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Dear All,
Just to let you know that SPAN (the charity that runs One Space), working with a group of other charities, has persuaded the Department for Work and Pensions to produce a new leaflet for single parents which outlines the flexibilities that are open to them as a job seeker (such as restricting the hours that you can work to school hours while your children are under 13). The DWP will produce this leaflet later in the summer and Jobcentre Plus will give it to people when they start a claim. It will also be available online from Direct.gov. Charities like ours will also make the leaflet available on line. We will let you know when it is published.
I wanted to thank all the single parents who have shared their concerns about the lack of information. Your experiences have helped to show why the leaflet is needed and will help fellow single parents in the future to know their rights and help for them to be considered a person with parenting responsibilities as well as a job seeker.
Many many thanks
Laura 
That is truly excellent news
Thanks Laura for all your hard work, that's great news. It's really scarey for single parents not knowing their rights at the moment, and the JC advisors don't tell you, so a leaflet would really help in the future.
Well done Laura and thank you xxx
Dear all
Thank you for the positive comments. It is down to you lot for providing the evidence that really helps.
Laura
Harissa,
The flexibilities in the legislation are complicated. The one written in stone is that if your youngest child is aged under 13 you can restrict your hours to school hours. The other flexibilities around hours (restricting to at least 16 hours), reasonable journey times and availability of suitable childcare for all single parents of children up to 16 are more open to interpretation. However, they are all open for you to discuss with your adviser and you can dispute their decision through formal chanels at Jobcentre Plus. Some flexibilities are easier to unpick than others. For instance reasonable childcare is calculated on cost as a percentage of what you would earn and whether it is suitable for your child. For instance if there was registered after school care at your child's school at a reasonable cost then this would probably considered reasonable and if a suitable job came up for you then you would probably be expected to take it. However, if there was no such care and you would say have to leave your 13 year old unattended (and you did not think that would be safe for them to do so) then this would not be considered reasonable childcare and you could potentially turn down a job.
As you can see this is really complicated! However, what is good to bare in mind is that these flexibilities were put in place to make sure that single parents could do work that also fitted in with their caring role and also as a protection for the well being of children. Let me know how you get on.
All the best
Laura
Hello Laura... It is now March 2012 and as a single mother now on JSA and referred to the WP scheme I have not seen any leaflet nor have I had anything explained to me. In fact I have so far been treated like a single job seeker with no children.
I have my interview at the WP providers soon and they have told me 9am, I explained I have a child and could they possibly make it a little later and I was told 'no' I have to ne there at 9am or I will be sanctioned.
I used to have a lone parent adviser at the JC and got on with her really well, but she was apparently on contract and no longer works there. Now I have no adviser at the JC. I was told that by law as a lone parent I only have to seek work that is 16 hours.. I am wondering if the WP will consider this when they send me to work for some multi billion £ company without pay?
Ami
Hi Ami,
I will draw your comments to Laura's attention. It is really shocking that there are such wide variations in what is happening around the country.
Hi Ami,
Welcome to One Space. It is great that you have been able to share your experiences with other single parents. As I set out above you should still have the flexibilities open to you when you transfer over to the Work Programme. It is unfair that you have been given your first appointment at 9 am when you will be taking your child to school. Unfortunately you are not alone I have heard of other examples on the site from other single parents. You should not be threatened with a sanction for this. You might want to go back to them and ask for a more suitable appointment.
The treatment of single parents both at Jobcentre Plus and on the Work Programme is a major concern for our charity the Single Parent Action Network which runs One Space. In view of our concerns I undertook some research and I am publishing a report on Monday which highlights the experiences of single parents. If you provide me with an email or address I am happy to send you a copy (send to my email as you should not share you personal details on the site). I am sending the report to senior people in the Department for Work and Pensions and Policians. I am also going to do some follow up research over the coming months which will involve interviewing single parents about their experiences which you might be interested in.
Our charity is very concerned about this issue and will continue to fight for more transparent rights for single parents and push for services to be designed with greater account being taken of their needs (and those of their children).
Good luck with your transfer onto the Work Programme and do keep me informed of your progress.
Laura (L.dewar@spanuk.org.uk)
Hi Ami,
In my experience, I had to inform the Work Programme provider that I was a lone parent (the Jobcentre hadn't told them). I also told them that as a lone parent I was only looking for employment of 16 hours per week, which is the amount that the law says single parents with a child under the age of 16 need to be available for. Despite this, I was recently told by an advisor at the Work Programme that I need to think about applying for full-time jobs, because "there are hardly any part-time jobs available"!
I hope you managed to sort something out regarding a more suitable appointment time.
Hi Good Enough Mum,
Thanks for your post. They can't make you apply for full-time jobs just because there are hardly any part-time! How old is your youngest child? If under 13 you can also ask to work school hours. Work Programme providers are subject to the same welfare regulations as the DWP. I can give you chapter and verse of the rules regarding this if you need them. I am publishing some analysis of the Work Programme this week so you can see other people's experience and what we want done about it.
Laura 
Hi Laura,
My youngest child is 13, so I can't restrict my hours to school time anymore. I would be very interested to read your analysis of the Work Programme - I will keep looking out for it.
