Lone parents with babies of a few MONTHS old being threatened with sanctions...

[MrsNextDoor]

here on the Gingerbread site

Bloody bastards!!!

One lone parent was told that she was being sanctioned because she'd turned down a nightshift job on account of not being able to find overnight childcare.

Others with children of 3 or 4 months old were being told they had to find work immediately or lose their benefits.

What the actual!??? In many cases, job advisers are giving their clients the wrong information....seemingly deliberately...telling them the law has changed and they must get work now....the most vulnerable people...lone parents with infants...being bullied. AIBU to think this should be stopped immediately!?

exactly Nu næves, or you could sleep walk in to a dysfunctional relationship due to low self esteem. It's so heartless to have had it all sewn up yourself but to stand in judgement of people for whom life has not worked out so merrily. It's so smug.

Kilmuir, Of course single parents shouldn't be sanctioned for not taking these jobs, but what if the father already works nights and pays his maintenance. Overnight childcare is simply not as easy to come by. I think a 'within mainstream nursery type hours' - so say 8-6, would be a reasonable allowance to a single mother before receiving sanctions.

Before we all jump on the fathers. Splits can be amicable and the father can be capable. I know someone going through this at the moment. Father can't do physical childcare because he already works, and has contact every other weekend, he can and does pay maintenance, but that wouldn't cover nights evenings and weekends unpredictably to pick up after shift work.

Is this just scaremongering hysteria? You don't get sanctioned on income support and and a lone parent with a child up to 4 (correct me if I'm wrong) is entitled to income support. AFAIK there is no reason whatsoever for a person claiming income support to be going to the JC?

not sure what to make of this thread

Welcome to Week Two of the new round of arseholiness. Only five more years to go...

That article is a year old.

This article is about incorrect advise being given, not current policy. But don't let the facts get in the way of a bit of anti Tory hysteria eh? smh

sounds like hysterical scaremongering.

1. the article was from 2014.

1. if a mother of a young baby was on JSA she would presumably be on it through choice (as opposed to income support) because of wishing to look for work, and as such the sanctions may have been applied due to the nature of the benefit she was claiming and lack of awareness by jc staff.

While the staff in these instances possibly needed greater awareness training, this is hardly a new government policy, so to talk about single mothers being demonised is hysterical and ott. These are most likely isolated incidents brought about through lack of awareness on both the part of the jc staff and the claimant.

The regulations changed in 2014 so lone parents on IS have to undertake work related activity. It shouldn't apply to parents of young babies but presumably the staff weren't trained properly when it was first implemented. But for lone parents of older children, there are sanctions on IS and they have to attend the Jobcentre much more regularly (once a month in some areas).

www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2014/9780111108499/contents

so who voted for the Tories then????????????

Government to blame, voters to blame.

Couldn't the work-related activity involve reading up on the regulations and informing the Jobcentre staff about what they are?

InDespair it isn't Tory policy. FFS.

Might not be their policy but I cant see them rushing in to change it eh?

To change what? The (year old) article is about job centre staff giving out incorrect information. Maybe try researching the outcome of Gingerbread's efforts before having a coronary.

Aren't mums of 3 and 4 months old on SMP?

Once SMP runs out, if you want to pay your rent and you're the sole parent I presume it's up to you to find a job? It's what I did, except my maternity pay lasted a bit longer than that.

Not quite, fortunately - income support isn't dependent on finding a job.

As others have already said, it is a case of mistakes at the job centre NOT a new policy!

Actually looking closer, mums of babies actually won't be required to find work.

Panic over.

OP did you read the article or just the headline?

Fortunately... you're only eligible for smp if you were working before you got pregnAnt, and continue in the same job through your pregnancy.

So what do unemployed people who get pregnant live on? Genuine question.

Get a grip. Where I live mothers have abortions or leave their children at the orphanage. Grow up and get some fucking perspective. It's called birth control, it is free, use it.

Im currently due to become a lone parent within the next month and im on ESA and have been told by the jobcentre i will have a maximum of 12 months before ive to be in employment. Ive been pressured since telling the jobcentre about my pregnancy to go on to income support but i refused as it took me a year nearly to get my ESA so wasnt giving that up

I didn't think mothers with babies that young were obliged to get a job or to sign on. But if they're signing on for jobseekers and don't want jobs then they have to have a different benefit from jobseekers allowance.

fortunately depending on previous work/contributions, they could be entitled to Maternity Allowance - www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/overview

it isn't Tory policy. FFS.
Oh it's their policy alright.They just haven't been able to get the legislation through before with those LibDem millstones weighing them down.

amybear2 have you even read the article?