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

[WaterLoadaCack]

kept that quiet didnt they

ahh I didn't realise that it had been tried before and failed, sorry.

No probs Its because its such a low and shocking thing to do that it simply doesnt occur to ppl who arent sociopaths that its a viable thing to do.

Heres how some councils have benefitted from these schemes and saved themselves money and yet are now cutting council tax support which will probably affect some of the very same ppl who have or are doing workfare for them. The mind fucking boggles.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/jan/02/councils-benefit-half-a-million-hours-unpaid-labour-foi-request

susyot I know plenty of Employers who haven't and won't entertain anyone with workfare references on a CV.

Also yes. Small businesses can have them too. Family members boss ran a seaside business. Got paid per workfare claimant they took on.

Can I also just add to about being careful about what work experience you manage to find by yourself. There are mindboggling restrictions especially if said company isn't on the list of approved providers.

That's even better isn't it Misspixietrix
DWP: have some workfare to "improve" your CV!
Job: Oh! Workfare! File that one in the round drawer...

I volunteer for a charity, I was a little miffed to discover it takes on workfare people because I suspected it may devalue the reference I hope to gain from it. Now I'm almost convinced it will.

*I know plenty of Employers who haven't and won't entertain anyone with workfare references on a CV."

That's the worst perspective on this whole thing yet

FedUpButFine yes yes yes to this

^And I don't take kindly to the 'oh, we didn't mean you, you're not the kind of single mum we mean, it's the other type' comments that have been made here. That's just 'victim blaming' by the back door. You slag off single mums, as far as I'm concerned, you're slagging us all off^

I hate being the 'special exception' that shows that people actually thought about my private situation and judged me and decided I'm to be pitied not hated. It revolts me.

It baffles me that people are outraged at lone parents getting 'taxpayers' money in benefits but they don't mind big corporations getting paid our taxes on workfare schemes. That will cost much more money overall end will be in no tangible long term benefit.

I would rather my taxes go towards our welfare state supporting vulnerable people at a difficult time in their lives than Asda and Poundland. Workfare fans, are you really on the side of big business? Do you have no compassion for actual people? As Derek points out, it puts people in a worse off position as they are unable to pursue their own more sensible routes into paid work.

Shocking that small businesses and charities are getting in on the act.

totally agree ^^ I am no more worthy because my husband left me, or my friend who's husband died, than any other lone parent

and by labelling all single parents as work shy benefit bludging baby making machines who sit around watching Jezza all day - as the Fail likes to do, help no one

why the hell do I read these threads just why?Im with Eatshitderek on this one.

I have a degree, that i gained 15 years ago.

I had a good job, dp with a good job, owned my own home, had 2 beautiful kids.

We split up as he cheated, i lost my family home but still hung on to my job, met someone else who had a job and we went on to have two more still supporting ourselves.

However, he was abusive, and I left him, my world fell apart as my ds was diagnosed with autism and ive been through hell with him, i had to leave my job to care for him and claim benefits, for the first time in my life. yep of course, i am a jezza watching benefit claiming scrounger, oh yeah forgot i sit on my arse all day and get paid for it.

In reality im coping with my sons meltdowns, smashing walls and people, back and to to school and appointments. My youngest is three, and Im screwed i really am.

i am seriously considering going back to the ex i really am, we have been getting on better lately but he has a good job and it means i could come off income support and get the job centre and all the government and public predjudices off my back. I could then concentrate on ds and not have to worry about job hunting for a few years then.

^^ that, with knobs on!

It's the stock answer isn't it? "Oh, I don't mean you. Your situation is entirely understandable. You're the minority, the deserving poor. Everyone knows I'm actually talking about the rest of them, they're the ones who are scrounging".

The irony is totally lost on idiots like that. It never occurs to them that actually we are the majority. It's a tiny, tiny minority that actaully choose to live like this. We don't make the interesting headlines though do we.

Also we don't wear our Benefits Badges so you can see how they would confuse us with the actual functional members of society.

Just in case the many examples of how women end up as single parents have passed some of you by, I'll tell my story.

My ex husband and I decided to have 3 children. I cared for them whilst he built himself a career. When he took a lower paying job which had better future prospects I worked 2am to 6am cleaning in local bars/offices for extra money. Until he walked out on Xmas day after a year long affair. He now has a fabulous career and earns higher rate tax money. I'm on IS. My previous qualifications were worth nothing and I had 3 DC aged 1-6. Plus a 6 year gap in employment.

