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

[WaterLoadaCack]

kept that quiet didnt they

But of course all these scroungers should have used their crystal ball and looked into the future and then never had children in the first place, shouldn't they?

It could be you one day, Happymummy, very easily. Just a little bit of misfortune and you could be struggling (not that I'd wish that on anyone).

This touching concern that mummy A should not be exploited for the sake of mummy B doesn't leave much room for concern about mummy C, does it?

She is the one who got sacked from the job that supported her family in order to make room for the workfare person.

Now it could indeed be argued that Mummy C should have planned ahead better and taken measures for her future. The last election would have been the appropriate place for that.

The businesses don't help the economy at all . They're private companies , they also get paid for taking people on workfare. Funny people object to people receiving benefits but have no qualms in funding private companies.

Do you have private health care , or am I funding you happymummy? What about private pension , or private schools ? Unless you've got all the above I'd keep quiet as you've taken enough yourself.

I still can't get over the fact that people can be so nasty and the comments on here are just disgusting.
My heart goes out to sps who are going to be affected by this, I'm not in this position but I can show empathy and sympathy and realise there but for the grace go I.

There will be families without food, mothers unable to pay their bills. Even with notice where are they going to find the money to save a month in front for the transitional period. How will they cook any food donated by food banks, you need gas or electric for this.

Shame on all of you who can't see that there are people seriously worried about how on earth they will manage.

It's certainly a scary insight into how nasty and hateful people can be. No empathy.

Also there is nothing to say that the system we have is right or normal, it feels very wrong to many. Some of us don't want to join the rat race or competitive way of life at the expense of our children. We want to pick our kids up from school, watch their plays, be there when they are sick etc. If lone parents are pushed in to work (I am against this) it should be something that fits into this NOT something that makes caring for kids harder. More flexi jobs, more jobs at home, being allowed to volunteer when it suits rather than pushed into workfare etc. Why punish a mother when many times it is not their fault their children's father turned out to be unreliable etc. Why should a mother be torn away from her young child (often when going through divorce and bereavement etc) just because she had the misfortune of choosing the wrong man or difficult circumstances.

Like it or not many people see parenting as a job in itself. It has been seen this way in the past and still is in other cultures. Majority of lone parents work anyway, those that don't have good reason. Often they do the work of both parents, the entire house care, full physical and emotional responsibility etc. Give them a break for goodness sake.. In addition, as has been said, to enable lone parents to work often it costs the state more anyway. So let them be with their kids if they so choose! babies and toddlers being with their mother (some cases lone father) seems almost taboo these days!! But many people don't want to have to leave their baby with relative strangers at a young age. Not everyone is lucky and has relatives to help out!!!

Morethan, you already know i dont use childcare unless you know something i dont as you seem to insist I do.

Everyone chooses to become a parent its not like you wake up one day and a child has been delivered. If you choose to become a SAHP then you know in the event of the other person leaving that you have no means of support unless you had a private income beforehand. If you have a job and are turned down for flexible working, then you can stick with it until you find something else. At least with recent experience you are far more employable. All life choices.

Paying companies to take workfare more than just admin costs is not great but giving people experience, showing others its not a case of filling in forms and watching the money roll in and supporting businesses that pay tax and the bulk of their workers pay tax has to be a better use of public money than paying it to those who dont work and believe they cant possibly be expected to just because they have children. A few may use it as a short term stop gap after a change of circumstances but i bet its a very high perentage who have no interest in finding work until they are no longer allowed to claim. Lots then suddenly become "ill" and switch to ESA or, despite claiming to be single, have another child so they get a few more years out of it.

Rather than workfare, just make IS payable only until a child is one like maternity pay. All mums would be equal then. After that, its JSA. If the child is over one when a claim submitted it could be JSA straight away. No amounts going to businesses and shouldnt be any complaints given all lone parents claim to want to work anyway.

I think fuse as a lot of other women are doing are blaming those who receive benefit for the fact they choose not to sah and are guilty.

As a single working parent I frankly feel I have no choice but to work. I would love to have the choice and spend time at home with my children buy that possibility went out the window when my now ex husband upped and left. I don't feel 'guilty' but I do feel huge annoyance towards those women who;
a) call single parents 'scroungers' when they are sitting at home, caring for their children, and have a partner/husband who works. Pot - Kettle - black as far as I'm concerned
b) assume that most people have a choice as to whether or not they work (because we don't).

c) make excuses as to why everyone else should work but they shouldn't (usually along the lines of they weren't stupid enough to get pregnant without a partner and they can afford their children so why on earth shouldn't they enjoy them, they have qualifications and will use them later, they're volunteering and being helpful to the community...blah, blah, blah).

The hatred towards single mums just never stops, does it? Now...where's my goat?

Me too morethan.

It amazes me that people fall for it , the government openly encourages society to adopt this attitude towards those on benefits. God forbid we start to question how much our presence in Iraq cost. Benefits is a tiny fraction of what's spent on military personnel in places like Iraq.

I won't even go into tax dodging or mp expenses.

What experience? Stacking shelves in Poundland?

And where are all these jobs for these single parents coming from? Oh there aren't any because companies would rather take the 3k from the government and get a free worker instead.

What about those of us with children with additional needs for whom there is no available childcare? Should we just give up our children and get back on the gravy train?

You really seriously have no idea whatsoever about other people's lives.

