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Hi everyone
The Government has announced changes which will mean that advisors (for example your personal advisor at the Jobcentre) must take greater account of the well-being of your children when they talk to you about going back to work. For example, advisors should be considering the availability of suitable childcare in your area when discussing your return to work.
I'm interested in how advisors are interpreting this guidance about childcare. What information are you being given about childcare? Do you feel you have control over choosing the type of childcare to suit your child's needs? There is some confusion about this issue, and it seems that single parents are getting different information from different advisors… :?
If you have been given any advice or information about childcare and returning to work, it would be really great to hear of your experiences. And if you need further information or anything clarifying, I’ll do my best!
Thanks!
Sally :D
Hi
Tried to creat new topic but cant for some reason.
I have just received a letter from Income support telling me that the payments for water that were being taken out directly will cease from Dec 3rd, similarly my social fund loans also will not be taken as I will no longer receive IS.
Ihave called the water and with luck will get a new payment card, but the nearest place to pay is about 3 miles away so costs again!!!!!!!
Social fund loans, well I am not going to be in any hurry to call them, had they not messed up then I would be almost paid up with them!!!!!
Can't you pay at the Post Office? Three miles is a long way to go.
Hi Louise
Unfortunately not, you now have to pay at a pay zone and all the ones around by us are pay point which was why we round here decided to have it taken direct in the 1st place.
I`m not having a good day today, its only Monday!!!!!!
Interesting to know about the social funds too, thankyou tiredmum.
I have sent a quick email to our money specialists asking them to add to this thread clarifying the position about Social Fund Loans, as this will affect a number of members
alisoncam you are very welcome.
Louise, yes thats a good idea, just wanted to let people know as it will affect lots of people no doubt
Hi
Just a little more info, called the water company and they were actually really helpful, that was up until they tried to set up the payment plan, they couldn`t cancel the dwp arrangement, he couldn`t be sure why he couldn`t cancel it but decided it was because the letter they have received from dwp says it will end on 3rd Dec, despite it already being paid up till then as its fortnightly!!!!!!!!!
The only thing he could suggest is that I call back after the 3rd, yes another 0845 call!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh and another thing he told me was that if you apply to the water companies trust for help with arrears, it has been proven that you only rarely succeed if you fill in the forms yourself!!!!!!!!!!!! I asked why this was, he couldn`t answer, and I did ask how anyone would know who had filled in the form, he didnt answer directly but did say that they could tell!!!!!!!!!
Really had enough of today!!!!!!
I am not surprised you are fed up!
Applications for many things, whether grants or help from Trusts tend to be looked upon more favourably if supported by a "worker" or organisation.....although you would think that anyone having the motivation to find out about these things and complete their own form would be credited accordingly!
I did email the financial specialists yesterday and hopefully they will be along soon to clarify things
Hi Tiredmum
With regard to JSA and direct deductions from benefit; there should be no problem in having the deductions made from your JSA, they should remain being deducted at the same rates as with your Income Support claim. You need to contact the JSA at Job Centre Plus and request Third Pary Reductions for your on going liability/ bills or outstanding bills. The same applies with Social Fund repayments but I am quietly confident that the DWP will let you know when the SF deductions will begin to be taken from your JSA. There are no reasons at all to stop the deductions being made, you just need to request the DWP to do this as effectively your claim for JSA is a new claim.
Thanks very much for that!
Thank you for that information, I really appreciate it
Hi everyone, just been to sign on and it was horrible, didnt have my advisor and thought it would be just 5 mins, oh no I was there for over 25 mins being lectured on how I need to find a job and quickly or I will be pushed into this training that training and it wont matter if I dont have childcare for my son, if I dont go to the training then I wont get any money!!!!!!!
I asked how can I get a job when there arent any, answer you are not trying!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He then showed me a list of jobs, security guard, painter, plasterer, nurse, cook, census collector, the only one I could do was the census collector but its only 15 hours and temporary so he then said wel whats your problem with that, well no working tax credits for a start, it temporary for another and its evenings!!!!!!
I really dont know what to do now, I feel so bad, worst thing was my little boy had to come with me today as its half term and heard everything!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am just a total failure in this Governments eyes, I`ve had enough
What a nasty experience! You are right to stand your ground and say show me the jobs then. I did the census 20 years ago and of course it is only temporary and so your benefits get interrupted and then it takes ages to get the, back on track. I do think that is one issue this proposed new Universal Credit tries to address, despite all its other faults.
