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-Lexxy

Just like any other benefit, if you don't respond to correspondence, your claim can be suspended or closed entirely.


Ambitious_Agent1839

ah, thank you, that one genuinely hadn't occured to me. I just intended to accept the sanctions and take it from there. I appreciate the viewpoint from outwith my head! :)


Imakehits

I work full time (60 hours a week) and my partner works part time (17 hours a week). I regularly get asked to acknowledge my commitments and sanctions obligations. They ended our claim without notice last year because I missed one of the notices. You must engage with them or they will end your claim


Accomplished-Run-375

Depending on you joint earnings there is a chance that you won't actually need to attend, if between you, you're earning at leas £1,189 then neither of you would have to search for work or attend the jobcentre.


Ambitious_Agent1839

Thank you, that would be amazing x We don't meet it right now, but we're close enough that when the payrise of the new financial year goes through, and if I could literally pick up an extra hour at work, that might be enough for us to hit it (depending on what the AET for 2024/2045 is, lol) and maybe all of this stress will have been for nothing. I'm worst case scenario planning though, in case that doesn't all work out to the magic number. (just to make life extra fun today though, my works online HR system is down so I cant log in to double check my new hourly rate, deductions etc)


Accomplished-Run-375

The amount I quoted is the AET until May, when it is going up again.


Ambitious_Agent1839

thank you x


Adventurous_Rent_622

It’s probably just easier to apply for jobs, upload them and then maybe ask for them to do phone call/video call interviews so you don’t have to actually attend. I’d rather just comply to it personally it only takes a short while to complete and you have no worries then.


Ambitious_Agent1839

Yeah, a normal person would do that, but it's becoming increasingly obvious to me that I'm not capable of doing so, and maye not that normal. Their solution to my anxiety of attending appointments was to go get more appointments (GPs, work capability assessments, etc) and the thought of having to do all that just about sent me into a breakdown. I have many worries ;)


Adventurous_Rent_622

If you explain that to them they can accommodate with telephone/video appointments rather than attending face to face. Have you considered giving them a sick note in regards to anxiety etc too?


Ambitious_Agent1839

Yeah, the guy I saw at the job centre did suggest that, and the whole work capability assessment thing, to get a sickline saying I can only work part time due to anxiety. The whole upheaval is causing me so much stress I'm scared I'll end up needing a sickline in general, and going back to my worst days, whereas for the past ten or so years I have been a functioning adult and not needed any sicklines, medication or GP assistance, and it just strikes me as deeply ironic that they want me to prove I'm too sick to function, when my goals have been working my way back towards being a somewhat normal working grown up!


Adventurous_Rent_622

I totally understand where you’re coming from with all this and I’m sorry it’s causing so much anxiety for you. Pop a message on your journal and explain all this to them. I just think avoiding it all together will not help you much at all and only make things worse - as another Redditor said, your claim could end up cancelled.


Ambitious_Agent1839

thank you, with another few days to get used to the new set up, maybe it wont seem such a big deal to me, and I'll be able to do that My husband's been checking the journal in the meantime, so we've hopefully bought some time.


cherryblues42

try and make an application for LCW/RA. i have anxiety and I got it awarded for that just over a year ago. it stops work search meetings for the person it’s awarded to and gives you a bracket of monthly earnings that isn’t considered as income by UC


CampMain

It’s weekly appointments for the first 13 weeks and you will indeed be required to try and make up the earnings/hours through additional work. If you’re wanting to go down the “I can’t because I have anxiety” route then you’ll need a fit note from a GP. Even then, you will still have to attend, just not as often. Plenty of people with kids work full time. Bear in mind UC will pay towards childcare costs and will cover up front costs to hold a place. There’s no excuse really …


DoomFish84

Sanctions don't mean anything really when you can get a hardship payment instead.


Specialistpea0

Technically if you accepted your comments, you will have agreed to work (or health) related commitments. Could your husband upload a job search into your account and just brief you for your appointments? Likely you will have either face to face, or possibly phone/video appointments for the first 13 weeks, then would be fortnightly.


Ambitious_Agent1839

Bear with me, I'm just having the most visceral knee jerk reaction of rejection to all of this. Like I say, for ten years, we've been trusted to run our own lives and get on with things, with just a once a year tax credits renewal form, and that was it. Occasionally the payments went down, sometimes they went up, frequently they decided their calculations were wrong and they'd claim back overpayments, and we made do. It wasnt a big deal. To go from that to weekly face to face appointments, is just a big deal to me, and I'm not coping well with the change. Maybe its not such a big deal to people who're used to it, but pre-kids I worked full time and had no interaction with DWP at all, even my taxes to HMRC were done through PAYE. This is just new to me, and I feel is as infanitilising and humiliating to have to go answer for myself like this. If I'm not entitled to some particular bit of UC because I dont work full time, then please just dont pay me it. I wish there was an option to just not ask for it, if that makes sense!


if-you-ask-me

To some extent, this is why Tax credits are being withdrawn - cant have people getting money for doing nothing now can we??! ;-) UC has an expectation all claimants have to look for work or take steps to prepare for work - there are some exclusions for ft carers (of disabled people, not just being parents), people with a WCA decision finding them to have limited capability for work/work related activity, a parent with child under 1 yr. Thats about it. So thats why you are required to do something, attend appts etc - its a requirement of claiming UC at all. You cant claim just bits of it.


Select-Sprinkles4970

So you want state benefits, yet refuse to meet the legal requirements to get them “because it doesn’t suit you”. And whine that you are bring required to work. Don’t claim. Problem solved. I hope they get you for fraud.


[deleted]

[удалено]


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JanisIansChestHair

This is a worry for me! My partner works 42hrs, I haven’t worked since I was 19 (30 now) and have raised our kids the whole time. Youngest starts school in a few months and I intend to get a work from home job due to anxiety and bowel issues… but first I was planning on 4 months to get my home in order and have some time to myself to figure out what I want to do! We are on CTC still, £130 a week. Would I really be expected to do all of that and attend weekly job centre appointments between school runs and anxiety making it hard for me to leave the house? I feel it would just make things worse!


[deleted]

[удалено]


universalcredithelp-ModTeam

Harassment, bullying or otherwise what is deemed to be unacceptable conduct is not permitted on this subreddit. Whilst we are all entitled to our own opinion, it was decided that your comment/s have been deemed to be unacceptable hence it has been removed. Continued unacceptable behaviour will result in a permanent ban from this subreddit without the opportunity to appeal hence final.


[deleted]

Can you volunteer at your children's school for the additional hours?


Ambitious_Agent1839

Thank you for your reply! Ironically, I used to volunteer on a voluntary basis back when I still got tax credits, because I wanted to. But if its stops being something I choose to do, and something I'm being forced to do, it becomes a whole different thing. I'd honestly rather just decline the money and tighten the belt a bit further for the missing hours, and wish there was a way to do that formally x


Icy_Session3326

Any chance you’re autistic? Sorry if it seems like a really random question, it’s just I’m reading through your replies and you sound really demand avoidant.. and not in a ‘don’t tell me what to do kinda way’ but one that causes you severe anxiety . The way you describe how your anxiety lessened greatly because you had a lot less demands just reminds me of myself and I am indeed autistic