Gingerbread launches a 3 year campaign to help lone parents back into work

[FrothyDragon]

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As one of these lone parents currently trying to get back into work, I'm waiting to see how this plays out. My biggest hurdle so far is finding flexible enough childcare so that I don't have to be dashing back from work at 2:30 to get to my son's school on time, or finding anything permanent in our town in the first place. Even my son's after school club can't help, as they don't take reception children at all.

Just wondering what other struggles need to be addressed for lone parents going back to work?

Child care costs. Last time I was working, the cut in tax credits from 70 to 60% meant I was paying to work.

I'm SE at the moment, applied for a job last week which I think I got, but having done the sums, I may not be able to afford to take it.

Frog, definitely agree on the childcare costs. I'm lucky that DS is of school age now, but had I been looking at returning to work beforehand, we'd have worked out worse off with me in work than we would have on benefits.

Hope the job goes well for you; It's horrible that we really have to think "can we afford this job" at any point in the working cycle.

Childcare for voluntary work ,paid work and pt college courses.Cover all these options and women aren't so restricted from finding work. It isn't difficult to work out. Also let people stay on income support if they are studying and gaining new skills. Freaks the shit out of people to give up housing benefit & in my opinion if people are trying to gain new skills they should be encouraged.I know full time college has funding but due to childcare not everyone can take that option .But yeah free good quality childcare for those that need it.

Or, revolutionary thought, state-funded childcare on a seriously stepping scale? Like in Europe, where you pay according to your revenues. So if you have little pay, you pay little childcare.

When I came back to England, I struggled so much as a lone parent in terms of childcare. It hardly paid to work. This is why so many lone parents don't/can't/struggle with the concept.

Maybe an option for single parents to go to University and stay on benefits whilst they do? This also works elsewhere, and any cost in benefits to the government is offset by them finally getting a better paid job?