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Single parents 'must look for work' when children start school

9K views 269 replies 71 participants last post by  Horse and Hound 
#1 ·
One announcement from chancellor George Osborne that seems to have been quietly reported (almost whispered) is the change to benefits for lone parents. Mr Osborne said the government expects lone parents to look for work when their youngest child goes to school.

Currently lone parents who are claiming income support benefit do not have to start looking for employment until their youngest child reaches the age of ten.

The former Labour government had caused controversy when it announced plans to reduce this age limit to seven, but under the changes announced yesterday, lone parents who are not actively looking for work once their youngest child is in school will see their payments stopped.

Most children start school at around five years of age and in some cases can be as young as four when they enter primary education.
 
#2 ·
I too expect lone parents to look for work when their youngest child starts school. It's called supporting your children and is something I thought every parent felt quite strongly about.

My mum's a single parent and worked part time as far back as I can remember, she went full time when my youngest sibling went to school, I thought this was normal?!
 
#3 ·
that`s all great in writing but how realistic is it for many people??? there`s not a lot of jobs willing to hire people just during school hours and what about school holidays?? i can`t see many employers allowing people to take every holiday off.

i realise in most cases people will have family to help out with childcare so it can be done BUT in my case (assuming i was a single parent) i live away from all my family and friends and only have 1 person down here who could look after my daughter and even then she has a life of her own so could only do it on the odd occasion. i know a lot of people in a similar situation too, it`s just not viable to suggest bringing in a stranger to look after the child as it`s too costly and not only that but there`s also so many cases of abuse these days
 
#4 ·
One announcement from chancellor George Osborne that seems to have been quietly reported (almost whispered) is the change to benefits for lone parents. Mr Osborne said the government expects lone parents to look for work when their youngest child goes to school.

Currently lone parents who are claiming income support benefit do not have to start looking for employment until their youngest child reaches the age of ten.

The former Labour government had caused controversy when it announced plans to reduce this age limit to seven, but under the changes announced yesterday, lone parents who are not actively looking for work once their youngest child is in school will see their payments stopped.

Most children start school at around five years of age and in some cases can be as young as four when they enter primary education.
From next September children in our area will be starting school at 3! I know this because I work in a Pre-School and we were sent memos from Shropshire CC, going to have a huge impact on our little setting :( Not to mention lumping children in to a situation they arent ready for :(

As for making single parents parents look for work? Whats wrong with that? nothing stopping them working part time, and there's lots of childcare options out there, which they will get help with if they claim tax credits.

Time the government clamped down on the scroungers, I see lots of single parents who claim in my job, they can afford fancy clothes, nice hairdos, they can afford to go out at the weekend ( some I know can even afford drugs on their benefits! ) They can't afford to pay their childcare fees though! Hmmm funny that. Nope it's about time they stopped the scroungers, single parents & couples
 
#5 ·
nothing wrong but i would like to know how i'm supposed to study too. I'll go out and get a job and probably end up having to have my children semi-supported by the state forever more, or i can continue studying and make a real career to support my family.

oh well, i cant change it, so i'll have to live with it! tw@ts
 
#6 ·
lots of young girls have babie's these days ''Just to get a Council and more benefits'' I know that comment will upset people but I know in some cases it's True....They'll have a Bloody shock when they have to look for a Shock/Horror a JOB and actually WORK and pay Rent/council Tax like the rest of us.:scared:poor souls ..............


But actually being realistic of the way things are at the min....Have the Government actually said WHERE These Jobs that will have to be got can be Found????????


There MORE Children starting school than available Jobs out there :confused1:
 
#7 ·
I think parents should be made to look for work, it not fair on the rest of us that have to pay our own way. I couldnt have a child now even if I wanted to without leaving my job and going on benefits which is not something I would ever do.

Why should the rest of us work when (SOME) not all people have kids for the sake of getting extra money. (I have no problem with people who have worked and then had children etc) but I do have a problem wih the people who do it deliberatly so they can sit about all day and get paid for it.

