AET and 24 hours

Johnm2019

Hello,

I have cut down my hours to 24 hours a week due to personal reasons.  I understand I currently need to earn £988 AET each month (We are claiming as a couple with a 3 year old).  I earn about £1046 monthly before tax and NI.  I understand that the couples AET will be abolished, but it will take a couple of years to be implemented.  My question is I see online that from September people in the light touch group will be moved into the mandatory work progression group.  Does this mean I will have to do more hours, or will the fact I'm earning £1046 a month be enough for them and they will be happy with me doing the 24 hours.

Thank you,

HillStreetBlues

From what I read people who work between 15-35 hours per week (on min wage) will have to meet with a WC to either increase hours or increase rate of pay.
That roll out starts Sep 23,  but not seen anything about couples.

Johnm2019

Thank you, I have pasted below a couple of snippets from articles saying that it will become mandatory for people who work up to the equivalent of 35 hours pw at NMW will be asked to attend. The fact they are going to put over 600,000 claimants into this work progression group means they must be hiring a lot more work coaches.      

"Claimants in the Light Touch group can volunteer for work coach support as part of the new In Work Progression offer, which will be live in all jobcentres by the end of March 2023. From September 2023 the In Work Progression support will become mandatory for  claimants in the Light Touch group, in a phased approach."

A second change to work rules will come in later in 2023 and will affect another 600,000 people who already have wages over the income threshold, the DWP confirmed to Birmingham Live. This will be "a new In Work Progression offer for those earning above the AET who want to access support from our work coaches to earn more."

The DWP said: "This is currently rolling out as a voluntary offer across Great Britain but as announced by the Chancellor at the Autumn Statement, we will start to require that some working claimants (who earn about the AET threshold) engage with this support from September 2023. They will also be required to undertake activities that will increase their chances of securing more hours or better-paid work now or in the future. We expect that this change will impact 600,000 claimants."

By some, I'm not entirely sure how that will be decided?


The current AET is £988, mine will be over that by about £100 a month.  We have 2 children, a 4 year old and a newborn. My partner is the lead carer. Just hoping for clarification if the fact I am earning over the £988 AET will be OK with my 24 hours a week, or if with this new rule I will now need to be earning at least 35 hours at the NMW. Just seems a big jump from the 18 hours to the now 24 hours, and then a few months later it going up to 35.

Thank you

HillStreetBlues

I read about the 600,000  figure as well.

As it's going to affect over 1/2 million people that would seem a lot if it just included single people.
The direction of travel is to make more people take more hours (or higher rate of pay)  I wouldn't thought they would exempt couples.

marmite1979

How will the 35 hour a week rule work when some employers consider 33 hours a full time contract?

HillStreetBlues

marmite1979 said:

How will the 35 hour a week rule work when some employers consider 33 hours a full time contract?

It would be change job, find a PT job for 2 hours or get pay up to £11.06ph