So if a company takes on a 10workfare clients at a cost of £30,000 is NOT great then yes I have to agree with you happy. Its frankly bloody ludicrous and a total waste of taxpayers money. Putting a Parent with admin experience on a shop floor is no more going to further her career prospects than putting another one in poundland would.

Rather than workfare, just make IS payable only until a child is one like maternity pay. All mums would be equal then

But all Mums aren't equal.

A single Mum bears the burden of two parents unlike a Mum that is fortunate enough to currently be in a relationship.

Income support being available to single parents acknowledges the fact that it is much harder to parent on your own.

'just make IS payable only until a child is one like maternity pay. All mums would be equal then. '

Lone parenting is much different than dual parenting though so things are not 'equal' just by trying to force all mums into work with younger and younger children/babies. Very often many are going through a crisis such as bereavement or the terrible stress of being left high and dry with small children (have you ever suffered this HappyMum ?)

Studies show many mums (if not most) would rather stay at home or work part time with young children. Instead of removing the choice for more mothers ( just to make some feel better about their own choices) why don't we instead push for more choices for all. Pay a small amount to parents that they can use to offset working part time/SAH/for childcare to enable them to work? Why just throw money at childcare? Let's think of what is best for children instead of trying to please a minority of mothers (that actually want to work full time from a young age) and the economy/government?

That way mums get a choice and there will be none of the bitterness on both 'sides'. If people are truly happy with their choices, they do not care what others are doing. I m equally happy for people to recieve benefits to stay home with children or enable them to work. I m a happy SAHM.

HappyMum do you resent that some mums are able to stay home when you can't? that is the only thing I can think of and i do sympathise if that is the case but instead of making more people suffer that why not make it easier for all families to have a parent at home more when they have small DC.

Finding this thread very telling. I am a single parent, luckily not having to rely on benefits.
Most common misconceptions are that single parents are teens - not so. Majority are in 30's and the father of the child has managed to avoid paying maintenance. These points also apply to me.
I think this is just a vote puller because it SOUNDS as though it is getting the public what it wants, when in reality the govt are dodging getting dads to step up and pay for their own children to be scooped out of poverty - CSA simply does bugger all and never uses its powers to prosecute. This will only hurt the mother and child, yet the man gets to go off and do it all over again.

Mummy

Being married and finding out your dh is an abusive swine, being widowed, your dh running off with his secretary, those with children with additional needs. These are not choices.
Do you really have any sympathy at all for all the people who are worried for their and their children's future?
Can you not find it within your heart to show empathy, or at least refrain from being obnoxious.
I find it hard to understand how somebody could be like you.

A lot of the people on workfare are not that employablecas they dont want to do it so are unmotivated employees. Most motivated single mums I know are already studying, working towards different careers, or in different careers. The ones that arent probably are never going to have decent jobs so there isnt much point in this really.

We should help the ones that are motivated and do try more as I know lots in that position who are fantastic role models to their children and deserve the help with training and funding.

Or you could get the dad to pay for childcare as a minimum so that the single mother can afford to go out to work.

Lots then suddenly become "ill" and switch to ESA what a ridiculous statement,do you know how hard it is to get ESA nowadays,you really can be very insulting.

heisenberg actually they aren't that employable because they are made to do workfare for subjects that aren't even in their remit. My Dads company (Seaside Hotel/Restaurant) that he works for took on a Law Grad who had recently qualified but fell into the 'you don't have any experience for us law firms'. How is that going to further his career prospects? And is exactly the reason why most employers won't entertain such workfare references.

You know jellybean, you are right. I didn't want to leave my children at a young age either. But life's a Bitch. .. If you choose to have children you have a duty to support them. End of.

It is not societies duty to support those who refuse to support themselves. It's societies duty to support those who are unable to support themselves. There is a very big difference. Having to support those who are capable of supporting themselves means there are less funds available for those who actually need it.

Based on that I think expecting society to pay for you to stay home and raise your children is one is the most selfish entitled attitudes around. It's not like these sahm are considering the needs of others, are they? If you can be a sahm without taking money from people who actually need it. fine. Otherwise I'm sorry... I honestly think it's wrong and that people should be working to support themselves and their children.

Its a cycle unfortunately some single mums that dont work now had the same themselves, and had no guidance to do better and have a decent job or aspirations. Its a difficult cycle to break and often ones I meet lack basic skills such as the importance of time keeping even for getting their children to nursery or in any routine.Its why in general the children of workless households fare the worst in life. I doubt it will do any good putting them on workfare

So not even giving people a chance to raise their children to school age is fine then?

It's a disgrace tbh.

There's no point even discussing it with people like that. Notice in happymummys reply she doesn't even respond to the fact that workfare is reducing the jobs. Because no one can defend that or pretend it is a good thing.

I think the people who hate on lone parents the way some posters on this thread are notorious for doing, do it because it helps them to see us a less than human. Because that means it can never ever happen to them. It's a way of convincing themselves that these things only happen to the lazy workshy people and not people like them. It's pathetic.

jellybeans

I wanted your nn but it was gone

I am one of the people you talk about above. We have decided if we don't meet conditionality under UC we are going to go back to how we were pre tax credits all those years ago.
I better start getting the free solar panels and growing our own again. . I am serious, because me working is completely out of the question. This time round it might not be so tough as we have dd now rather than the 2 ds last time. It will be weird getting off the grid.