The problem is there are very few jobs around for parents who do want to go back to work and support their families which is something that needs to be sorted out if this is going to work, they need to set up some kind of 'getting back into work' scheme with jobs at the end of it for these people but hay is that going to happen............probably not so around we go again :(
 
#8 ·
The Government on 1 hand go on about The Umemployment Crisis THEN Say this.. I do agree with this latest propsal BUT WHERE are all of the EXTRA JOBS Coming from ???????

They Seem to come up with these idea's but don't think of the much bigger picture.
 
#11 ·
From next September children in our area will be starting school at 3! I know this because I work in a Pre-School and we were sent memos from Shropshire CC, going to have a huge impact on our little setting :( Not to mention lumping children in to a situation they arent ready for :(

As for making single parents parents look for work? Whats wrong with that? nothing stopping them working part time, and there's lots of childcare options out there, which they will get help with if they claim tax credits.

Time the government clamped down on the scroungers, I see lots of single parents who claim in my job, they can afford fancy clothes, nice hairdos, they can afford to go out at the weekend ( some I know can even afford drugs on their benefits! ) They can't afford to pay their childcare fees though! Hmmm funny that. Nope it's about time they stopped the scroungers, single parents & couples
OMG thats totally shocking !!!!! My lad went at 4 and a couple of months and he was nowhere near ready !!!! I know they have been whispering about this "extended schooling" business since i was Chair at out local pre school. I think its an awful idea, stealing their childhood :mad: Makes me so angry :mad: My daughter is 4 at Christmas so will go next September and she will just about be ready, i would hate her to have missed out on this last year at home with me, she goes to Pre school a bit but we also spend alot of time in the park and chatting about stuff and generally learning as we go, today we went to Wood Green Animal Shelter (i took the child i mind aswell because they love it)
I cant believe they want to institutionalise our babies :( They should be going LATER like other countries NOT earlier :mad: OMG i could rant all day about this :mad: :mad: :mad: This will cost MORE money when Mums who chose to stay at home are quite capable of having their kids AT HOME !!!!!

I feel for single parents too as school hours do not make getting a decent job very easy and the price of decent childcare is expensive and hard to find just in the school holidays. You are looking at minimum of £50 a DAY during holidays if you have 2 kids and thats just to send them to a sports club so not that same as a childminder which would cost around £70 a day !!!!
 
#12 ·
How many employers will be prepared to give 12 weeks holiday a year plus inset days etc as well as sudden time off because the child is ill? :confused::
Exactly, its not as easy as it sounds for a single parent to just go and get a job that would support their family financially AND make all the allowances needed for a parent bringing up young children :(

People are LOSING jobs at the moment :rolleyes: It's not like there are loads of jobs earning £25k a year doing just school hours ;)
 
#13 ·
How do I as a single parent, with 2 kids, living in North Norfolk, find myself a job that is between the hours of 9:30 and 14:30. I have very few qualifications, the jobs that are about are in supermarkets but they don't do school hours.

Everybody is either closing down or relocating round here, I also have mental health problems which makes it very difficult to be in situations under stress.

I do have family, but they have problems of their own, I suppose I could rely on my 13 year old son to babysit his brother, but then I'd have Social services on my doorstep.

I could ask my ex mother in law if she would look after my boys but she is under no obligation to look after my youngest as he is no relation to her.

If the government came up with some sort of training program to help me re integrate in to the real world and cope with my mental health that would be brilliant, but I can't see it happening.
 
#14 ·
its good in theory,but as said before what about school holidays etc? Jobs arent that flexible

Also, very few mums will even get backto work as they would have to take a job which covered their rent, CT etc and very few minimum wage jobs will
 
#15 ·
Its gonna be hard enough to find a job in the first place for a single parent!
If i was a single parent i have no one to help with childcare and would have to rely on afterschool clubs etc and would need every holiday off due to lack of childcare ALSO employters take into consideration the length of time u have been out of work!
For example my OH has had a few probs with his van and without a van he has no business so he contacted an agency for temp work for a couple of weeks and they said they only take people on their books if they have been employed in the last 6months! Self employment does not count. So to them he is basically unepmloyable:eek:
I have had 2 years off work having my 2 boys so just imagine how hard it would be for me to find work now?
 
