Workfare scheme for loan parents of children as young as 3, as of next month.

[WaterLoadaCack]

kept that quiet didnt they

[kilmuir]

Sounds fine to me

[HappyMummyOfOne]

Makes sense, the longer without work experience the harder it is to get a job.

Working mums get nine months maternity with pay, IS is already years longer than that. Its a good start but IS should only be payable to age one then all mums would be on an equal footing.

[WaterLoadaCack]

Working for 15 hours a week, for no payment sounds fair?

[ShakesBootyFlabWobbles]

Lots of women with children this age work, I am not sure what your point is?

[ProlificPenguin]

Good plan

[90sthrowback]

Is it the unpaid work that you have an issue with or the age of the child?

[Roseformeplease]

Not sure why I should have to go back to work to fund someone else choosing to stay at home on benefits. Also, children do far better in school when they have a working parent as a role model.

[formerbabe]

Really? So they are loaning these parents out then expecting them to work...dreadful

[Ponkypink]

Heh well good luck to them finding the local authority childcare to cover that, since there is nowhere near enough and it's 15 hours if you're lucky so the workfare will have to be on the doorstep of the childcare provider. Hey, here's a novel idea, why not make all the single mums work in a creche looking after their own children so they are working rather than claiming benefits? We could fund this through taxes for 15 hours per week. Oh wait...

[UnionofMultitaskers]

This is awful!

[GreenLandsOfHome]

Working for 15 hours a week, for no payment sounds fair?

Er...wouldn't it be for people getting benefits? Not really 'no payment'.

15 hours a week from age 3 and childcare costs are covered, so it sounds like it's aimed at tying in with the existing free childcare at age 3. I don't see it unreasonable at all.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

I wonder how much that will cost the tax payer in childcare during school holiday

[GiveTwoSheets]

Ok those saying about funding lone parents on benefits you do realise that your be funding the child care instead

[Ruebarb]

love the term 'loan' parents that's what they will become to their children if they are forced to work this way!

[formerbabe]

How offensive to working mums Ruebarb

[GreenLandsOfHome]

All parents get 15 hours a week funded childcare/school place/whatever. That's not dependant on whether the parent is working or not.

Our 3 year old goes to nursery for 3 hours a day...free.

[GreenLandsOfHome]

How so Ruebarb?

Why is expecting a parent on benefits to contribute for 15 hours a week, the number of hours that most 3 year olds are in nursery/pre-school anyway, unreasonable?

[WaterLoadaCack]

The unpaid work bothers me greatly!

Work focused interviews yes, proof of job search, yes, proof of job applications yes! Not allowed to turn down X amount of jobs before going on job seekers, maybe.

But 15 hours a week unpaid work?

Sorry but working in the back of Wilkos isnt that great for work experience.

Im not in this position, although I do have a nearly 3 yea old and planning to work very soon. Ive been putting the feelers out, asking around and no one but no one seems to have vacancies.

Although admittedly Ive only looked in shops so far as thats where my experience lies.

[ifyourehoppyandyouknowit]

In term time.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

Green not in school holidays they dont

[GreenLandsOfHome]

It's not unpaid though. The Government is paying you for the 15 hours.

The only difference is, they'll no longer be paying you to give nothing back.

[GiveTwoSheets]

Green This will happen when child has 3rd birthday funding for 3yr old dont always co-inside with term. Also the placements is 15hrs, you have to take into account travel especially if dont drive and school holidays whereas free 15hrs are not covered so extra child care will be a certain.

[Joules68]

Well a bit more....recent.... Work experience might just get you an interview!?

[GreenLandsOfHome]

No...so if the workfare thing happened, the tax payer would pick up the bill for the 13 weeks that others don't get funded.

Unless of course they made it term-time only.

[MoominsYonisAreScary]

Maybe this is why the government has started funding 15 hours a wek for 2 year olds if you are on benefits