I'm just finishing my access course which will either enable me to get a better job or go to university. My 15hr child care is used for that. I also volunteer at the women's refuge. My youngest is going to school in September. If placed on workfare I will have to quit my course and use my child care for that instead. Who will this benefit?

Not me who given the time could give my children a better life and contribute more in tax to the UK.

Not the person who's job I'm taking.

It helps big business who get a free worker.

It helps the government make a section of taxpayers feel good about where "their" money is going.

We have laws on slavery and minimum wage in this country. 15 hrs at minimum wage is more than a weeks IS.

I feel sick and powerless and angry. People will take to the streets soon.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.

They've already come for the disabled. They've already come for the unemployed. Now they are coming for the lone mothers. Don't think they won't come for you.

That's spot on derek. Everyone has a story but no one cares to hear it. I've had the benefit bashing single parent bashing from family members who are then quick to say "but we don't mean you, we don't mind our taxes helping you because you've got a reason!". I've pointed out that the amount they pay in taxes probably doesn't even cover the services they use let alone any people receiving benefits but whoosh over their heads it goes.

Anyone who thinks they may be affected needs to have a look at groups such as boycott workfare. You cannot be forced to go , but you can be pressured into volunteering for it . Once you volunteer it becomes mandatory. There's also issues about data protection ect. Check it out , don't trust them to tell you that you have options.

Most folk on workfare have been tricked or pressured into it via being tricked into signing date protection wavers.

EatShitDerek oh i know I would be a fool to go back, he really did make my life a misery at times, but a part of me is so tired of the predjudice and the ignorance from people who really should know better, who have never walked a mile in others shoes and who are supposed to be intelligent.

I also am tired of the oh I didnt mean you comments, well who did they mean then? Talk about backtracking

www.boycottworkfare.org/?page_id=1820

God this thread has been a depressing read. So many misconceptions. It's a Tory wet dream in here.

I am a lone parent. Currently jobseeking off my own back (ie not on JSA yet) and trying to find something that isn't on a zero hour contract has been hard enough. Add to that my location - any job is half hour away on the bus. No breakfast club or childcare in the AM here so I will have to start work at 9.30 am.

I volunteer around 5 hours a week with two different charities. I work on the PTA around 4 hours a week raising money to fund things like swimming lessons and school books/resources because the budget won't stretch to cover what is actually on the curriculum anymore.

I study around 8-10 hours a week too. On a course that I had to fund myself because they cut all funding for this kind of thing.

I care for my disabled mum one or two days a week too. Because the LA doesn't have the funding in place to offer her a care package until she is really bad apparently.

So no, no Jezza here.That is an ignorant stereotype which say a whole lot more about the person believing it then lone parents imo. I think supporting lone parents back into work starts with giving them the confidence and tools to believe they can actually do it.

More then anything though it comes down to the fact that if you can find 15 hours of work for a workfare attendee why can't you give someone a 15 hour contract and actually pay them?

Workfare is an absolute abomination.

How on earth does forcing people to work without pay help them or the economy?

Why should huge corporations like Tesco benefit from taxpayer-funded workers while the small business owner down the road competes but is compelled (quite rightly) to pay at least minimum wage?

Why is all Tory policy a race to the bottom?

morethanpotatoprints I stopped shopping at ASDA because they use Workfare (sent a letter to their HQ which received No Response Whatsoever- maybe 1000 more people need to do it!). Now I shop at a combination of LIDL and Sainsbury's- neither of which use Workfare- and my food bills have gone down considerably!

To the people who have mentioned LPs and self employment upthread: Self employment is great. You can make it flexible, you can make it work around your childcare responsibilities, you can tailor yourself your own job using your skills.

A couple of things though: It's bastard hard work with a toddler to cope with too. It can take a long time (think years) to turn a decent profit.

But hey, if you're self employed you can claim tax credits, to tide you over until you're 100% self sufficient! Which is great.

Of course, when Universal Credit comes in, that's all going to be stopped. They're going to assume you earn the equivalent of NMW profit per hour, from the get-go, and subtract it from your benefits.

Sayonara mumpreneurs.

stubbornstains - Can I ask where you got that info about UC and LP's? I looked a while ago for confirmation but never found it.

It is the current trend of pushing LP's into self employment that makes me uneasy that it's a cynical ploy for when Universal Credit comes in.

My last 3 interviews at the JC have all suggested going self employed and seeing if I can get some cleaning work or 'find something' to fill the hours...

fidiline and dwerf I think it's because most employers know they aren't 'proper' jobs if that makes sense. Somebody who has years of experience in admin being made to work in a Charity shop is not furthering their career prospects.