Government changes work rules for single parents with children aged 3 to 12

The government introduced changes to the rules around work for single parents with children between 3 and 12 on 25 October 2023¹. The change affects the work-related expectations attached to Universal Credit claims for that group of parents.

Under the rules described for single parents whose youngest child is between 3 and 12 years old, a parent will usually be expected to look for work and take any job that is offered to them, and will not be asked to spend more than 30 hours a week working or looking for work¹. They might also be asked to go to work-focused interviews and to prepare for work, such as writing a CV¹.

The expectations differ by the age of the youngest child, as set out below.

Age of youngest child	Work-related expectations
Less than 1 year old	No requirement to look for work, attend work-focused interviews or prepare for work¹
1 year old	Not expected to look for work; may be told to attend work-focused interviews¹
2 years old	Not expected to look for work; may be told to attend work-focused interviews and may be asked to prepare for work¹
Between 3 and 12 years old	Usually expected to look for work and take any job offered; no more than 30 hours a week working or looking for work¹
13 or older	Usually expected to look for work and take any job offered; no more than 35 hours a week working or looking for work¹

Part of claiming Universal Credit is agreeing to spend a certain amount of time each week either working or looking for work, which can be up to 35 hours depending on the age of a claimant's children and their circumstances¹. These commitments are recorded in a claimant commitment, and a claimant's work coach discusses how they can move into employment in a work-focused interview¹. If a claimant does not do what they have agreed in their claimant commitment, payments might be reduced or stopped, which is called being sanctioned¹.

"The government introduced changes to the rules around work for single parents with children between 3 and 12 on 25 th October 2023."

Gingerbread¹

The rules described apply to most single parents claiming Universal Credit, but differ for those who are disabled or have a health problem, whose child is disabled, who care for someone who is disabled or has a health problem, or who have experienced domestic abuse in the last 6 months¹. A claimant who thinks their claimant commitment does not reflect their circumstances can ask for it to be changed at any time, by contacting the Universal Credit helpline to ask for an appointment with their work coach and noting the reason in their online journal; if things still do not feel manageable, a complaint can be made by calling the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644¹. Citizens Advice can also be asked for advice¹.

Why it matters for households

The change affects single parents claiming Universal Credit in England and Wales whose youngest child is aged between 3 and 12, and it took effect on 25 October 2023¹. For that group, the expectation is usually to look for work and to take any job offered, with a cap of 30 hours a week spent working or looking for work¹. Parents whose youngest child is 13 or older face a higher cap of 35 hours a week, while those whose youngest child is 2 or under are not expected to look for work¹. What a parent agrees to is recorded in their claimant commitment, and failing to do what is agreed can lead to payments being reduced or stopped through a sanction¹. Work coaches are expected to take factors including travel to and from a child's nursery or school, educational courses, voluntary work, health, caring responsibilities and available childcare into account, and have discretion to consider other factors¹. A parent who takes a job can claim help with childcare costs for at least a month before starting work¹.