The Government announced some changes in the Budget March 2023(our guide).
Here's more detail - from 25/10/2023 the Government has announced the following changes for parents claiming UC-
'Parents of 3 to 12-year-olds will agree with their Work Coach to spend more time in work or applying for jobs, up to a maximum of 30 hours a week. Commitments will be tailored to parents’ personal circumstances, including the availability of childcare. '
'Before today’s changes parents of 3 and 4-year-olds were expected to commit to a maximum of 16 hours a week, and parents of 5 to 12-year-olds a maximum of 25 hours, searching for work.
Eligible claimants will agree new commitments at their next scheduled meeting with their Work Coach. Self-employed parents of 3- to 12-year-olds will not be affected by today’s change.
From July, parents with a one-year-old started to have a work-focused meeting with their work coach every three months instead of every six months as previously was the case. Parents with a two-year-old saw an increase to once a month rather than once every three months.
In June, the DWP raised how much parents on Universal Credit can claim for childcare – up to £951 a month for one child and £1,630 for two or more children. This is an increase of 47% from the previous limits, which were £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children.'