Thank you for your help.
Hi Laura... first of all I really can not thank you enough for your wonderful advice and reasurance.. not to mention your great knowledge and exceptional hard work! I appreciate everything you do from my heart.
I shall drop you an email and look forward to all the information.. I have been reading so much on the internet and it seems many single parents are suffering hugely because of this WP. It is wonderful that we DO have a voice to speak to these people at the DWP, JC+ and WP on our behalf, because quite obviously as soon as we open our mouths we are shunted down a peg of three!
When I was on IS I had a lone parent advisor who I got on with really well.. then when I was shoved onto JSA I just became a numer in a file, another 'lazy social scrounger' I have no lone parent advisor anymore... and attitudes towards me have changed again for the worst since being transfered onto the WP.
Over the last 2 days I have applied for 28 jobs, yet by law they say you only need to apply for 3 per week, I try so hard... yet they still make you feel like a 'lazy no good for nothing'
I shall stop moaning now 
Thank you for always being there for all of us!
much respect
Ami xoxox
Ami,
Thank you for kind words. Just making final arrangments for Work Programme Analysis to go on One Space.
Yes, one of the recommendations is the retention of Lone Parent Advisers as I do not think general advisers are as good at dealing with the needs of single parents.
I am doing further work on the Work Programme so all evidence good and bad is great for me to know.
Laura
Hi Laura ... I just sent you an email
I agree there should be adisors who specialise in and are trained in dealing with single parents. I have noticed that many of the JC+ staff are on contract, so just as you build a good rapport with one of the more human amongst them, they leave! I am wondering if the government doesn't want its staff getting to friendly with its 'customers' ?
Ami xox
I still believe that it should always be a mothers choice, as to whether she stays at home with her own children or goes out to work.
No lone parent should be forced away from her family into a low paid dead end job, left exhausted at the end of the day, to the point that she cannot interact with her children, prepare a descent meal for them, and provide a clean home.
Many single mothers find themselves as lone parents later in life. They may not of worked full time for decades, and stayed at home raising their children, have few skills and low confidance, especialy after a relationship break up.
Not all of them have family they can turn to, or financial stability.
Very difficult circumstances, as a result of being without a partner, and perhaps a tough life can for some parents make it very hard to relate to others. This makes work outside the home more unappealing.
Life is much harder for children growing up with just one parent in general, why should mother and children be forced away from each other, the mother forcibly 'wrenched' away from her very hard full time job of being both mum and dad and trying to run the home single handed, to take on even more work outside the family unit, a job which could quite possibly leave her financialy worse off, less forfilled and demorolised.
The majority of single parents have a very hard time, especialy the older ones who have spent years raising a family, they are mostly very vunerable.
The government should be supporting these vunerable people not persecuting them.
The majority do want to work to support their children, but do not want or need to be bullied into it, and for many it just is not practical.
Most women who have had careers will return to them once the children are of suitable school age, but what of the unskilled outside the home?
Raising children is a full time job, and doubly harder when you are playing the role of both parents.
Hi Laura
I anm new to the forum and boy am i glad ive found you all ,ive been on the work programme for about 5 months now they dont know there A**e from the elbow ,ive had many different advisors when asked questions all i get is well i dont know ? ,my daughter is 11 i have two older children i am now been asked to apply for any jobs even if they arent in school hours :( and yesterday a lady who runs the place was very rude and extremely abrupt to the point i was fuming she has no right to speak to anyone the way she did :( can you tell me what are my rights please
Hi Maxine G,
Thank you for letting me know about your experiences on the Work Programme. Your job seekers agreement should apply even where you have transferred over to the Work Programme. Any intructions should also reflect the flexibilities that are open to you as a single parent, such as being able to restrict your hours to school hours when your child is under 13. I am currently developing a leaflet on these flexibilities but in the meantime please see the information that we have produced on One Space http://www.onespace.org.uk/benefits/information-single-parents-moving-jo....
If you feel that your adviser is not treating you with respect then ask to see their complaints procedure or ask to be seen by a different adviser.
I hope this helps and let me know how you get on.
Laura
Thanks Laura
can they force you into taking work ? i have no child care for school holidays or for before and after school i was more or less forced into a computer course which i dont mind doing if only it was nearer living in a rural area its almost impossible to get regular buses in all honesty all this business is making me ill :(
Maxine G,
Part of the condition of being on Jobseekers Allowance is that you are available for work. The flexibilities mean that your job preparation and search can be different from other job seekers to take account of the fact that as well as being job seeker you also having responsibility for your child or children.
Regulation 72 of the Jobseekers Allowance Regulations 1996 as amended by regulation 11 (12) of the Social Security Regulations 2008 means that single parents do not have to accept a job or follow an instruction (such as to attend training) where there is no appropriate or affordable childcare available. However you will need to highlight this to the Work Programme provider who will need to agree whether this is the case. You can appeal if you do not agree with their decision. Sorry to quote chapter and verse of the law but I hope this might help in your discussions.
Good luck
Laura
Send to friend
That's good news Laura. Well done.