If I vote Tory, would I be shooting myself in the foot, as a lone parent?

[BertieBotts]

Just that really. I am musing. Never voted before and never been interested in politics (though I am fascinated by it all now) so I am feeling a bit blind with all this! I keep changing my mind about who to vote for.

I want to go back to college either this or next September rather than getting a job just yet. DS is 18 months. Do you think that I would be able to do this under a conservative government, or will I be forced to work? Thinking childcare costs etc. I can't find anything in any of the manifestos about it - does anyone know what the other parties have said or are likely to do?

Lib Dems - preserve existing childcare support programmes until public finances permit better ones.

Yes. I was a lone parent and will now never vote for the Tories, would be like a turkey voting for Christmas.

have found it now:

Lib Dem policy: preserve existing childcare support arrangements until public finances permit a move to a longer-term solution - 20 hours' free childcare a week for children from 18 months.

Yes. YOu had really best not put off going to college, either. Whoever gets in is going to cut your benefits and increase the cost of your education, most likely.

It's just not going to be an option for very many to be SAHP, lone or not.

Under the tories you were not forced out to work until your child was in secondary school, labour decided to cut that and force single mothers into the work place ASAP.

It was Maggie T who threw open the doors of the open university and encouraged people into education again.

The Conservatives also had WTC, although it wasn't called that, it was a much simpler system of awarding WTC and CTC to low income families and working single mothers through the tax system with tax codes.

The conswervatives wont be forcing single mothers with small children out to work, they will be helping people on JSA to train or find jobs.

WTC and CTC are only going to change for people earning over £50k.

I'm a single mother and will be voting Conservative.

Don't believe the scare stories.

www.conservatives.com/Policy/Where_we_stand/Family.aspx Have a look!

'The conswervatives wont be forcing single mothers with small children out to work, they will be helping people on JSA to train or find jobs. '

Erm, labour do this already And 7 years old is hardly a young child. I am a single parent and bloody terrified of a tory government.

'The conswervatives wont be forcing single mothers with small children out to work, they will be helping people on JSA to train or find jobs.'

So all those lone parents with 7-11-year-old children who are now on JSA get to go back on Income Support under Tory leaders if they get elected, rather than 'helped' to train or find jobs?

Really?

And there will be no changes to their child tax credits?

'Under the tories you were not forced out to work until your child was in secondary school, labour decided to cut that and force single mothers into the work place ASAP.'

Again, how is this a bad thing??? Labour do not force single mothers back into the workplace, what a ridiculous thing to say. They have created lone parent advisors in job centres who help those who want to get work with the practical side of things. I recieved help with interview clothe, to the sum of nearly £100. Labour has done a lot to ensure it is actually easier to get work, and also to ensure that you are better off working

"It was Maggie T who threw open the doors of the open university and encouraged people into education again."

Really? More details please

The OU was Harold Wilson's project ffs. Thatcher did stop Ted Heath's govt from scrapping the OU in 1970, it's true.

Labour did not 'force' me back into the workplace but instead made it much easier for me to do.

The lone parent advisors were a godsend for me.

"Erm, labour do this already "

I know, but the OP was asking about the conservatives.

"And 7 years old is hardly a young child"

Again the OP said her child is 18 months.

"I am a single parent and bloody terrified of a tory government."

That's your fear, not everyone else's.

There is no money.

Countries pretending there is money end up looking like Greece.

You need to vote for a party which is realistic about the fact that there is NO money in the kitty now, or for a long time in the future. Don't waste your vote on anyone who pretends this is not the case.

If you want to protect your child and yourself, do what Expat says and get that education and earning power under your belt asap before you are trapped.

And work out who is going to leave you with the best value for your hard earned wage at the end of the week when you do earn over the next few years. It is purely a financial decision for you to make the best future for you & DS.

ie least net tax on earnings - (NICs and Income tax & tax credits) & savings (income tax) & expenditure (VAT)

"So all those lone parents with 7-11-year-old children who are now on JSA get to go back on Income Support under Tory leaders if they get elected, rather than 'helped' to train or find jobs?
"

I didn't say that.

