Benefits switch plan 'scandalous'

[killmicrosoft]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5jsWqCGR0UhVi8aaHK5bjMlgKXL9Q

Figures showing that up to 55,000 lone parents may be forced to take out emergency loans because of a push by ministers to get them into work was condemned as "scandalous".

Opposition parties are warning that moving lone parents off Income Support and on to Jobseeker's Allowance could leave them facing a delay of between one and two weeks to receive benefit payments.

The Government estimates up to 55,000 parents will be affected, forcing many to take out crisis loans from its Social Fund, paid through Jobcentre Plus.

The changes mean that from November 24, a lone parent's Income Support may be stopped when their youngest child is aged 12 or over, or will be 12 in the next year. This will be changed to 10 in 2009 and seven in 2010.

The Department for Work and Pensions has said the lone parent can make a claim for Jobseeker's Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. It insists the changes to the benefits system are designed to "help people get skills for work and move into paid employment."

Work and Pensions minister Kitty Usher said: "The planning assumption for the number of lone parents who may require a lone parent transition loan is 55,000 for Phase 1 of the lone parent changes only."

But her comments have provoked anger from the opposition parties.

Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Jenny Willott, who obtained the answer from Ms Usher in a parliamentary written question, said: "The Government cannot allow these changes to force parents into debt. It is scandalous that ministers have designed changes to the benefit system that will force lone parents to take out loans simply to make ends meet.

"Our benefits system is so complex it is completely failing vulnerable families that, despite careful budgeting, will be left struggling to make ends meet in increasingly difficult times."

Shadow welfare reform minister James Clappison added: "In principle, we support moving lone parents on to Jobseeker's Allowance, but it is outrageous that the Government should plunge them into debt in this way."



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[unusual_suspect]

Thanks, that is an interesting article.

Something is definitely afoot, why the push to get everyone into work when the number of jobs is declining? :confused:

[beldazar]

Yeah, I got told this in one of my interviews......my son hadnt even started full-time school!

Anyone who has brought up kids on their own wih no help from freinds and family KNOWS its a full-time job anyway!

I was told I would be forced into work in two years time (my little-un is just turned 5) so it means my kids will have to go into a 'govenment' controlled environment when they should be on their school holidays :mad:

I told the guy that this is when I pack my tent! :mad:

Im sure its just another ploy to lower vibrations......the disabled are being attacked right now, 3 friends of mine have had benefits reduced, they are all fighting their case. My neighbour has Crohns disease, nearly DIED a few months back, is suicidal and has had her disability taken off her. She was told the house was too big for her, (wow, has two bedrooms :rolleyes:)
and now has to look for smaller as they wont help her out with enough rent. Shes been here 2 and a half years.

Remind you of a poem?

Oops, I missed out the debt bit, talking about adding fuel to the fire.....

[unusual_suspect]

I was told I would be forced into work in two years time (my little-un is just turned 5) so it means my kids will have to go into a 'govenment' controlled environment when they should be on their school holidays :mad:


Tptb have certainly given single parents a cash incentive to get them into full time work, on one hand you have more money and it is really hard to manage on benefits.

On the other hand, as you say, school holidays are horrible when you have kids and you are working :(

I reckon this is part of an agenda to break up the family so parents no longer have as much influence over their kids. Basically the state wants your children :mad:

[beldazar]

Tptb have certainly given single parents a cash incentive to get them into full time work, on one hand you have more money and it is really hard to manage on benefits.

On the other hand, as you say, school holidays are horrible when you have kids and you are working :(

I reckon this is part of an agenda to break up the family so parents no longer have as much influence over their kids. Basically the state wants your children :mad:


What cash incentive? Did I miss something? Where I live its very low pay, the childcare I would have to pay out cancels out any extra money, the guy in the JS worked it out for me :(

you are right, the state wants your kids, hence all the talk about abused children, Im waiting to see that the 'solution' will be :mad:

[unusual_suspect]

What cash incentive? Did I miss something? Where I live its very low pay, the childcare I would have to pay out cancels out any extra money, the guy in the JS worked it out for me :(

you are right, the state wants your kids, hence all the talk about abused children, Im waiting to see that the 'solution' will be :mad:

You should get working families tax credit, you get a percentage of your child care paid and a bonus for working more that 30 hours, a lone parent payment, I would be much worse off if I wasn't working.

You seem to end up better off on a lower wage :confused:

But yeah your right about the abused kids thing. Also it seems that family life has become increasingly difficult financialy speaking, I think that is social engineering to stop people from having children :mad:

[beldazar]

You should get working families tax credit, you get a percentage of your child care paid and a bonus for working more that 30 hours, a lone parent payment, I would be much worse off if I wasn't working.

You seem to end up better off on a lower wage :confused:

But yeah your right about the abused kids thing. Also it seems that family life has become increasingly difficult financialy speaking, I think that is social engineering to stop people from having children :mad:

It depends where you work and what you do I guess...I was born and raised in a holiday resort and apart from spending most of my young life working with horses, the holiday trade is what Ive been involved in, Im quite adept at sticking my hands down other peoples toilets, you dont get paid much for that :(

Plus living in a holiday resort, the price of goods seem to be high, they put it up every summer and they stay there til it goes up the following summer :(

[phoenix6767]

This is true this also includes homeschooling lone parents.Who apparently have more time to fit work around the schooling. For a minimum of 16 hours work we can expect to be better off by £25 a week. They will be moving everyone onto jobseekers allowance and we can loose up to £60 a week by not complying. This will be happening to me next year. I have had to homeschool my three children as my eldest was badly bullied at school. The teachers didnt really give a damn. Not enough staff in the playground nobody witnessed it they told me my son was lying.We've had years of it. When he started saying he wanted to kill himself rather than go to school. I had to do something. The effect its had on the family is awful .
So if anyone has any ideas as to work i can fit round educating three children i would be grateful for the input. Education otherwise are lobbying the govenment about all this though as are others .
http://www.freedomforchildrentogrow.org/welfarereform.htm.

