New benefit rules for single parents?

Question

I heard about all these benefit changes , such as putting lone parents on jsa when your youngest turns 7 and making you find work within 6-12 mths or having to do community service jobs.

1-where are they going to magic these jobs from?

2-where are they going to find all the childcare- out of school clubs (to cater for the thousands of extra 7 yo)

3-what about the school holidays - who is going to fund the extra child care placements (most single parents will be given the minimum wage)

4-where will parents get new skills for employment - a lot of college and uni courses last longer than 6-12 months so wil the parent have to leave college untrained to take up low paid cleaning jobs etc

5- have our government taken into account the high costs of housing? ie-pprivate rented homes /landlords estate agents who charge up to £150 a week or more , will lone parents still get their housing benefit paid or be made homeless

6- is it right to make a parent for whatever reason cannot find suitable work to make them do same work which is assigned to criminals on community service? and not be paid a penny extra other than their JSA

7-is it fair to pick on a lone parent just because her partner left her for another? or her partner was violent or they died?

8-what about all the lazy housewives who sit around all day - should they not also be made to work despite the fact that their husband already does

9- what about children spending quality time with parents , reading , talking etc how can this be done if a parent is made to do a full days work with no support from another parent, the lone parent will be too tired

10- Should there not be different rules in benefits for different ages of parents? i.e teenage mums and mums having babies to lots of different men

ALL VIEWS WELCOME GOOD OR BAD THANKS!

from a single mum , working part time

Answer 1

I'm divorced with 3 kids and my youngest is 6 I had no opption but to get a job because for the 8mths that I didn't work I never got any benefits what so ever I ended up having to get a loan from the bank and a credit card just to keep a roof over our head which is rented.  

I've been working full time now for over 2 years and I have child care which is costly but the government helps with that side of things. I do find it hard at times like every other single parents, Wages don't really take the cost of living into play you just have to make what money you have streach till the next pay day and as for saving for a rainy day that doesn't happen at all.  The last thing that I heard was the Government were going to pay mums to stay at home to look after the kids you just don't know what to believe in nowadays.

Answer 2

Somehow I  think these measures are designed by the government to save themselves money. They are not thinking of the Young children who will be worse off.  

Answer 3

It is about time people were made to face up to their responsibilities!Why should the worker/taxpayer keep supporting these people!

Is it not about time everyone took responsibility for their own actions!

Answer 4

My ex wife left me and my children for another man after 15 years of marriage. We had 4 children, 3 girls and a boy. the two oldest girls were 12 (twins) and my other girl was 6 and my boy was 4. Istill brought my children up, and worked a full time job from 9am till 6pm. I took the two oldest to school very school, and the other girl was in the infants. I paid my next door neighbour to look after my boy, and to feed the others when   they came home from school and watch them till I came home. Another neighbour whos little boy was in the infants would bring my youngest home for me. When I came home, I would have a bite to eat and then get them all in the bath and in their night clothes. I would put the youngest to bed first, then sit and help the twins with any homework they had, then see them off to bed. I would then do the older girls lunch boxes for school, clean around, and do the washing . I would be up at 7 am to hang the washing out and to get the children ready for school. On the weekends I would go shopping taking them all with me and treat them to a McDonalds afterwards. On Sunday, if it was nice we would go to the park and play games etc. I did this and cared for them until myoldest girls left school and got their first jobs. I met their first boy friends and was there to walk them down the aisle. my youngest girl also eventually left school and worked at a travel agency and eventually went abroad to work for the travel company. My youngest boy he now works as a shopfitter and is married with a son. I can now sit back at the age of 71 and think about how hard it was for me when they were younger and with no Mother. I had to be a mother and father to them, and I loved every minute of it. I did not want my children to go off the rails as a lot of kids do when a marriage breaks up. I wanted them to still have a normal upbringing. It was hard work for me, but i loved every minute of it. and I din't claim a penny in benefit.

Answer 5

if we have to work for our benefits then by law we should be getting minimum wage! £47 a week would work out about 9 hours a week if im not mistaken.

or does that rule only take place when it suits them.

i think the majority of this country are broke arses and them lot (which by the way there are far too many of them) swan around with the tax payers money in jaguars. ponses

they are the real criminals.

its like the mafia, who we are paying them protection money due to intimidation!

Answer 6

You should think of all those things before you had kids.

As a taxpayer I am struggling to support my own children I don't see why I should suppport yours.

.

Answer 7

I cannot believe some of the negative responses you have gotten from this question, firstly I agree with you 100%, as I am a single parent, I go to University and hopefully will have a job by the time my child is 5. She is 2 at the moment. As for the jobs being available, they will be none other than minimum paid work which nobody wants to do. I have worked since I was 16 and gave up work when I had my daughter. I did not expect my partner to leave me so as for the "you should have thought about that before you had kids" comments, it isnt something you want to think about until you have to. Even if I had thought about it, what would I have done? Saved up money in case we broke up? Well when you are struggling to live in the first place it isn't possible to save. As for quality time with children I believe that a parent whether lone or as a couple should spend time with their children until they are at least 5. Parents who work struggle to get a balance with their kids.

Answer 8

no its not fair just to pick on the single parents but i dont agree with them keep popping kids out knowing they cant support them and knowing they are going to be lone parents i know people who choose to do this.

there are plenty of long term unemployed who choose not to work why not pick on those rather then parents who through no fault of their own are left in these circumstancies

and get some of those so called asylum seekers to do community service rather then just giving them hand outs

i so know all the do gooders are gonna have a pop at me now so go on do your best lol

Answer 9

Unfortunately the Welfare reform act will affect all benefit claimants in a negative way after October of this year

Lone parents will not be allowed to claim IS without looking for work or getting training or support that can lead to work once their youngest child is aged 6.

The jobs are going to be things like removal of graffiti and cleaning chewing gum of pavements - they aren't real jobs and the scheme is tantamount to slavery. it is immoral to ask people to work a full day to receive only 60 per week. It is time we focused on employers and forced them to change working practises so that parents and carers can find jobs that match their family needs, people should not have to adapt family life around work it should be the other way around.

It is an affront to social democracy that this insidious scheme is being brought in by a labour government

It's hard to think of a more important job than raising children or caring for the sick and elederly.

Answer 10

What country are you from?  This sounds terrible!  

Answer 11

I think every person should be accountable for there own actions, and were does anybody come of thinking that they should have a free ride. while otheres have to pay there bills . As one of the bill payers i object to financing freeloaders either single mothers who cannot keep there knickers on, or lazy youths who seem to think  the world ows them a living. Not forgetting politicians who pack out there expences as to make Midas look frugal.I have worked all my life and never draw a penny of the state , I am sick of the bleeding hearts and all the other excuses for human beings that blight our lives.When i was young i remember my mothers saying , you dont work you dont eat, and die without pride.

Answer 12

What a pity you did not ask yourself all these questions BEFORE you got yourself pregnant.

If you had to pay all the benefits you are scrounging back once your little bustards reach 18, you would have.