Why is that only single parents will have to go back to work?

[winnybella]

Just read an article in the Guardian and it talks about the proposal of making the single parents look for work when their children turn 5- but couples living on benefits are not included in it.

Can someone explain to me why?

Why is it...sorry for grammatically incorrect title.

I don't know. Maybe they will make one of the parents go to work?

Well, exactly, Orm-that would make sense- but no, there aren't any plans to do that (apparently).

I mean surely it's penalizing single parents.

It just doesn't make sense and I'm hoping someone will enlighten me!

I haven't read the article so I don't know, but is it something to do with moving lone parents from income support to JSA? As far as I know, income support is only available to those who do not have to be actively seeking work, for example carers and lone parents. So an unemployed couple couldn't both claim income support anyway?

I fully admit that I don't know what I'm talking about, so this could be complete bollocks.

I think LostArt is right - couples who are unemployed will be on JSA anyway, whereas until recently single parents have been on income support and now the plans are to put them on JSA. Tis complete rubbish though as my friend, with a 9-year-old DD, is seriously looking at giving up her job as she just cannot get reliable childcare. So called wraparound care from the school is pathetic - they're either unavailable or say things like "ok, we'll put her down for friday but we may not be able to take her as if we don't get enough children it's not worth us opening". Great! I have worked since my DTs were born, using an excellent CM and nursery. I assumed life would get easier once they started school but it looks like childcare then may actually be HARDER to sort out than now! Just WHERE are all these term-time, school hours jobs for single parents (and actually mothers everywhere, since childcare for work is nearly always left to the woman to sort out) supposed to come from?

Thanks for the explanation- that makes sense.

Yes, I think it's so much harder for you guys in the UK- we're in Paris and they have great after school clubs of sorts- they keep your child til 18 or 18.30 depending on school and it costs very little- in fact it depends on your income- so it can cost as little as 0.5 euro per day.

Mothers should have the absolute right to choose whether or not to work, if they have a child/children under 16, especialy in the light of caring for them and difficulties with child care.
A single parent family is not inferior to a coupled family, as our government seems to portray.
Being a single parent is very often much harder than raising a child with the help and support a partner normaly gives, and combining this with work is impossible for some mothers, and puts immeasurable strain on the family.
There are varied circumstances that lead a parent to be raising a child alone, mostly it is by far a long way from choice!
Many single parents are suffering enough and should not be discriminated.

My OH was out of work for a while with health problems and we were recieving ESA. As a result I was enrolled on the "New Deal For Partners" which was to help me get back into work. I don't know whether as this scheme in already in effect so they haven't put it forward as a proposal iyswim?