Universal Credit and holidays

Mersey_2

annandale wrote: »

Not just Job seeking. Going to appointments with a work coach in some instances.

It is ludicrous that someone who is working 30 hours a week could have two weeks off work and still have to jobseek and, see a work coach.

It's very rigid. Little flexibility

That's certainly an interesting point, because of course JCP last appointments are often 4pm, they effectively close for lunch ie no appointments for an hour and they don't even open on Saturdays. So unless - as with GPs - Govt forces the DWP to operate extended opening hours, I'm not sure how this will work practically.


Incidentally, I wasn't making a valued judgement - even if some others were - merely pointing out that under both JSA & UC claimants have not been permitted to go abroad on holiday (but equally I realise it went on, as most only sign fortnightly and so other than eg having a tan in Glasgow in the Autumn I doubt suspicions would ever be raised). So it was info in case other claimants read it and thought they could do so without risk of sanction or worse.

annandale

I don't sign on set days and times. For the first 8 weeks of being on uc I signed weekly. Then it went to fortnightly, but it's not always fortnightly. It can be a few days either side. Which wouldn't make it easy for someone to go on a two week holiday. Your work coach can also call you in at any time. It's not like jsa. I never know when my next appointment is going to be until I see my work coach.

When I spoke to other work coaches when mine was on holiday they themselves said that it was confusing, the legislation. They also felt that it was unfair and they said there were many people who are in the position of having to get permission to go on holiday.

I know someone who works part time. Her husband also works but they will be transitioning from wtc to uc in the next year. They have two holidays booked.

She'll probably have to get permission from her work coach to go because they don't earn 70 x nmw between them.

This legislation doesn't just affect people who are on uc who don't work. It affects people who work as well. I was working when I booked my holiday and I was working when I had to ask permission to go on it. I just wasn't working 35 hours x nmw and that's why I had to see a jobcoach.

annandale

It is very much at the discretion of the work coach. My work coach was fine with me going. I had booked and paid for it a year earlier. All he asked was that I kept up my jobsearch, which I did.

Others will say no which means the risk of a sanction or having to relinquish the claim and then reclaim.