Universal Credit & Reduced Hours

elizabeth94

Hi,


I am a single mother of 2.5 year old twins and currently claim UC alongside working 32 hours per week. I am due to start a new job on Monday which has reduced hours of 27.5 hours per week. I have done this to finish my Open University degree (for which I receive NO student loan, only tuition which is paid directly to the OU)
As I have dependents under 5 will they require me to be working more than 27.5 hours per week?
I can't seem to find any information about this online so any help would be appreciated!


Thank you

calcotti

Because your children are currently aged 2 you are only subject to work preparation and work focused interview requirements - in other words, you are not required to work at all.

Once they turn 3 you become subject to work search requirements. By default this is 35 hours per week but the Decision Maker is required to take your circumstances as the responsible carer into consideration and reduce your expected hours accordingly. Reasonable expectation for claimant with school age children up to 13 is commonly considered to be 25 hours. For children over 3 and below school age expected hours would generally be 16.

See https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/728459/admj2.pdf

J2086 The expected hours of work for a claimant who is a responsible carer for a child under compulsory school age are the number of hours that the Secretary of State considers compatible with their caring responsibilities. Where the child is over compulsory school age but under the age of 13, the number of hours are those less than 35 that the Secretary of State considers is compatible with the child’s normal school hours (including the normal time it takes the child to travel to and from school)2. The expectation is that this safeguard will be 25 hours a week. Where the child is between the ages of three and four, the expectation is that this safeguard will be 16 hours a week. The claimant does not have to show that they have reasonable prospects of obtaining paid work.
Note: Compulsory school age in England generally begins in the school term following the child’s 5th birthday.