Anyone have any knowledge about term time only working and claiming UC?

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  • Sponge_Cake
    Sponge_Cake Posts: 119 Forumite
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    Thank you, that doesn't sound too bad.
    Between us, our earnings are £1695 after tax, so I assume we would qualify for light touch.
  • Woolco
    Woolco Posts: 172 Forumite
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    Not sure about your earnings. I worked in their offices for 17 years and understood eveyrthing. Went to the UC and nothing made sense. Left after 2 years. I was just stopping benefits all day long. Mainly based on work coaches information. The work coach were new and had targets to meet. This made the claimant a number (task). Terrible benefit. I hate the conservative government for what they have done.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,821 Forumite
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    From memory of what I have read, light touch means a Job Centre appointment about once every 3 months. So nothing to worry about, but you have to attend. You would need to regularly log on to your UC account to check any requirements, but if you are registering childcare, you would do that anyway.

    Make sure you understand how UC works before you apply. If the local Job Centre are running any sessions or you can speak to an advisor about it, then I suggest you do so. I know at one time the Job Centres had advisors that specialised in supporting parents and the issues faced with working. Whether they still have these, I am not sure.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • Sponge_Cake
    Sponge_Cake Posts: 119 Forumite
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    huckster wrote: »
    From memory of what I have read, light touch means a Job Centre appointment about once every 3 months. So nothing to worry about, but you have to attend. You would need to regularly log on to your UC account to check any requirements, but if you are registering childcare, you would do that anyway.

    Make sure you understand how UC works before you apply. If the local Job Centre are running any sessions or you can speak to an advisor about it, then I suggest you do so. I know at one time the Job Centres had advisors that specialised in supporting parents and the issues faced with working. Whether they still have these, I am not sure.

    Thank you for all that info.

    Going once every three months would be fine.

    Yes, I'll look into it. But we have to apply for something, we won't have a choice as we have to pay for childcare.
  • ohreally
    ohreally Posts: 7,525 Forumite
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    https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/301588/response/743734/attach/3/FOI%204794%20part%201.pdf
    Don’t be a can’t, be a can.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,821 Forumite
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    This link might help you

    https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • Sponge_Cake
    Sponge_Cake Posts: 119 Forumite
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    huckster wrote: »
    This link might help you

    https://www.gov.uk/childcare-calculator

    Thanks, I just did that calculation and it says I'm entitled to £1,368 towards childcare costs. That still leaves us paying the remaining £4000+ so it's not doable.
    We'd be much better off on Universal Credit, as I've just done that calculation, although it means my partner would be on the Light Touch scheme. It doesn't seem too bad really.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,821 Forumite
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    edited 15 April 2018 at 10:39PM
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    The question is when do you apply for UC ? If this is a first child, I suppose it depends on when you are able to go back to work. The childcare would obviously help with this.

    With a child under 1 you would be in a no working requirements category, so no UC requirements to visit a job centre for work search reviews or other similar interviews. Your earnings data would be obtained by UC from HMRC, as employers report it electronically. Your UC claim would be adjusted up/down according to earnings, so if you earned less or more in a month, the UC amount would always be adjusted.

    In regard to childcare costs, you can upload the childcare providers documents e.g bill/receipt showing paid to your UC account to enable them to be paid. You have to report them within the months assessment period you paid them.

    This is a link about UC and pregnancy

    https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Pregnancy-overview-Universal-Credit
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • Sponge_Cake
    Sponge_Cake Posts: 119 Forumite
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    Thanks, I won't need UC before the child is one years old, we only really need it to cover childcare costs and bills really.
    I'll have my maternity pay so that should get me by before he or she turns one.

    So I'll apply shortly before I go back to work, as we'll need it for childcare costs mainly.

    Does anyone know anything about the CET or household threshold?

    I'm pretty certain we'll be in light touch.

    Thanks in advance.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,821 Forumite
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    CET would be 35x national minimum wage for both you and your partner. The income you entered yesterday put you in light touch. However, if you give birth to a child you are treated as having no working requirement at all until the child reaches 1. Makes no difference, apart from not having to go to the 2 job centre appointments someone linked to earlier.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
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