[phoenix6767]

Hi beldzar how are you. Didnt realise you in similar situation as myself. It makes me laugh when you ask at the jobcentre what home work opportunites or even firms that do term time contracts and they cant tell you. They couldnt come up with anything to help last time i went. Im due another work focused interview very soon it will be interesting to see what they say this time.

[unusual_suspect]

This is true this also includes homeschooling lone parents.Who apparently have more time to fit work around the schooling. For a minimum of 16 hours work we can expect to be better off by £25 a week.

Yeah right, lone parents home schooling their children have loads of spare time. That is just so unreasonable that there has to be some other agenda behind it, anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that this is utter nonsense. Tptb just want every child indoctrinated, they certainly don't want the likes of any of us lot passing our values down to our children.

Sorry to hear about your son being bullied, teachers don't have the time to deal with this sort of thing anymore.

I hate to say it, but if I had the money, I would pay for my son to go to a private school, I personally wouldn't teach him myself, I'm only good at artistic/creative stuff, and we all know that that doesn't get included in the national curriculum.

[phoenix6767]

Yeah right, lone parents home schooling their children have loads of spare time. That is just so unreasonable that there has to be some other agenda behind it, anyone with an ounce of common sense can see that this is utter nonsense. Tptb just want every child indoctrinated, they certainly don't want the likes of any of us lot passing our values down to our children.

Sorry to hear about your son being bullied, teachers don't have the time to deal with this sort of thing anymore.

I hate to say it, but if I had the money, I would pay for my son to go to a private school, I personally wouldn't teach him myself, I'm only good at artistic/creative stuff, and we all know that that doesn't get included in the national curriculum.

Thanks for your concern.
If you do home educate you dont have to follow the curriculum . Ive looked at all different types of schooling and am going to find our own way of doing it.The improvment in my childrens behaviour and happiness is amazing . Theres no way they are going back now.

[beldazar]

Hi beldzar how are you. Didnt realise you in similar situation as myself. It makes me laugh when you ask at the jobcentre what home work opportunites or even firms that do term time contracts and they cant tell you. They couldnt come up with anything to help last time i went. Im due another work focused interview very soon it will be interesting to see what they say this time.


Hi phoenix! We have even more in common...my son has autism spectrum disorder and HATES school! He says he doesnt get bullied but sometimes when we have been out, a group of lads have been acting very suspicious towards him, he has no friends :( I have thought about home-schooling but he is hard work and without sounding really selfish, I enjoy the break from him. I have heard that its expensive too, not that I have looked into it.I keep hoping he will meet a friend at school now that they are getting older.

Ive only now been freed up, now that the little-un has started full-time school and Im not even considering starting a job. I dont drive so that doesnt help.

My friend has said about working from home but I dont have any skills towards self-employment or any ideas what to do.

I will sit tight and wait until Im forced into work, I do all the DIY myself and im always busy doing something. If I ever found myself bored then maybe I would want a job but I dont.

Perhaps I should look for a rich man :cool:

(only joking.....)

Ah, Ive just seen your post about home-schooling, perhaps it is a good idea. Ive bookmarked the previous link you posted, if you have any more info on it would you please let me know?

[phoenix6767]

Hi phoenix! We have even more in common...my son has autism spectrum disorder and HATES school! He says he doesnt get bullied but sometimes when we have been out, a group of lads have been acting very suspicious towards him, he has no friends :( I have thought about home-schooling but he is hard work and without sounding really selfish, I enjoy the break from him. I have heard that its expensive too, not that I have looked into it.I keep hoping he will meet a friend at school now that they are getting older.

Ive only now been freed up, now that the little-un has started full-time school and Im not even considering starting a job. I dont drive so that doesnt help.

My friend has said about working from home but I dont have any skills towards self-employment or any ideas what to do.

I will sit tight and wait until Im forced into work, I do all the DIY myself and im always busy doing something. If I ever found myself bored then maybe I would want a job but I dont.

Perhaps I should look for a rich man :cool:

(only joking.....)

I feel for you and your son its horrible to go through. I do appreciate that autistic spectrum disorder is very difficult to cope with especially alone . Keep up the good work . Mums should be able to stay home and look after their children if they choose to . Some mums dont want to but some do. Its good for children .A mums role has been devalued .

[phoenix6767]

I love this lady
http://guiltfreehomeschooling.org/extras/2007/02/considering-homeschooling-start-here.html

http://www.heas.org.uk/

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Schoolslearninganddevelopment/ChoosingASchool/DG_4016124?cids=Google_PPC&cre=Education_Learning_Franchise

http://www.education-otherwise.org/

These are just a few of my favourites there is loads of it on the net.

[beldazar]

I feel for you and your son its horrible to go through. I do appreciate that autistic spectrum disorder is very difficult to cope with especially alone . Keep up the good work . Mums should be able to stay home and look after their children if they choose to . Some mums dont want to but some do. Its good for children .A mums role has been devalued .

Thanks :) He's borderline so wasnt statemented. Its his stammer we have problems with, if I dont catch what he has said first-off, he gives up trying to repeat it. And since having another child, his best friend is his brother, its hard when he acts and talks like a five year old.....:rolleyes:

I thought your name sounded familiar so I trawled through my past PM's, we were in correspondence months back about fingerprinting. I think you may have mentioned home-schooling then. Sorry if I owe you a PM, Im really bad with keeping in touch with people :o

Thanks for those links. I will have a good read through them tomorrow!