be a nightmare my son has ADHA and probable ASD (being assessed). I would not describe him as seriously disabled he will not meet the criteria listed above for conditionally exclusion. Its not easy on the days I have to work full time now, to do that everyday, I think I will go into meltdown myself, I suffer with MH issues (hence my worry and need to find out about this now before I get to this stage)

annandale

As I said before your travel time too and from work should count. Depending on your earnings you might not be entitled to uc anyway. If you work 35 hours at above min wage you might not get any universal credit as your wages will be deemed enough for you to live on without any top up.

pmlindyloo

I think you are worrying unnecessarily, especially if UC for you has not been rolled out in your area yet.

By the time it does, things may have change, both with your personal circumstances and the government's!

As it stands if you have a child under 13 yrs then you can restrict your hours to school hours so the hours you currently work will probably not be a problem.

See here:

https://gingerbread.org.uk/content/916/FAQs

Don't go changing jobs now - totally unnecessary!

Alice_Holt

Just a thought.
Had you thought about a DLA claim for your son as he is on the autism spectrum?
Some info here:
http://www.autism.org.uk/about/benefits-care/benefits/children.aspx
https://www.cafamily.org.uk/advice-and-support/money-benefits-work-and-childcare/benefits-and-tax-credits/disability-living-allowance/
https://www.turn2us.org.uk/Benefit-guides/Disability-Living-Allowance-children/What-is-Disability-Living-Allowance

As UC is so new and still rather confused, it is difficult to comment on your original question without speculating.
My sense would be that you don't need to be too worried, I would anticipate that work coaches would concentrate on those not in work. As you are only just below the earnings limit, I would anticipate that UC claimants like yourself would be right at the bottom of the list for work coaching.
( If your son is eligible for a DLA award, this could affect which UC commitment group you are placed in re caring responsibilities)

If you are currently in receipt of Tax Credits or HB, it may well be that you remain on these (legacy) benefits for some years before you are migrated across onto UC.

Try not to worry about it now. We may well find UC takes a long time to sort itself out, before affecting those who are in work and very close to the required earnings level.

Re: DLA, if you think this a possibility have a chat with your local CAB / advice agency.

Edit: Cross posted with pmlindyloo's post above. She gives very good advice, so if she suggested you don't need to be too worried now - please take her advice.