A message from Harriet Harman - Minister for Women and Equality - how is the credit crunch/recession is affecting you and how do you think Government can help?

[JustineMumsnet]

Harriet Harman writes:
We want to protect families from the credit crunch with real help. And we want to hear what Mumsnet are concerned about during this recession; what you want us to be doing about it; and what you want to see changed for the future. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is hosting an international Economic Summit in London (which President Obama will be coming to) in April to agree with other countries how we work together to get the global economy back on its feet and growing again. I want to hear from you and feed your views in to this summit.

Opinion polls tell us that women are more concerned about the impact of the recession than men, is that your view?
Is the recession affecting your family life and if so how?
Are you getting the advice and information you need if you ask for help?
What do you want to see government doing to help with that?
What do you think about bonuses?
How can we help women who want to start their own businesses?

The new-deal in the US has some terrible stories attached to it. Women forced to leave their kids in state childcare to tak any job offered - be it in an abbortoir or sleazy bar. Forcing women with young children into work is not the answer if we want to invest in a postitive future. Being a mother does not have to mean a lifetime of domesticity, but being part of the workforce shouldn't mean having to forsake your children in their most vulnerable years. There has to be a better way than simply forcing women in to (already unstatisfactory) male roles. New ground has to be tilled here.

I actually hate the 'choice' culture too as it's generally a poverty of choice - what's needed is quality of choice not quantity.

What a clever lady HH is, getting Mumsnetters to come up with ideas for her job.

Oh, please, no more cynicism please. Drowning in it.

I) Child care. I earn 70K per Annum (take home 4K per month) and pay 2K per month in childcare. Combined nursery, afterschool club and AP. Please please make this all tax deductable. I am not eligible for family credit.
2) As a minimum make it mandatory that companies have to enable employees to benefit from the current 217 tax free vouchers for childcare. My current employer does not.
3) Provide some route for mums whose DS skips off into the sunset able to get maintenance without a costly court case. The CSA are not interested in helping if you are not on benefit.
4) The unemployed provide support on a sliding scale of years contributed in = money out. Someone who has paid tax and NI for 20 years should be entitled to more than some asylum seeker who just turns up here.

On the subject of bankers and bonuses. For Banks who have been propped up by copius of tax payers cash no single person should receive more than an £350K bonus. Any more quite frankly is disgusting and insulting. Be brave and do an 'Obama" !!

LoveBuckets It's her job she should be representing the people and asking us, her public. 90% of us often don't get a say, as we are too busy Not having it all but doing it all.

I will answer the question belatedly.

Opinion polls tell us that women are more concerned about the impact of the recession than men, is that your view?

Depends which women you are asking. I am WOHM, main breadwinner, but have access to other research that comforts me in some small way, in respect of the health of the economy (or perhaps my industry, if I think about it). I wish the media did less doom-mongering, more balanced reporting.

Is the recession affecting your family life and if so how?

Not at all. The sky could fall in.

Are you getting the advice and information you need if you ask for help?

Company offers a package of counseling, retraining costs in the event of redundancy. I think trying to claim benefits you are entitled to is a nightmare though.

What do you want to see government doing to help with that?

Coherence.

What do you think about bonuses?

I think that hardworking people who have tried to achieve company objectives (in thrall of the Master Plan) should have some sort of bonus. Those senior people who have behaved as if bonuses are a given should have a very hard look at themselves. With dimishing shareholder returns, how can any company pay bonuses? Bonuses are VERY short term, and the awards have only belatedly started to reflect stakeholder concerns.

How can we help women who want to start their own businesses?

Childcare help subsidised. But a hobby is not a revenue generating business, unless you identify the niche. I am asking if a curtain making business, in which you are happy and working full time, holds the same value as working a few hours stacking Tesco shelve and looking after children - earning the same amount of money.

So is HH, who still hasn't come back to this thread, really interested in our views?
Or are we merely pawns in her political manoeuvring?

The default position in a society like ours has to be that adults WORK and support themselves financially surely?

Can we free people to get back to work before we start thinking about how we subsidise people to stay at home and parent?

One step at a time...we just muddy the debate by simultaneously demanding the right to access work (without crippling childcare bills) and the right to stay at home.

