AIBU to ask how cutting lone parent payment will actually help lone parents?

[LucyBabs]

Here in Ireland at the moment our fantastic government have introduced a lovely kick in the teeth to Lone parents who are receiving a Lone parent payment. They are cutting this benefit once a parents child turns 7. A lot of Lone parents here are working (you can work 20 hours a week while retaining your payment) so basically these parents will lose their payment and most will be pushed into poverty.
The governments reasoning is the parent can just increase their working hours and make up the money they are losing. OK yes but do they not think most would have done this already if that was the case. Now parents will face increase in childcare fees or they can apply for job seekers allowance which is just exchanging one payment for the other.
I just can't understand how they think this can work. I feel dispair at how this country is being driven into the ground.

[duplodon]

As there are just SO many jobs, and children 7 and up can just take care of themselves after school finishes for the 183 days of the primary school year they are school (and the 182 they are not - rising to a wopping 198 when they hit secondary and of course, need absolutely no supervision when not in school AT ALL).

It won't help anyone, let's face it.

[duplodon]

Wow, what a terrible sentence

[ApocalypseThen]

Well it sounds like it'll help a non trivial number of lone parents from privately rented accomodation into emergency accomodation.

[HelenaDove]

Im in England so is it the same as here as in fathers can get away with paying sod all.

[LucyBabs]

Yea fathers aren't chased for child maintenance. Its up to the mother to take the father to court. If he is ordered to pay x amount this will be deducted from the mothers lone parent payment. However if the father stops paying, the mother has to take him back to court. Social welfare won't reinstate the missing money though. Its so frustrating