Anyway back to you. It is about how you feel about yourself. I see you as a tireLESS mum rather than a TIRED one, with lots of skills, a heart as big as a house and such an inspiration to others with your community work and resourcefulness 
Awwwh Louise, thank you for that
I have just called a social enterprise place and they are going to call me back either today or early next week, so we will see what comes of that xxx
That's horrid for you! My heart goes out to you.
That's horrid for you! My heart goes out to you.
Thank you sparklinglime xxx
Hi tiredmum. Just seen your post. Hope you're ok. What an awful situation.
Hi hazeleyes, thank you I will be fine xxx
Tired Mum,I so am sorry to hear of your horrible time you are not alone, this is happening to lone parents time and time again at Job Centres and I think its terrible. After 18 months the New Deal kicks in and parents will be forced to attend mandatory so called training courses My friend was told she woud have to start one on half term week, if she didnt go she would lose her money even tho she could find no child care for her 12 year old. Its just making parents sick with worry
I just think that for parents with under 16s there should be another way other than going to the job centre to sign on, and so called training which takes no account of our kids to be honest we should be left alone to raise the kids until they are 16 and if we cant find work given the chance to attend proper college courses,work experience,volunteer work that fits around school and hols I was unemployed until very recently and found going to the Job Centre a awful experience and experienced very similar treatment to yourself Tired Mum, some of the advisors are just jobsworths and seem to delight in a form of bullying
Hi Kittycat. Out of interest, what did your friend do?
If only every parent in that position complained... I think its awful
Hi kittycat, thank you so much for making me feel like I am not the only one this happens to, it is pure hell for me going to the jobcentre, they are as you say mostly bullies who seem to get their kicks out of making single parents feel guilty. I am convinced they are trying to make me have a breakdown!!!!!!!
I am glad you managed to find a job, does it fit around your children?
I have only been signing on since just before Christmas so cant understand why I am already coming under such pressure really, there is honestly no jobs here and if there are then they dont fit my commitments to my son, if push comes to shove then they will have to keep my money, I simply do not have anyone but me to collect him from school or be with him in the holidays or if he is off sick which thankfully is a rare occasion but he will always come 1st no matter what they threaten me with!!!!!!!!
This was only the 2nd time that I have just signed on, all the other times have been wioth a one to one advisor, the only time I signed on previously was Christmas eve so obviously that was in and out as the staff wanted to go home, on Fri I was called and handed in my book with a complete record for every day of job searches, I dont have to do it every day but choose to as I would love a job, he then started at me telling me that I needed to put lots more detail about each and every job and why it isnt suitable, then kept talking to me, then he had the audacity to say, you do realise that I can only spend 5 mins with you not the 20 I have just spent, so I felt the need to apologise, for what I have no idea but yes I did say sorry.
I really dont know what to do anymore xxx
Hi Tiredmum,
Yes its a nightmare isnt it I was made redundant from a responsible job and there I was sat in the job centre feeling powerless ,vunerable and patronised. What I did was keep meticulous records and I applied for every job going, that way they couldnt pull me up for anything but tbh it just depended on which member of staff you got some were really nice and others jobsworths. I managed to find a little 8 hrs a week job and one Job Centre advisor would say' well done' another that I 'would have to give it' up if they deemed it interfered with my 'jobsearch' crazy!! so hopefully you will get a nice ( or at least more understanding) advisor next time I eventually got a few more hours work enough to manage on, 15 hrs so I am missing out on working tax credits but I have got peace of mind the job is very local and I can pop home in matter of minutes and I feel more positive now Im still looking for full time My friend has got her sister to keep an eye on her lad but she is worrying about Easter as these New Deal courses run on and on. I feel this is so wrong the pressure on parents from the Government seems to be on the up but with no extra support. When I was signing on I really wanted to take the Access course at the local college it was very parent friendly and 15 hrs a week yet the DWP do not allow anyone to take it as its deemed to be full time but they then send lone parents on 30 hrs a week courses( mandatory or your benefit can be sanctioned ) crikey its Alice in Wonderland totally potty! think I need a large glass of Shiraz! stay strong Tiredmum so many of us are in same position nowdays!
Hi kittycat, thank you!!!!!!!!!