"And there will be no changes to their child tax credits? "

No changes under £50k, as I said.

"Again, how is this a bad thing???"

Because a lot of single mums wanted to stay home with their children and not be forced to attend LPA meetings and be made to feel like a lesser woman because they weren't juggling parenthood and raising their child.

"The OU was Harold Wilson's project ffs. Thatcher did stop Ted Heath's govt from scrapping the OU in 1970, it's true. "

Yep, she threw them the lifeline to stay open.

A bit misleading to give her the credit for the OU then really, when it was a labour idea and her tory colleagues wanted to axe it!

Let me give you my experience Bertiebotts.
I had my dd when I was a full time uni student. I recieved help at uni, didn't pay fees as my family are poor, and the university has an 'access to learning' fund through which you can recieve grants for essentials throughout the year. When I graduted, I went on income support in the summer, and when I started full time work in September, when dd was 2.5, I recieved working tax credits, including a bonus for working more thna 30 hours, as well as the childcare element, which was 80% of my nursery fees iirc. Without that help, I wouldn't have been able to afford to work.

I then went on to have ds with a partner who turned out to be an arse and left when I was pg. Thanks to labour I was entitled to a year maternity leave, 39 weeks of which were paid, which was a godsend to me as I had PND. I was made redundant just before I was due to go back. I am now on income support while I look for work.
At my job centre, I have a lone parent advisor I can call anytime who will help me with any aspect of getting back to work. As I already sad, I recieved interview clothes, and they will also help find childcare should I need it, both for the interview, and when I find a job. They pay for 2 days iirc, so you can find a nursery or childminder right for you without being out of pocket.

So you know what? Labour are far from perfect. But, the way my life has gone the last 7 year, I'm bloody grateful to have lived under a Labour government rather than a tory one.

"Labour did not 'force' me back into the workplace but instead made it much easier for me to do.

The lone parent advisors were a godsend for me. "

Good for you, a lot of single mums have come to me in tears because they feel a failure for putting their children into childcare and being too knackered at the end of the day to spend quality time with their children.

Some mothers don't want to 'have it all' they want to stay at home with their children and bake cookies etc, without a LPA breathing down their necks.

Because a lot of single mums wanted to stay home with their children and not be forced to attend LPA meetings and be made to feel like a lesser woman because they weren't juggling parenthood and raising their child.

This is bollocks atlantis and you knwo it. A LPA meeting is scheduled evry 6 months. Hardly excessive is it. And they have never made me feel a lesser woman fgs

But they wont be at home with their children when the child is 7 and goes to School?

To the OP, it's your decision who you vote for and I guess the sensible thing is to vote for the party whose policies you like.

However, though it's not clear what will be done, whoever gets in - I am not happy about the conservative view of single parents either historically or now.

Margaret Thatcher thought single mothers would be better off in a charity care home. David Cameron bangs on about 'people who have done the right thing'. I take that to mean that he intends to penalise single parents. Cynical perhaps, but I would never vote conservative.....although to be fair that would be the case whether I was a single parent or not.

LPAs do not breathe down your neck fgs. You are very misinformed. Noone is being forced to work. The one thing I would like labour to change though is making childcare element only available if you work more than 16 hours. That is very limiting to some women

"David Cameron bangs on about 'people who have done the right thing'. "

Well she is doing the right thing isn't she, she doesn't want to sit on benefits with no intention to work, she wants to continue her education, to get a decent job and income for her family and to be a tax payer in the future, the OP is exactly who DC is talking about.

"You are very misinformed."

I'm not 'very misinformed' I had one, my friends have them, they are a bloody nightmare with their disapproving looks and their 'well you don't really want a job, do you? , quite happy to stay on benefits aren't you? ' attitude.