SAHD- why is my OH being forced to work? UK

[BabyMamma93]

OKay so ill try keep this simple.
i work, and have done since i was 14, my OH came out of work a few years ago due to a bad back after a motor accident, he was also later then diagnosed with depression and anxiety, that then passed (enough to have some get up and go) so they changed his claim, he claims ESA but now goes to 'work placement programmes' he explained to them that he is a stay at home dad and that i work part time. he can still claim benefits because im on such a low income due to working part time.
can someone explain to me why just because he is a male he is expected to work instead of stay home with M??

if i stayed home and he worked part time on a low income, i would be able to claim income support and not have to worry about being forced into work until M is in nursery (4 year old).
so people say, why dont you quit your job to stay home and your OH go to work?
simple.. if i quit my job out of my own choice they wont give me benefits bcos i chose to come out of work, so what? i leave a job i have to get no income at all then struggle to find a job again when the time comes??

no matter how many times my OH tells them he stays home with M they are still asking him to apply for full time jobs, even night jobs, how the heck is he expected to do a (for example) 10 hour night shift then look after M while im at work to then go do another 10 hour night shift?? again, SAHM's arent told they can get a night job while their OH is home with LO..

my OH reckons its because its my name on all the tax credit things, surely that doesnt matter does it??

 

[star1]

To be honest, I think you're getting a little mixed up there - SAHMs (or SAHDs) can only get income support if they are single. If you are in a couple, then you need to be working at least 24 hours a week between you (with one of you working at least 16 hours a week) to get tax credits - I assume this is where you fall down. Again, it doesn't matter which parent is working for benefits purposes

If your partner was to get a night shift then you would be eligible for tax credits towards childcare, meaning you could afford to put lo in nursery while your partner slept

You can contact the CAB if you want more info on benefits but I can tell you that the sex of the claimee has absolutely no impact (apart from on pension age)

I hope that helps to explain things x

 

[BabyMamma93]

it does a little yes but there are people i know that are SAHM's with a partner, who claim something and arent being forced into work... it makes me sick how we are forced to put our young children in nursery or child care as young as 1 year old!!

 

[catty]

it is very normal I think? if I was a SAHM I wouldnt be claiming jobseekers allowance or similar as I am not seeking work (sorry if thats not what hes getting im unsure on these things)
I know my OH'S sister has to do the work programmes and her youngest is 3 and shes a single parent.

 

[Snow Owl]

I stayed home after having Dylan for a bit and basically if I didn't want to 'be made to look for work' I couldn't claim any job related benefits. I.e. JSA, ESA etc.

That's probably why.

He can however claim housing benefit, council tax benefit, working tax credits (if your working over 24 hours) and child tax credits.

If he's claiming a 'job seeking' benefit they'll expect him to be looking for work.

I never once went to the Job Centre as I was not looking for work.

 

[Dinah93]

Because he claims ESA - you have to be available for work to claim this. I'm a stay at home parent, never been to the job centre, but I only claim child tax credits as hubby works 50+ hours a week but on a low wage and im not looking for work so cant claim anything else.

 

[BabyMamma93]

i dont work 24 hours a week, i get housing benefit, child tax, child benefit and he gets ESA he was also claiming this when he was handing in sick notes, he also doesnt go to the job centre, its something called Ingeus, a work programme thing, but he told them he didnt want to look for work yet as he is a stay at home parent, they just say 'well you need to find a 16 hour job' but why? stay at home mums i know arent been forced to work any hours. there was one advisor he saw and he was great, he never pushed anything on him as he understood he stayed home with M, its even proven in that he has to take M to appointments, but now he sees a snobby woman who claims he can work nights and look after M during the day.

 

[catty]

hmm im not sure then. I work 5-8pm in the evening as my maternity leave finished and didnt have the luxury of staying at home any longer
I dont mean that in a nasty way but I just personally feel being a full time stay at home parent is not a right

 

[BabyMamma93]

i went back to work when my child was 3 week old, so i too never had the luxury of staying home and doing anything with my child, the 3 week i did have off was just so i could heal properly, but on my very low wage i cant afford child care and i dont get any help with child care until M is 2.

 

[catty]

that must have been really hard! im not having a go at all. Was just meaning unfortunately I dont think he can just not work at all if you rely on the benefits, not sure how it works for your friends though. I know for me I could go onto jobseekers allowance or similar but I wasnt really seeking a job so had to get a little part time job that I have little interest in.
its tough I personally would rather work in the daytime but the childcare is just far far too expensive id actually end up in minus money

 

[BabyMamma93]

this is why we have never even thought about child care, my OH sister has started work, her LO is almost 3, she did get 16 hours free nursery for her (maybe still does) but as she works shifts she needs to put her in nursery full time, not a problem they said.. 'thats £60 a day please) pfftt id rather sit at home on benefits, im sorry but i would, work our arses off bcos the government says we need to yet have to pay £60 a day for our children to be under safe care. i see the logic in that!

i did want to stay home with M but i knew that if i quit my job by choice i wont be entitled to nothing, they will just say i obviously can work therefore i should work, but bcos my OH had no job to quit, we decided he would stay home then concentrate on job searching soon.. a aldi is opening right on my door step, at min wage being over £8 a hour we are both going for it, he wants night jobs, i wan day time so we will have to sort something out with M i just duno what, we will cross that bridge when we get to it

 

[Pearls18]

If you both worked one over 24 hours the other over 16 you'd get most of your childcare paid through tax credits with a job like aldi, the childcare tax credits are actually very generous and has surprisingly high thresholds. My husband is military and been in a few years so has a fair income, and I am part time in a professional university job and we still get over half of our childcare fees paid for in tax credits.

 

[star1]

Basically, you're friends that are SAHMs won't be claiming ESA or JSA. If your hubby doesn't want to look for work then he either needs to stop claiming ESA and lose that money, or you need to start working at least 24 hours a week (in which case your hubby wouldn't be entitled to ESA anymore but you can claim working tax credit instead).

I'll bet that the partners of the SAHMs you know work at least 24 hours a week, which explains the discrepancy

Also, if you work less than 24 hours a week then there are plenty of other times in the week that your hubby could work without it being a night shift (or he could arrange a night shift around your days, to make sure you were off the followinng day and could watch M whilst you slept)

 

[Snow Owl]

He needs to stop claiming ESA and close his claim with the job centre / work programme. At the moment he is claiming a 'job seeking' benefit. It's also for people who are unable to work due to illness. (Hense why he could claim when on sick notes).

However if you work less than 24 hours you do have the choice to up your hours or he does have time to get a part time job.

If one of you was working 24 hours then you'd be able to claim working tax credits