Louise came up with a way round the 16 hour thing if you are doing 15 hours can you find someone who will employ you for 1 hour a week? That way you qualify for working tax credits at least till you find something else, I have been told not to take anything under 16 hours as it would make me lots worse off!!!!!!
I sadly dont have any family at all to take care of my son so its all down to me and we have no clubs here after school or otherwise, I can see me blowing with them at some point, I am still really upset that it was all done in front of my son who is only 9 and who is now worried sick that we wont have any money, how ridiculous is that for a 9 year old to have that on his little shoulders!!!!!!!!!
As you say its all madness lots of childcare is being cut but the pressure is certainly on xxx
Hi Tiredmum,
That sounds a good idea I dont really want to go 9 - 5 just yet, as I love the job I'm doing its nice and near home I have a 14 yr old, but still like to be close to home at all times, much to her annoyance lol ( she says I will be taking and collecting from uni at this rate!) seriously there is so little childcare we have a few very expensive after school/hol clubs but they dont cater for over 12s we do have a summer scheme but its very patchy and who knows if it will still run, what with all the cuts. Anyway tiredmum hope your little boy is ok X
Hi kittycat,
If you love the job you have then maybe you have a friend who needs a cleaner for an hour a week, thats what Louise suggested, or could you ask your employer for the extra hour at least on paper, maybe re jig the hourly rate so that it becomes 16 hours and not 15?
I know where you are coming form with teen girls, I have 3 girls and 2 boys altogether, son 24, then girls 20, 17, 16 and little one 9, the eldest 2 have left home now but the 2 teens well they are a handful at times on the whole great girls but still teenagers!!!!!! They now want keys so they can come and go as they please, dont think so, I am always here so there is no need to give them a key.
We have no childcare provision here at all, over 8 there is nothing, and there are no after school clubs despite all the promises for the last how ever many years. I still dont see the economic sense of pushing us out to work and paying soemone to do our job as parents, it actually costs more if you work out the childcare costa and the child tax credit+ working tax credit, it justr doesnt make sense at all.
My little boy will be fine thank you, I have reassured him that all will be ok, dont know who I was trying to convince more though, him or me!!!!
Lovely to chat to you tonight, thank you.
Hope you have a lovely day today(Sun) xxx
I have always worked, but childcare has been a nightmare! And then fitting in dentist appointments for kids and emergency phonecalls from school has been stressful. And I'm very lucky as I work for a family friendly company and it's still hard!
The childcare stops here at 12 too. I don't think it's right for a 12 year old to be left home alone all over the summer holidays if you work full time!! And then there was the case where a Mum was prosecuted as she left her 14 year old in charge of a 3 year old while she went to the shops.
So the government are saying you must leave 12 year olds at home alone to go to work. But then the courts say a 14 year old can't look after a 3 year old? It's madness.
Absolutely, tower of strength. If they would issue guidelines then at least single parents could point to them and say but we are told not to leave them! I suspect that when something is done about it, it is more likely to be teen type clubs. I don't know about your young people but I always found that anything that WAS provided was something they soooo didn't want to do anyway
My DWP gave me a leaflet with a number to ring to find out about child care to help me in getting, looking for work. So I phoned them and there is none, I live in a little village in the middle of nowhere and I have no car.
And yet I still have to apply for jobs despite the fact that their own guidlines say that I am not obliged to take them because there is no child care... but anyway, when I went to sign on the woman didn't even look at my carefully crafted evidence of my efforts to find jobs that don't actualy exists anyway and I stressed over those three lines for hours. She just stamped it and waved my mumbing excuses aside and said see you in two weeks.
What a pantomime!
At least that went ok...
Thats crazy isn't! Maybe we should all move to where you are!
Next time I guess you won't have to stress so much over the jobs that you have 'sought'!
Maybe they are just trying to lull me into a fals sense of security and in a month they're going to say no JSA for you sunny.
Serously though Anna, do they have to warn you first that they don't think your making enough effort?
I'm supposed to write to one employer and apply for one job each week and OK that's not much but there aren't actualy many jobs when you factor in their idea of resonable distance and traveling time and child care.
It just seems ludicrous, I live in a very rural area, am I just supposed to apply for the same jobs and call the same employers every week for the same jobs I can't do?
