new plans re income support for lone parents

[mummypig]

hi I am not a lone parent but my sister was, for a long time. I just wanted to draw your attention to new plans to stop lone parents receiving Income Support and change it to Job Seekers Allowance instead. The plan is to initially change the benefits for lone parents where the youngest child is 12, then drop the cut-off age to 7.

If you would like your voice heard on this, please fill out the short survey here:
Survey on benefits for single parents before the end of October, when the consultation ends.

If you want to read more about the proposals, the welfare reform documents are here on the DWP site. Ch4 is the section that discusses single parents in particular.

[Tortington]

it wouldn't happen if more poor people just voted. I am sick of the amount of times i hear " they are all the same" "one vote wont matter"

they do matter.

i get that some people dont vote becuase they dont want tobe on the electoral register becuase they are being chased by people who want money - but that still leaves an awful lot of people who are eligable to vote - but sadly dont - and don't realise that the people have the power.

[expatinscotland]

They propose shit like this because lone parents are an easy target - like immigrants.

Easier to pillory them as lazy scroungers than go after supermarkets for their disgusting practices towards the nation's food producers, the scum who walk away from their children without a second glance back, etc.

[prettyfly1]

here here to that one expat!

[expatinscotland]

How about going after the other parents who all too often swan off without supporting their children financially?

Fuckers.

[expatinscotland]

It's so misogynistic to scapegoat lone parents, who are mostly women.

It really makes me when you consider the amount of corporate welfare that goes on.

What a load of bollocks.

[prettyfly1]

i am going to get shot but i dont have family support, i dont have financial help and i do it myself. i also attend college two nights a week and whilst i bloody hate the nightmare that is childcare i do it and have done since my boy was 8 weeks old. whilst i agree completely that for many people the idea of leaving their baby is unnacceptable, i think once children get to school age, it is not the governments responsibilty to feed and clothe our kids regardless of how difficult it may be. On the issue of wrap around care, my friends (who have older children then mine)set up a little group sharing thing where they clubbed together to pay a trusted friend to cover all four. Not a realistic suggestion for everyone i know but certainly an option. Noone likes leaving their kids but i know an awful lot of couples who have no choice and arent eligible for any benefits at all and they just get on with it. In all fairness it cant be one rule for them and one for us. We are fortunate enough to live in a society where we are eligible for state help if we are lone parents to allow us to stay at home for the formative years and sometimes i think we expect too much. I know my view wont be popular but i do feel strongly that teaching our kids that we work to provide and nothing comes for free is a really important lesson especially as they get older. I have fortunately never experienced the pain of predjudice on the grounds of my personal situation and have had a number of jobs since my son was born so my sympathy goes fully to the women who really want to work but cant get a job on those grounds. Have you looked at some of the work from home options - also there is a new site for mums who want to work part time and justparttime.co.uk. I am really not trying to pxxs any one off, but particularly with teenage children, there really is no good reason not to go back to work if you can. Sorry

[TwoIfBySea]

There are single parents out there who do just have children without thought or care to their upbringing HOWEVER as we all know they are the minority to which we are all lumped together. It doesn't matter how you raise your child to the government, to them we are all just single parents.

I managed to find a job, 9am-2.30pm Monday to Friday, term-time and if they can overlook the fact I have no employers reference and accept my character references instead then I start next month.

Will it make me worse off? I hope not because I can't let my dts see me sitting around taking money (I have decided that if they don't give me the job properly then I'm volunteering with Home Start, I already study with the OU which will hopefully open up other avenues.) I don't have family nearby who can help with childcare, this has been the biggest headache, trying to organise that will be a nightmare as there aren't enough places as it is!

FYI if I don't get it then I will only apply for jobs within schools etc. because the childcare costs during the holidays would mean I probably would owe money rather than earn it!

[sportie]

I work because I feel my kids need a positive role model and also I am lucky enough to have an extended family to help out with child care. But.... I am financially worse off for it once you take rent and council tax into the equation. Plus the CSA have not bothered about prosecuting my ex for lack of support as I don't cost the state money!!!

Unfortunately our government seem to have this warped idea that all single parents deliberately became single parents as a career plan to live an idle life and be supported in luxury by the state!The fact that the vast majority of us are lone parents because we have been let down by spouses/partners and are decent people trying to make the best of a shitty situation seems to escape them...or maybe its not vote catching! Who knows...?

Aaarrrgh!

[nutcracker]

I agree that lone parents should work once their youngest starts secondary, however it is so hard to find a bloody job in the first place.

I have been a single parent for nearly 2 years now and have applied for job after job after job and been offered non, infact for the majority I haven't even got an interview, and the obvious reason is because I simply cannot be flexible, so employers don't want to know.

[ManxMum]

I agree that once a child attends secondary school, lone parents should be able to work, and I was lucky to find shop work that fitted in with school hours and was within walking distance of my youngest son's school.

But, by then I did have a new DH and without his financial input, this work would have been impossible financially.

Whilst this world is run by men, and I apologise to the lone Dads out there, things will not change.

Please just don't get me started on child support!!

[bluejelly]

I have worked since dd was a baby, now she's 7 I would love to be there when she gets home from school, but I can't.

However I have found a range of childcare in my area, I love my job and although I had very few skills when I started back after having a baby, I am now very well qualified in my field.

I wouldn't expect the state to pay for me and my child, especially after the age of 12.

[PurpleOne]

I've been a lone mum for well over 5 years. My eldest dau is now 12.

My main gripe isn't childcare-I'd love to go back to work and socialise and add structure to my days however,
I privately rent. I would have to earn at least £1,000 a month to cover rent and council tax....and that's without putting food in our mouths, nor paying the bills. I'm also unskilled, so I doubt very much that retail work will pay that kind of money. I'm also sure that WFTC wouldn't be enough to live on to make up the shortfall.
Can't afford a car, not even a mobile phone or contents insurance!

I also like to be at home when my girls get back from school.

[meemar]

allgonebellyup - no experience as i'm not a single parent, but I think its to do with the points that Manxmum raised.

School hours are a relatively small part of the day and it's not easy to find a job that will fit round them.

[AMAZINWOMAN]

I work-but my biggest problem is childcare. The lack of it-and the expense! Even with 80% paid by tax credits, there is still a massive shortfall to pay.

My kids are used to childcare, but when we moved house, they HATED the new after school kids club which was the only option here. I am lucky, I was able to change my hours-but not everyone can do this

not everyone has the luxury of family support

[allgonebellyup]

Hate to rock the boat here, but what excuse do we mums have for not working once our children are 6 or 7???
i know that once my youngest starts school next sept i will be training full time for a full time job.

[AMAZINWOMAN]

I agree that not everyone is better off working. I get really frustrated when I see adverts that say be better off by £90 a week by working-thats not true!!

[UlySCREAMS]

Totally with you there Manxmum. I went to the jobcentre plus and was told I'd be no better off working. I have 2 dss aged 7 and 12.

[ManxMum]

I told the DSS office once, a few years ago:

'You try getting a job that is 9.15am to 3.15pm, weekdays only, that allows you time off for sickness and inset days AND all the holidays, that will pay me enough to support me and my 2 boys'

If there were such a job, I'd take it myself', he said....

They got my point after that!

I did find a full time job, that I loved, but after paying bills and mortgage, had £35 per week to feed and clothe 3 of us, not allowing for unexpected expenditure. Needless to say, I had to quit job after a month

Sorry, pent up rant out and over with