#17 ·
OMG thats totally shocking !!!!! My lad went at 4 and a couple of months and he was nowhere near ready !!!! I know they have been whispering about this "extended schooling" business since i was Chair at out local pre school. I think its an awful idea, stealing their childhood :mad: Makes me so angry :mad: My daughter is 4 at Christmas so will go next September and she will just about be ready, i would hate her to have missed out on this last year at home with me, she goes to Pre school a bit but we also spend alot of time in the park and chatting about stuff and generally learning as we go, today we went to Wood Green Animal Shelter (i took the child i mind aswell because they love it)
I cant believe they want to institutionalise our babies :( They should be going LATER like other countries NOT earlier :mad: OMG i could rant all day about this :mad: :mad: :mad: This will cost MORE money when Mums who chose to stay at home are quite capable of having their kids AT HOME !!!!!

I feel for single parents too as school hours do not make getting a decent job very easy and the price of decent childcare is expensive and hard to find just in the school holidays. You are looking at minimum of £50 a DAY during holidays if you have 2 kids and thats just to send them to a sports club so not that same as a childminder which would cost around £70 a day !!!!
My children went to preschool, (on site of the school they now attend) 1/2 days 5 days a week from the age of three. If anything, i think this has helped them. They already have friendships and know the teachers. When they then moved on to reception class, they were eased into school life they were not expected to sit at a table all day to learn, they are taught through play.

As for the new single parent must work laws, i can see both sides, i was raised in a single parent household, where i watched my mum struggle to find work and had to leave me a lot with family members.

It is diffiult a job which will allow parents the holiday time.
Although i am not a single parent, i do work partime only because i can not get a job that will let me be flexible enough. I had to take a day off last week as one of my kids was poorly, i was deducted a days pay as I do not recieve sick pay. This one days wages was sorely needed.
 
#18 ·
I can see that it could be difficult working and looking after children, i do think and this is by no means every mother that if there was no money coming in to stay at home then working, a job would be looked at very differently, i stayed at home with my children even when they went to school, i had no intention of working until they were old/able enough to come home from school without me been at home. The difference was we didnt get paid for being a stay at home mum in them days.
 
#19 · (Edited)
My Daughter has two kids and has always held down a job to support them :thumbup:

The one she has now is not the best job going (she works in a truck stop cafe) , she's on minimum wage , but its good honest work and she likes the people she works with and the customers are always friendly
The government help her with child-care , and the school have a Breakfast club where kids can go if their parents need to get to work , again for a small fee
She makes sure the kids have nice clothes , and at least once a week she treats them to a day out , sometimes , if money is really tight , its nothing more than a walk to their local beach & a picnic (10 minutes away) , it doesnt matter the kids love it ... she doesnt have the latest clothes, only gets her hair done when she comes home and see's her best friend who is a hairdresser & has to save for luxuries (she just recently managed to save enough for a second hand laptop , which she is over the moon about , lol)

It makes me furious that some people are sitting on their backsides expecting the government to hand them everything on a plate , I'll bet if you looked in their homes you'd see x-boxes , wide screen tv's the latest ipods and other electronics , all bought from dole money

In a longwinded way im saying im pleased that the scroungers will now have to get off their a***** and do for their kids what my Daughters been doing for hers all their lives :)
 
#20 ·
that`s all great in writing but how realistic is it for many people??? there`s not a lot of jobs willing to hire people just during school hours and what about school holidays?? i can`t see many employers allowing people to take every holiday off.

i realise in most cases people will have family to help out with childcare so it can be done BUT in my case (assuming i was a single parent) i live away from all my family and friends and only have 1 person down here who could look after my daughter and even then she has a life of her own so could only do it on the odd occasion. i know a lot of people in a similar situation too, it`s just not viable to suggest bringing in a stranger to look after the child as it`s too costly and not only that but there`s also so many cases of abuse these days
Thats ok, as long as you are trying to look for work.....not your fault if they are discriminate against parents. I agree that lone parents should look for work as soon as their youngest is at school. They arent asking for them to go full time and I do believe that they will be bringing something in later to make companys support this and to give parents the time off they need during school holidays.
 