They are traning me to be a classroom assistant and yet I don't speak Welsh to the standard required to work in local schools... and child care! what am I supposed to do with my kids?
It just strikes me as all a bit silly.
Later.
Yes, they would tell you if they had concerns about the efforts you were making. There is usually a review interview after about 13 weeks on Job Seekers Allowance and then the real crunch comes after about 26 weeks when they "can" look at the Work Programme, now if they do that for you Bubblegum, I don't know what they can expect you to do with where you live.
Is there any mileage in you improving your Welsh language skills?
Hi bubblegum
As you are already aware, the guidelines state that single parents can not be forced into a job if there is no suitable and/or affordable childcare.
It might be worth documenting any evidence you have of trying to find childcare - on top of calling the number from the DWP. (I know that you have said there isn't any, but try and get something on paper).
As Louise says they would let you know if they thought you weren't making enough of an effort and having evidence of trying to seek other childcare will always look good.
Louise mentioned learning Welsh, what about doing child minding!! I can see you playing your guitar, roaming the mountains whilst behind you a bunch of youngsters skipping along behind you!
Like the Pied Pipper?
But thanx chaps anyway. Luckily my single parent adviser is quite good, and nice, she talks to me pretty openly and lays everything out as it is... as in what the rules are, how she sees that they are what they are and that there is room for them to manover around things and take into consideration how it is for a single parent... in a rural area... where jobs are pretty thin on the ground.
She is very nice. : )
Anna! one of the leads I got from my childcare search has lead me to consider actualy doing child care myself... I have a number to call and find out about what I would need.
I'm going to do it tomorrow and fill it in on my little form showing my efforts to get work : )
Hi Just a general question to you bubblegum and everyone else, has anyopne been told they dont have to sign on during the holidays and can do it by post? I didnt know anything about this till I read it on here late last night when looking at soem of the side tabs and it came up in one of them which was about the changes from IS to JS.
I wish I had known this sooner xxx
I have heard this tiredmum, but only heard it through One Space. I've yet to hear all about it through the JS
Yes and its very annoying that we havent been told by the jc and I will be asking why not on Fri at 12.30pm xxx
I can???? that would be good as it cost's me ten quid for a family ticket and then at least ten quid for food and what not when I go to sign on...
I have not heard about this! but it is worth asking, I will be interestd in the responses you get
Hi all, in our article All you need to know about JSA (part 2), it does mention that you can sign on by post during the school holidays
I have just spoken to Laura (our Parliamentary Officer) who is kept informed by the DWP on legislations and regulations to JSA. She has a copy of the Guidance for advisors on JSA flexibility. This document is to keep quality and consistency amongst JSA advisors. It says -
Fornightly attendance - Postal Signing - School holidays
In some cases a person with care and responsibilities for a child may not be able to attend the Job Centre Plus office for fortnightly job centre review during the school holidays, for example they are unable to make arrangements for short term childcare to cover their attendance.
In such circumstances and where the advisor agrees that no appropriate, affordable short term childcare is available to cover the attendance at the fortnightly attendance review, a person with care and responsibility will be allowed to sign by post during the school holiday period.
So if you have difficulty finding childcare, emphasise that you are unhappy to bring your child along to the review especially as you don't want your child overhearing your discussions.
Thanks Laura for that great information, thanks tiredmum for raising it.
Lone Parent Flexibilities Under Threat
Despite reassurances during the passage of the welfare legislation the Government have just announced that the Lone Parent Flexibilities will not be retained under the Universal Credit (which is to be introduced in October 2013). So in the future single parents with children under 13 will nolonger have the right to school hours working or single parents or turn down or leave a job if they have not got appropriate childcare. At SPAN, the charity that runs One Space we are very concerned about the changes and want the Government to rethink. We are lobbying Parliament and will talk with the press. We need your help! Let us know why you think there should be flexibilities for single parents and what they mean to you and your children. Have they helped you move into work. Let us know.
Laura
I would suport anyway I can, havinhg been there!
Thanks J6767
How are you?
Hi everyone - lots is being said on this forum at the moment about provision and cost of childcare when going back into work. Thought I'd share these links with you which might explain a few things and maybe help a little...
This might help to find childcare in your local area, but might be a little out-of-date...
http://childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder
This is a good intro to tax credits and childcare:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/start/who-qualifies/children/childcare-costs.htm
Cheers,
Sally C :)