New Deal For Lone parents!1 Advice please!

[Natuk]

I have got to attend an interview with JobcentrePlus, i am on income support and i am single mum!!

Does anyone know, what is about? I know it is voluntary to join New deal Lone parents.

I don't want to join New deal Lone parents not yet anyway!! Will they stop my benefits?

I would love to work, when my son is 3 or 4, when he will start nursey full-time. My son Ryan (only just turn 12 months), i am alone and it is hard some days. I don't get much help from my parents etc.

Any advice please thanks x

i think not 100% sure but it's just to see if yourlooking into getting back to work and if you don't want to then that's fine, you have to go every 6 months. don't panic about it, they can't take your income support away i am sure of that. hope this helps abit anyways.

All single parentas have to attend these routine interviews,they start off being 6 monthly then they become yearly.It basically constist of and interveiw with a lone parent advisor,all the ones ive come across have been lovely,they ask what you doing at the moment and if you have any plans for returning to work,they can help you in a lot of ways and will know lots of other benefits etc you may be entitled to when returning to wwork,they can work out your moneys for you etc but i you arent looking to go out to work they are quite happy with that too and will not e it in your record then you can go,no pressure no prying just basically helping out if you want to go t wokr HTH.

No don't panic, they won't make you get a job.

I just had one of these interviews as have recently become a single parent and I told the woman doing mine that I have no intention of working until my youngest is at school which is over a year away.

They were perfectly fine with this and just gave me a breif outline of whatI would be entitled to if I did get a job.

thank goodness they cant make you work......

I work but i always have.... so i am not aware of this scheme, but just stick to exactly what you want to do, the years go by to quick to work if you really dont want to.... and you should have the same choice as you would if you were 2 parent family

Best wishes

dont panic they wont force you to work.

but if you want to, they can be very helpful (i wont tell you my horror stories about the inland revenue) but...if you go back to work you can get all kinds of help, back to work grant, help with childcare...even clothing for work etc. they are there to help you and ime they will do their utmost to sort things out for you.

you will have to attend an interview anyway, its compulsory (sp?).

they are usually very nice, (if not a tad patronising).

Well, I'm also a single parent my Daughter is now five and i decided when she was one to give up full time work. The thought of spending everyday at home was an unbearable thought! (everyone's different) I decided to return to education, which was the best decision of my life, (well second to having my Daughter. I returned and had the best three years meeting new people and doing something for me!!! My Daughter went to the nursery which was attached to the Uni where i studied. It worked out really well, a few of the guys i studied with a were also parents which really helped to have that support. There is so much help not just with finances but also the emotional support!!! I graduated in Nov with my Daughter by my side!!and would never look back!:)