Personally I don't think women are going to have equality until gender is taken out of the childcare equation ('maternity' leave) and parenting is seen as the responsibility of both/either parents (however they structure it), with working practises that support that.

That's why businesses started by working parents who want to balance being economically productive and being good parents are SO important.

You could argue that the lack of imagination in having a 9-6 working day is the enemy (rather than lack of wraparound childcare). You'd think kids were invented yesterday.

Hi Julesnobrain - I'm in a similar situation to you (salary, childcare)... but about to be made redundant. I was born and educated in the UK but, unfortunately, because I chose to live and work overseas for the first 10 years of my life, my lack of NI contributions means I won't even qualify for jobseekers allowance. In the few years I have been back in the UK I have probably paid more tax than many, but at the moment am facing the prospect of selling up and returning overseas because I don't qualify for any assistance here. The worst thing of this is that my kid will lose contact with her family, possibly permanently (elderly grandparents that cant manage the trip down under). I hear what you're saying about asylum seekers but the NI ruling has hit me very hard.

Totally agree with you on bonuses though

she was never on the thread

Actually I wasn't being cynical at all! I think Mumsnet is a gateway to lots of state-of-the-nation info, not to mention innovative ideas and wisdom from experience. If I had an important public office I'd be on MN even more than I am as a SAHM!

This week I filled in a YouGov poll about voting preferences (along the lines of: which of these issues would make you vote / not vote for x/y/z party...).

Childcare didn't appear on the (very long) list of issues.

Interesting as it's probably mentioned by a third of respondents here.

I'd like to thank everyone who has posted their views on this thread. It has reinforced in my mind that we shouldn't make policy without a Mumsnet check first! It's more than evident that many of you are really apprehensive about what the effect of the global economic recession will be on your family. I just want to emphasise that we will do everything that is in our power to sort all this out as quickly as we possibly can.

I take the many points about childcare, and the worries about the position of people with savings. Please keep posting your comments and views. We are reading them all - though a weekend away means I am only up to Monday!

All the thoughts will be fed into a debate we are having to mark International Women's Day in the House of Commons on March 5th. It will also be used for the background papers for the London Summit of the G20 that Gordon Brown is hosting on April 2nd (President Obama will be at that too so will get the benefit of your views!)

Just to let you know that the Government has produced a helpful booklet which you can see online - it's called 'Real help now for people and for business'. You can find it at www.direct.gov.uk/realhelp

And in the next couple of weeks we will produce a version drawing on this thread called 'Real help now for women and families'. Thanks

Part of me is strangely optimistic about the recession and hope that perhaps we will all get a little shake up and revaluate how we live our lives. Another part of me is worried about losing our jobs and the struggle we may face. We are about to have a third child and you can?t help but wonder what type of world they will be coming into.

It?s not really making me change our ways as I think we are generally cautious in our spending (not had a holiday for about 8 years) and spending a small fortune on childcare in London so we can both work.

Not keen on bonuses.

Main impact of recession for us has been that it is unlikely that we will be able to move house this summer as previously planned in order to get dd1 in preferred primary school (we weren't looking to upgrade just move area but can't see us being able to sell our flat). We will have to leave our childminder who both dd1 and we adore so some real emotional upheaval for our children (and us!).

Would like childcare vouchers tax free allowance increased substantially - even with both mine and dh's employer providing them the tax free element will only cover about half of our childcare costs when I return to work from mat leave.

Would like bigger push from Government to give flexible working options to employees. I work for big organisation who on the surface look like big supporter of flexible working for parents but reality is completely different. HR director (a mother herself!) has been heard saying that she doesn't believe in part-time/flexible working for parents! Okay not directly related to recession but if I can do ft hrs over 4 days big childcare saving.

Bonuses - tricky one - looking at the big picture I do think that it is immoral for banks who have received govt money to be paying out bonuses to staff. However both dh and I work for financial institutions and either of us getting bonus would have made a big difference this year as I would be able to take full year of maternity leave rather than having to go back next month when dd2 is 9 mths (I know lots have to go back earlier so shouldn't complain).

