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Original poster

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

177 replies

BertieBotts · 02/05/2010 16:53

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?

OP posts:
smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 19:35

Shall I tell you the worst part expat?
He only ever worked part time anyway. The shop he worked in closed last August and he hasn't bothered to find another job. His reason? He is no worse off on benefits, and he begrudges paying his 15% to the CSA. Absolute knob. Shame I realsied it too late and my son will grow up knowing what a tool his own dad is

newyorkshire · 02/05/2010 19:35

You should vote for who best fits into what you feel passionately about.

However, as a single parent myself I will not be voting conservative for about a million and one reasons. Here is just one reason:

Their historical bashing of single parents and blaming single parents for a broken society. For the words so strongly spat out of their mouths about us leading the country down the 'road of hell', accusing us of all being liars, scroungers, and cheats.

Their married person tax allowance sums it up on that score. They even admit themselves, it's the message that the married tax allowance sends out which is important, not the actual cash .

colditz · 02/05/2010 19:36

being called in to see a LP advisor is NOT being forced back to work.

Having your benefits stopped is being forced back to work.

atlantis · 02/05/2010 19:36

"Unless you mean a bi annual appointment to discuss the help available for working mothers"

'help' is not a word I would use, the 'your child will be fine in nursery, you should be setting an example..' dogma leave some in tears.

expatinscotland · 02/05/2010 19:36

'how about they support people to stay at home with children until they start school so that the 'ground work' is done, '

how is that fair when some people don't have children, but would love to be 'supported' to do other ground work that's important to them or their families, like care for an elderly relative or dying relative; who don't have children at all; who don't feel they need to stay home and bake cupcakes to 'bond'?

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 02/05/2010 19:37

What utter tosh

Being called in for an appointment to discuss returning to work is not force

cutting benefits is
and the Tories plan to do that 2 years earlier than Labour

MoreCrackThanHarlem · 02/05/2010 19:39

So Labour force women into work by making them cry?

twinkerbell · 02/05/2010 19:41

it was actually a question? lol

but good point. but the system is already unfair because in some cases its made easier for single mums to stay at home with children when coupled mums don't often have that choice unless they are lucky enough have a partner earns enough.

Original poster
BertieBotts · 02/05/2010 19:41

AntoinetteOurad, I haven't asked anyone who to vote for, I just asked for opinions, I'm not stupid, I know everyone is going to have a bias of one side or another. And I have been onto the parties' websites and read their manifestos but they are very vague.

OP posts:
colditz · 02/05/2010 19:45

is it absolutely unthinkable that single parents be told that there is another option other than sitting at home until your last child goes to school?

If I had been made to feel 'supported' in this, I would not have felt supported in seeking work.

colditz · 02/05/2010 19:45

is it absolutely unthinkable that single parents be told that there is another option other than sitting at home until your last child goes to school?

If I had been made to feel 'supported' in this, I would not have felt supported in seeking work.

Original poster
BertieBotts · 02/05/2010 19:47

No I think that the LPAs are good if you do want to work. And twice a year isn't too bad, if you don't.

OP posts:
Original poster
BertieBotts · 02/05/2010 19:48

But they should present the options rather than having an agenda.

OP posts:
colditz · 02/05/2010 19:50

Mine never had an agenda. She gave me the options, pointing out that if I managed to find a job to suit the childcare available to my family, I would be financially better off.

SamanthaFox · 02/05/2010 19:51

I wonder whether this is still the policy.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 19:52

Absolutely.
But lets be fair, their aim is ultimately to get single parents back to work. As far as an agenda goes, that's really not criminal.
All I can say to them making people cry is a simple and a for good measure

colditz · 02/05/2010 19:53

Some people cry extremely easily. That does not make the person they are crying at a bully.

Janos · 02/05/2010 19:53

I don't think the intention of LPAs is to force women of pre-school age children back to work at all.

One of my friends is in this position. Now she is unemployed and actually does want get back to work part time. Paraphrasing a little, but she's been told more or less that she just needs to turn up, sign on and she can keep getting benefits.

Obviously that's one person..and amecdotal.. but I don't think her experience is unusual.

SamanthaFox · 02/05/2010 19:54

I think single parents who want to home educate are in for a tough time whatever.

Chil1234 · 02/05/2010 19:55

I should declare my colours. As a single parent in a full-time job, paying a mortgage, running a car ... all the normal stuff... I have been routinely worse off every time Gordon Brown made a budget speech. Every time I do one of those online 'how will the budget affect you?' quizzes, I find out it'll make me a few quid poorer each month. Whether I'll be any better of under the Tories is debatable but I know I'll definitely be worse off under Labour... because I already am.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 19:57

Samanthafox, the point is, there is no point in forcing anyone to work 'once their child reaches X age.'
Not least because, well, where are all these jobs going to suddenly come from?!
And flexible working needs to become the norm rather than the exception, which I'm sure we'll agree, will never happen

colditz · 02/05/2010 19:58

The only single parents who may actually NEED to home educate are single parents of disabled children, who are entitled to stay at home on Income Support until that child is 18, or their youngest non-disabled child reaches 7 years old, whichever happens last.

Home educating is a luxury lifestyle afforded by precious few people. You cannot expect everyone else to fund an indulgent lifestyle for you will the taxes they pay if 80% of them couldn't afford to do it themselves. Disabled children sometimes need to stay at home. NT children do not benefit from such isolation and enclosure.

smallishsheep · 02/05/2010 19:59

In what way worse off chil? When I worked full time, it was only the tax credits and the childcare help that came with that that made it financially viable for me to work. I can't see how that can make someone worse off, unless you have no dc in childcare, or earn over the threshholds?

SamanthaFox · 02/05/2010 20:14

Colditz your last point is nonsense, it really doesn't bear out. Plenty of NT children benefit from being taught at home. One might argue that a massive number of them do very badly indeed from being at school.
Isolation? Enclosure? Sorry, but don't make me laugh! What do you actually know about HE?

amicissima · 02/05/2010 20:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.