…that’s the type of letter that the government is sending out to thousands of single mothers.
It’s not that long ago that one parents used to be able to stay on benefits until their children reached 16 years of age, but four years ago the Labour government reduced that age to seven years. Now, the Coalition government want to bring that age down further still, and single parents whose youngest child is five years of age are being told that they should go back to work, or have risk having their benefits removed as “last resort”for two weeks.
Single parents will be receiving a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telling them that they can no longer stay at home but must be actively looking for work.
Almost all of those affected will be single mums, who (if their youngest child is aged five years old) will switch to income support to Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) from May next year, which makes them eligible for more help to find work.
The level of benefits single parents will receive will not change, but they will face tough sanctions if they fail “to be available for, and actively seeking, work”, which could see them losing JSA for two weeks, which would add up to £106.90 for young mums aged less than 18, and £135 for those who are older.
Single parents can specify a need to work flexibly
The DWP says that parents with children who are aged up to 12 years will be able to specify how they work, e.g. they can work school-hours only, and it will not affect their benefits. This is to counter critics who have raised fears that a lack of affordable childcare, as well as of family-friendly employers, can make it impossible to go to work.