As it is both of us were told months ago (before media hype) that our divisions would not be receiving bonus because of current economic climate. DH works for the bank which is constantly in the news and I work for a division of the one which 'saved it'. We were both holding onto shares we had in both institutions for a 'rainy day' and now they're worth peanuts. Both of us work extremely hard while trying to ensure that kids see as much of us as poss, with hindsight I cannot believe how many nights and weekends I worked at home with the work laptop (while heavily pregnant) last year and now seeing no reward. However we are both just very relieved to have jobs just now and hold on to the fact that whatever happens we have each other and if our jobs do go there is always the in-laws spare room! Its really hard for people who have worked for the banks for years and years and have come to rely on their annual bonus and then don't get one this year. In the press people have been asking why the banks don't just put up people's wages rather than give them a bonus every year but it costs more to put up salaries - it commits the company to paying that amount all the time whether performance is good or bad, a sum of money paid by bonus can't count towards a company pension or be included in any sharesave/rewards scheme so it is actually cheaper to pay bonuses. The media have really blown this out of proportion (ok the people getting massive bonuses should be targeted but you just know that this is going to affect the staff who would normally get bonuses of a few hundred/thousand £'s).

BTW the banks have stated to staff that the number one aim for 2009 is to pay the Govt back so they're not about to start lending anytime soon.

I don't know if I've answered any of the questions but the rant has done me the power of good! Off to play with my beautiful children and wait for my DH to get home - whatever happens financially we'll recover in 5/10/15 years time, at least in the meantime we have our health and each other!

Dear Harriet Harman, Thank you for your reply. Please do not let the male power brokers ride rough shot over our opinions and ideas for improving the state of the country. Regards Starbear

Opinion polls tell us that women are more concerned about the impact of the recession than men, is that your view?
Not necessarily, but in our house I am the one who has been made redundant, while pregnant, so YES i am the one who does the worrying... DH thankfully still has a great job!

Is the recession affecting your family life and if so how?
Have been made redundant, was turned down for JSA as haven't paid enough NI (been back in the UK for just under 2 years), cannot find another job as baby due in 9 weeks. Waiting to hear re Maternity Allowance - if we don't get that we're in trouble... Aaargh!

Are you getting the advice and information you need if you ask for help?
Not really - the Job Centre staff mean well but don't have a clue about how to deal with a maternity case.

What do you want to see government doing to help with that?
Childcare assistance will be great - without childcare I can't go back to work, without work I can't pay for childcare... it's a vicious circle.

What do you think about bonuses?
If they're deserved - then fine. If they're going to bankers who have needed a bailout from MY tax money, NOT fine!!

How can we help women who want to start their own businesses?
Assistance in getting loans from the banks, possible training in how to run a small business, childcare help while working, tax credits for those who need help in the first few (difficult) years...

Thank you for your reply Harriet and thank you for giving us all the opportunity to have our say.

.

Opinion polls tell us that women are more concerned about the impact of the recession than men, is that your view?

We are both worried.

Is the recession affecting your family life and if so how?

I am working full time. I planned to return part time but DH's job is not as secure and I want to be in work if the worst happens for him.

Harriet

You say "All the thoughts will be fed into a debate we are having to mark International Women's Day in the House of Commons on March 5th. It will also be used for the background papers for the London Summit of the G20 that Gordon Brown is hosting on April 2nd "

I'd love to get some idea of how ideas such as these are then translated into such agenda. I am a post grad student (and mum to pre-schooler!) and my work is all centred around women and social policy (my actual area of specialisation when to comes to my PhD will be around rape prosecution policy). Is there any way that I could possibly 'sit in' on these processes. Not sure how that could work of course as I am far north, but if there is any way I'd jump at the chance to see this work in action.

Thanks.

sorry - hijack over - forgive my impertinence MN towers

As a childminder, I have the following points to make.

Childminders are unfairly excluded from claiming the Working Family Tax credit for their own children. We are the only profession that is specifically excluded. If we have children under 8 years old, our ratios are automatically reduced by OFSTED, so our children effectively take up a full-time childcare place. Even if we send our childrem to another childcare setting, they still count under our numbers, but we are not allowed to claim for them.

Please DON'T subsidise childcare! Childminders and Nannies never benefit from these subsidies because they are always applied to institutional childcare. I'm sick of seeing my own taxes being used to put me and other childminders out of business.