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Hi,
I have been told that i will need to go for work programmes from july. my son's holidays starts from that time aswell. He has been working very hard in school because i promised him i will take him out during his holidays to the beach and other places.
Now what will i do if i will have to go for work programme during his holidays? where will i leave my son? if i do have to take him with me wont it be unfair for him and children like my son to be deprived of having good days during their holidays instead of being given to someone to look after every day and being made to feel imprisioned? i dont mind going and looking for work and going for any work programmes during school days but during their holiday period i am feeling stressed and feel we are being unfairly punished for not getting jobs!
Hi Louise,
Thanx for your comment. Yes I do understand that during holidays parents have to look for child care but the difference is that they get payed for childcare unlike people going for work programmewho are not given any such help. I am desperatelylooking for a job that is suitable for me and my son.
It's really hard, marian...as I said, you are supposed to be allowed to focus on termtime only jobs but how many of them are there around?
You make a really good point about the cost of childcare 
I do agree that it is ridiculous for them anyway to expect parents to attend Work Programme courses in the summer holidays. I was wondering if you could research the cost of childcare then approach your adviser and say that if "the system" says that lone parents can restrict their working time to school hours then surely the same must apply to the course, and if you DID have to go in the holidays then it would cost X and what help is there with with the cost?....and if "none" then Ok your son could go in childcare but then you could not afford to feed either of you! If they get really difficult then I think it is worth writing to your MP, I really do.
Thanx Louise I will do that. I also wanted to know from other single Parents of their experiences with WP during school holidays.
Hi again, if you look at my original reply, there are two links to other threads you can look at with all sort of discussions about the Work Programme, including what you are going through now so I hope they will help.
It's about time there was some consistency and also some logic in this ridiculous situation. Let us know how you get on
Thanx Louise i had looked at thoselinks you gave but don't get the answers I was looking for but will take a second look. Yes something needs to be done about this rediculious programme!! It's like a punishment to single parents and their children for not being able to get suitable jobs.
Hi marian from what i understand, you should not have to attend meetings or the training programme, if it does not fit in with school hours, do speak with your advisor about this as Louise has already suggested, i hope that they will re arrange the training programme to a more suitable time or they should offer to cough up the cash for childcare.
Let us know how you get on
Hi Sally,
Thanx for your comment I will do that on my next meeting and will definitely let you know. I am a bit stressed about it.
im also being put on the work programme my daughters are 9 and 12 they said ive gotto do it because from this july i been signing on 12 months and having children doesnt matter gotta take them with me which is stupid iue have been doing a numercy and literacy course for 2 weeks jobcentre wont refund my travel expenses because it wasnt mandorty i was put in a chaity shop 6 months ago for 4 weeks which was mandtory. i have just had my money stopped for 2 weeks because i failed to attend a interview on 31st july at jobcentre already had a appointment on 24th which i attended they said i recieved the letter beacause i signed for it i normaly keep letters with my jsa book but i didnt have it i dont remember getting it off my advisor ive never missed or been late for a jobcentre interview before i normaly have them every 4 weeks. i feel like they are picking on loan parents i dont have any family support atall my parent live in yorkshire , my daughters family live in cumbria who they hatdly see due to not being intrested. i live on the wirral merseyside
Hello lois2802
You sound stressed about what is going on for you, I am sorry to hear that you have no local family support. My own suggestion for meetings with your advisor is that at the end of each one, you summarise what has happened/what will happen next. For example you can say "Ok let me just run through what we have agreed. You have asked me to bring a list of some jobs I have applied for, to our next meeting and out next meeting is on xxx(date)" You could also take your mobile to each meeting and make a big deal of saying you are recording the meeting on your phone, saying you have been accused of missing an appointment so you want to be sure you have got everything straight from now on.
With regard to the sanction, it might be difficult to appeal if you have indeed signed for a letter (even though you weren't actually given it!) however DEFINITELY appeal on the grounds of hardship if nothing else! Let us know how you get on.
Dear all,
I am doing a project on single parents experience of the Work Programme. I can give a £20 shop voucher for a thirty minute interview over the telephone at a time convenient to you. I will not share your personal details. With evidence from the project we hope to improve the way that the Work Programme is delivered to single parents.
Have your say!
Laura L.dewar@spanuk.org.uk
yes i like to do interview over the phone
NOTE FROM MODERATOR: Your phone number has been removed for confidentiality reasons, however it has been forwarded to the email address that Laura has given above.
Hi. Wow I thought it was just me having issues. Unfortunately this matter had become worse. I saw my "advisor" last Thursday and then are now saying I've got to produce 10 "realistic" job matches and bring my children into the building on Friday. I'm sure they can't enforce that as it's been stated before they not insured as they deal with many type of persons like ex offenders. They also not taking into consideration my original JSA work agreement I signed with the job centre. Clearly stating I'm a single father who has restrictions on my job searches. How can this work programme be so intimidating by repeatedly quoting that I'm in breach of agreement and could be sanctioned if I fail to accept a job offered. I was offered a job 2 weeks ago, warehouse job that I clearly can't do as I've a back problem, highlighted again on my JSA agreement. Hours were 4am start! She threatened to call job centre on me. I really don't know what to do. I'm beginning to get physically sick and depressed again. Something that will effect not just me, but my children.
Hi Ryo1974, I am so sorry to read that this matter has gotten worse.
It all seems so wrong. Laura our parliamentary officer is away, but will be back on July 28th. I am going to highlight your issues with our CEO who regularly meets with DWP.
For the time being I would suggest that you go along to the meeting on Friday taking all the documents with you that state your restrictions due to the children and also your back problem, if you don't get very far, ask to speak to the manager. Not easy but really try and keep your cool, but also don't let them bully you.
We are here for you so please keep talking to us, I will find out more from our CEO. Good luck.
Hello marian
A few other parents have expressed this concern. Of course, I do have to point out that unless a parent gets a job in a school or another employer that allows termtime only working, then a working parent faces this problem every summer in that childcare must be found and the parent is limited in how much time they can take off. However, there are provisos that mean that a single parent of a young child does not have to take jobs that do not fit in with a child's schooling and more information can be found below.
You may be interested to read this thread, where others have posted about their experiences. Also this one will give you some information about the campaigning work SPAN is doing.