Working hours confusion moving to UC

nomisco

I'm looking to move onto UC. We are a couple currently receiving TC and HB.

I work 38 hours per week - partner does not work. We have three children 9, 11, 13. Claiming UC as a couple (which is mandatory) includes a commitment to look for work.

Can anyone tell me what my partner is likely to be expected to do? In our current situation with tax credits and housing benefit, she is listed as housewife and does not need to look for work.

There's nothing else unusual about our claim, such as long term sickness or disability.

I'd like to know what she'll be expected to do, and possibly for how many hours.

Thanks

elsien

Because the children are older than your wife will be expected to look for some work. This appears to say up to 25 hours if you look at section 7.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-your-family-quick-guide/universal-credit-further-information-for-families#:~:text=If%20you%20are%20not%20already%20working%2C%20you%20do%20not%20need,report%20any%20changes%20of%20circumstances.

HillStreetBlues

elsien said:

Because the children are older than your wife will be expected to look for some work. This appears to say up to 25 hours if you look at section 7.

I hope not! An unfortunate typo

peteuk

HillStreetBlues said:

elsien said:

Because the children are older than your wife will be expected to look for some work. This appears to say up to 25 hours if you look at section 7.

I hope not! An unfortunate typo

Missing a coma. 

But as mentioned by elsien, it goes to on the age of the youngest child.  Gov.com states

Aged 5 - 12 You will be expected to work a maximum of 25 hours a week (or spend 25 hours a week looking for work). This might include some training and work-focused interviews. You should let your work coach know as soon as you accept a job offer, as you can claim support for your childcare costs for at least a month before you start work.

With children at school, I’m not sure how a term time role would fit into working 25 hours a week (especially given  the 6 weeks off in the summer) 

elsien

peteuk said:

HillStreetBlues said:

elsien said:

Because the children are older than your wife will be expected to look for some work. This appears to say up to 25 hours if you look at section 7.

I hope not! An unfortunate typo

Missing a coma. 

But as mentioned by elsien, it goes to on the age of the youngest child.  Gov.com states

Aged 5 - 12 You will be expected to work a maximum of 25 hours a week (or spend 25 hours a week looking for work). This might include some training and work-focused interviews. You should let your work coach know as soon as you accept a job offer, as you can claim support for your childcare costs for at least a month before you start work.

With children at school, I’m not sure how a term time role would fit into working 25 hours a week (especially given  the 6 weeks off in the summer) 

Glad to see it’s not just me missing things. 

. My phone speech translation thingy is not keen on my accent! Should have been then, not then. 

andrewmp

Isn't there some soft touch regime based upon earnings?  Or has that changed?

elsien

The in work conditionality rules are changing in September but I’m not sure the full details have been released as yet. 

huckster

As long as one of a couple is earning full time wage at national minimum wage or more, their non working spouse/partner looking after children aged between 3 and 12, should be in light touch. By full time I mean 35 hours or more per week. From about September the minimum earnings for a couple in this situation would be approx 36 hours per week at national minimum wage.

Light touch means no job cente appointments. The problem that arises, is that wages for the working partner are outside of one assessment period, which can happen due to Bank Holidays for example changing date paid. Then the earnings are below threshold and appointments are booked

kaMelo

huckster said:

As long as one of a couple is earning full time wage at national minimum wage or more, their non working spouse/partner looking after children aged between 3 and 12, should be in light touch. By full time I mean 35 hours or more per week. From about September the minimum earnings for a couple in this situation would be approx 36 hours per week at national minimum wage.

Light touch means no job cente appointments. The problem that arises, is that wages for the working partner are outside of one assessment period, which can happen due to Bank Holidays for example changing date paid. Then the earnings are below threshold and appointments are booked

The proposal is to remove the couples AET entirely in September 2023. Unless you don't need to look for work due to other reasons then both people in a couple will have their own AET irrespective of how many hours their partner works unless one person earns enough to satisfy the houehold CET.

Discussed at length in this thread.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6432949/universal-credit-couples-aet-and-household-cet/p1

huckster

Yes I was forgetting that there was a proposal to remove the couple AET.  Think they would be extremely unpopular, as there has always been a significant number of  parents where one of the couple works limited hours or they don't work as they consider their full time job is looking after children, as well as running the family home. 

And I am not sure Job Centres have the resources to hold regular appointments affected by the proposed change.  These extra appointments would be in additional to all of those Tax Credit to UC transfer new claims.  From October 2023, I understand they are going to start inviting couple TC claimants to make claims for UC.  And this is going to mean a large number of appointments including Gateway Intervention appointments to verify self-employment. The recent Work Coach recruitment is only likely to bring numbers up to where they were and not an increase to handle the increase level of appointments.

R200

nomisco said:

I'm looking to move onto UC. We are a couple currently receiving TC and HB.

I work 38 hours per week - partner does not work. We have three children 9, 11, 13. Claiming UC as a couple (which is mandatory) includes a commitment to look for work.

Can anyone tell me what my partner is likely to be expected to do? In our current situation with tax credits and housing benefit, she is listed as housewife and does not need to look for work.

There's nothing else unusual about our claim, such as long term sickness or disability.

I'd like to know what she'll be expected to do, and possibly for how many hours.

Thanks

The more you work the less UC you get