#21 ·
How about this then just as a suggestion, and as I said just a suggestion and more of a thought - and one not been thought out totally so not meant to offend or otherwise, please note!


How about instead of working if not possible but volunteering work. ie in their kids school - they could be helping with the reading, extra maths help, dinner ladies etc.


Volunteering in hospitals, Care Homes etc.....

Thoughts?
 
#22 ·
I worked when my children were little - but because it had to be during school hours and in termtime, you`re a bit limited, tbh. I did cleaning and cafe work, but neither would have been enough to pay for child care so I could continue through school holidays.
So while I think it is a good idea, it needs to go alongside affordable child care in school holidays etc/
 
G
#23 · (Edited)
Well this is hardly gonna achieve what they are hoping is it?
I mean seriously!
Look at the flaws!
The only people who will be affected are the genuine ones who want to return to work anyway! They will likely be pushed into a dead end job with no prosects of bettering themselves!

And as for the spongers! WELL we all know what will happen there! The monenst little johnny is ready for school" hey presto they'll drop another!

Never realized a political party could be so bloody naive!
And to think I have been conservative all my life!
Guess this muppet just woke me up to how bloody stupid they are!!! Pity someone dont wake him!

DT
 
#24 ·
My children went to preschool, (on site of the school they now attend) 1/2 days 5 days a week from the age of three. If anything, i think this has helped them. They already have friendships and know the teachers. When they then moved on to reception class, they were eased into school life they were not expected to sit at a table all day to learn, they are taught through play.

As for the new single parent must work laws, i can see both sides, i was raised in a single parent household, where i watched my mum struggle to find work and had to leave me a lot with family members.

It is diffiult a job which will allow parents the holiday time.
Although i am not a single parent, i do work partime only because i can not get a job that will let me be flexible enough. I had to take a day off last week as one of my kids was poorly, i was deducted a days pay as I do not recieve sick pay. This one days wages was sorely needed.
Like i said my daughter attends pre school but its optional and nothing like the institution that school is :) If kids went into a more pre school type environment at 4/5 and then a "Reception" based environment at 6 like they do in other countries that fair far better than we do in terms of education figures i don't think they would miss out at all. Where are the classrooms going to come from to accomodate this extra year considering they just slashed the spending on school buildings :scared:

Having said that why the hell if we are so hard up as a country is the Government paying for 15 hours of free childcare for all 3 yr olds (and 2 yr olds in some areas) while their Mums are at home not working or studying ??? They can get all the socialisation they need from local Toddler groups with Mum taking them. To me its just a luxury the country cant afford at the moment and they have just increased the hours :confused:
 
#25 ·
With the price of childcare I can sometimes see why some peeps stay off work.Not ideal I know. However if we decide to have children we must do our best.I always did stuff from home ,things I could sell etc. There is always something you know more about than someone else.Use your skills to earn whilst looking after your kids.

Jaxx
 
#26 ·
With the price of childcare I can sometimes see why some peeps stay off work.Not ideal I know. However if we decide to have children we must do our best.I always did stuff from home ,things I could sell etc. There is always something you know more about than someone else.Use your skills to earn whilst looking after your kids.

Jaxx
Thats why i do the Childminding but i understand thats not for everyone :D I can work part time, be at home for my kids and no childcare costs of my own, once my youngest goes to school the pay will be pretty good considering the benefits aswell :)
 
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