I think that the view point of lone-parents needs to be changed. If a parent wants to be at home with their child/ren then it should be looked on positively.
The role of the parent should be seen as vital and necessary even when they're teenagers. I might not have felt this way when my children were younger, but I think my eldest has needed me more since he was 15!!! (not that this will happen in every case, of course :D ) Benefits should remain in place until the youngest leaves full-time education. At the end of the day, we are raising future tax payers.
Ignore those who are scroungers - you can't change that attitiude in someone, and they are in all walks of life - employed, unemployed; in a relationship, single; rich, poor... They will always shout louder, always feel hard done by, always be the victim and will always expect everyone to do everything for them. Stop tarring the rest of the world with that brush.
In Wales, I've been able to get a grant to study. While I don't seem to be doing very well 8-) I really do value the opportunity to learn as I feel it has brought me back into the adult world a bit after being so child focused.
Child care should be there if the parent wants it. I worked from home for years and then nights so I could be there for my children - but that was my choice (if someone told me to do that today, I'm sure I couldn't!). I think if someone has a good career then being able to fit child care so a parent can keep that career on track would be, I'm sure, a godsend to many.
Social housing. The lack of social housing means that tenants are never quite able to let their gaurd down. The worry that children will damage the carpet or wallpaper, or the landlord will raise the rent so it's too high - or worse still the landlord sells up making you homeless :( I think to be a good parent, or indeed good parents, you do need security when raising children that your home will not be lost through. There should be ample social housing built so that those who are not able to buy have affordable rents and a secure home. The government could solve so many issues having a building plan. So many out of work builders at the mo...
I might come back with more. I need to take my neighbour shopping. Social housing is a big thing with me... No one should have gone through what the children and I went through. And I know some go through so much worse.
Yes, harissa and it may end up with employers being forced to have a quota system: so many single parents, so many people with disabilities, a certain ethnic mix. This so-called "positive discrimination" can force employers out of business and then they can't give jobs to anyone
I agree with sparkling lime about housing but also I feel strongly about help to pay the rent. When a person goes from benefits to work, their Housing Benefit becomes minimal and this means a lot of people feel no better off.
If there was a system where single parents were encouraged and supported to stay at home with school-aged children then they would have to extend that to couples as well so that one parent could stay at home. If one of a couple is working then there is no acknowledgement in the taxation or benefits system that there is another non-earning adult to support with that wage. So therefore an extra allowance would need to be paid. Let's face it, it just won't happen....
I'd like them to leave single parents alone, forget about us, stop using us to further their carriers either by condemning us or going on about how badly we have it.
Don't vote it only encourages them..
By this seemingly straightforward act you are tacitly endorse a sham democracy and are unlikely to change anything really important. Voting alone does not a democracy make. It crucially depends on which particular issues you are allowed to vote for, or not.
Why is our democracy a sham? Democracy is supposed to be 'rule by the People' but there are huge areas in the UK system of government where the People have absolutely no say at all, such as foreign policy and defence. They also cannot influence by voting the decisions of global organisations which may have a profound effect on the lives of UK citizens, such as the G8 and the WTO. Much the same applies to multi-national corporations and quangos operating within the UK.
So what are you allowed to vote for? A strictly limited set of policies contained in a party manifesto, mere promises which may or may not be honoured during the next term of office before you are permitted to vote again. Those who abstain from voting may not be able to bring about a proper democracy in the immediate future but at least they will have the satisfaction of knowing they are not helping to perpetuate a downright lie.
From indymedia, I'd put a link only the last time I linked to something particularly political the post was deleted :) tsk, tsk,