Annex
SINGLE GATEWAY (1)
CASE STUDIES
OF LONE
PARENTS WISHING
TO TAKE
UP TRAINING
EDUCATION OR
EMPLOYMENT
EMPLOYMENT ZONE
Case Study 1
Tracy, one child, two years of age, lone
parent—Income Support. Interested in Employment Zone but
reluctant to give up Income Support book and move onto Income
based JSA. Has been reassured that when she moves out of Employment
Zone she can return to same level of Income Support if she hasn't
found employment or moved into Higher Education. Despite all attempts
to persuade her otherwise she still has deep rooted reservations
about "giving up my book". She is aware of all the benefits
that E/Zone offers and would be willing to enter but only if she
could retain Income Support.
Case Study 2
Elizabeth, lone parent, one pre-school,
one school child—Income Support. Was keen to move onto Employment
Zone but changed her mind when she discovered she would have to
re-apply for Housing Benefit as part of her entry onto E/Zone.
She had recently moved house and was having problems getting H/B
sorted out and was reluctant to re-apply despite assurances from
E/Zone Caseworker that it should not be an issue.
Case Study 3
Gael, lone parent, three year old son—Income
Support. Doing HND in Music and Audio Technology, used ILA to
buy equipment and childcare costs paid. Couldn't have done course
without help from E/Zone. Eager to go onto E/Zone but when she
went for PE1 at Job Centre she was kept waiting for one hour 30
minutes with her child before she saw E/Zone Payments Clerk. The
Clerk at the Job Centre was unsure of procedure that should be
followed and the Benefits Office where the woman went to transfer
from Income Support, was also unsure of procedure that should
be followed when a woman was handing in her Income Support Book.
There was also a problem with Housing Benefit Office. The lone
parent persevered and is now very happy with her time on E/Zone,
but these barriers almost caused her to abandon her course.
Case Study 4
Sandra, single parent, six year old and
nine year old children, and Carole, lone parent, 9 year
old and 11 year old children, both on Income Support.
Entered E/Zone having been reassured that Job
Seekers Allowance payments would be on time and there would be
no delay in payment. Unfortunately the first payment by Giro was
late arriving and caused both a lot of distress and worry. They
both had to borrow money, therefore both women had a very negative
experience that has coloured their view of the Zone and they were
both reluctant to recommend it initially to other lone parents.
Sandra and Carole have stayed with the Zone and are now very settled
in their provision despite initial problems. They both say unless
One Plus hadn't helped with their financial shortfall they'd have
given up their course.
PROBLEMS WITH
LONE PARENTS'
ACCESS TO
MAINSTREAM NEW
DEAL
Administrative Barriers
Two lone parents were interviewed at Paisley
partnership on 15 March 1999 to take place on the Social Care
Course (SVQ level II). Both were advised to go to the Job Centre
to see their Lone Parent Adviser and ask to be transferred onto
18-25 New Deal Option, as they were presently on Income Support
and therefore unable to access its programmes.
Both women saw their New Deal for Lone Parents
Advisor the following week, but there seems to have been a lapse
in transferring them to the New Deal for Young People Advisors
as their first interview with them was held on 20 April 1999.
One Plus staff were in contact with the Job Centre throughout
this time explaining the importance of getting the interviews
as soon as possible as the course was due to commence on 19 April.
However due to the long waiting time for the appointments, the
paperwork was not in place to allow them to start on time. Their
New Deal for Young People pre-start interviews will now not be
held until Monday 26 and Thursday 29 April. They will not be allowed
to start until these have taken place.
As well as trying to organise earlier interviews
with the Job Centre, we have also tried to gain permission for
the candidates to start the course with no payment from the Job
Centre until their claims have been processed. This was not allowed.
Transferring from Income Support to Jobseekers
Allowance
One of the main concerns for Lone Parents joining
the mainstream New Deal or Training for Work is the time between
transfer from Lone Parent Income Support to Job Seekers Allowance.
The situation has arisen where candidates have handed in their
Income Support Book and have had to wait for a further two weeks
before getting their Job Seekers Allowance to be paid, leaving
the candidate without money for approximately one week.
This problem has been present in the four New
Deal candidates One Plus had enrolled for the Paisley course.
In one case the candidate has been without her Benefit for two
weeks and when her Giro came through it contained money for one
week. She was then told that she would have to sign on the Job
Centre and would not receive her money for a further two weeks,
thus leaving her no money for three weeks. Another woman went
to the Benefits office for a Hardship Loan to cover this period,
but again when her Giro came through, it was not correct.
The two remaining lone parents have received
an interim payment from One Plus to ensure they do not face hardships,
but as they are technically not allowed to join us until their
New Deal paperwork has been completed, they are under no obligation
to pay this back if they decide not to join the course. When interviewed
by the Lone Parent Advisor Manager, one candidate was informed
that there would be no interruption to her payments and this would
be a seamless transfer. As stated above, this has obviously not
been the case.
There also seems to be some confusion as to
who pays the childcare costs and how it is administered. The options
are that One Plus pay the childcare and then claims the allowable
amount back from Employment Services or that Employment Services
pay their portion and we pay the remainder. Each Advisor has given
a different option to either One Plus or the candidates.
As the New Deal Option requires Registered Childcare
to be provided, One Plus has often found that it is not an affordable
option for candidates unless they are lucky enough to have an
organisation like One Plus willing to pay the remainder, as all
childminders now charge £3 per hour and the maximum Employment
Service will pay is £60 per week for one child and £110
per week for two.
THE NEW
DEAL FOR
LONE PARENTS
Susan: Easterhouse Glasgow, twins 12 years of
age
The New Deal for Lone Parents was introduced
in eight pilot areas in July 1997. I was interviewed by a Lone
Parent Adviser in May 1998 who discussed with me what the advantages
of being in work would be. My situation was such that I was already
considering returning to work but was not sure whether I would
be any better off financially. While I was told what Benefits
I would be entitled to claim, I did not find this particularly
reassuring. What I really needed was to be told the absolute minimum
I required to earn in order to be significantly better off. My
main concerns were childcare and housing. If I lost Housing Benefit
I may well end up spending most or all of my earnings on housing
costs. I was told about the help with childcare costs, but as
the mother of 12 year old twins I was not eligible. I did not
qualify for the Back to Work Bonus or the Maintenance Bonus, but
would be entitled to Family Credit. The jobs I was being advised
to apply for were not sufficiently well paid to make me any better
off. My first criticism is that no calculations were done prior
to selecting suitable vacancies and as a result a lone parent
could find themselves wasting their time and that of an employer
attending an interview for a job that was not financially viable,
or for which the hours were not suitable.
My other main criticism of the New Deal is that
the help with Childcare stops when the child reaches 12 (soon
to be 14 years). What happens to these children, particularly
during the longer summer break? Does the Government want us to
produce a nation of latchkey children who can subsequently be
blamed for the rising crime rate! The Childcare factor is a positive
step towards ability to work, but parental responsibility does
not end when a child reaches 14 years, nor are children always
of the same level of maturity at the same age. So taking a job
when your child is 10 may be worthwhile when you receive help
with Childcare, but is it sustainable four years later? Another
major criticism is that advisers do not seem to understand that
hours of work are important to lone parents because they have
to allow time to get both children and themselves ready, travelling
time, school pick ups etc.
My situation was such that I was ready to return
to work and that my children were able to cope with my returning
to work. I would not have been happy about being compelled to
take part in any interview about my employment prospects. In an
interview about my employment prospects, I had many fears about
the practical aspects of returning to work, mainly—how to
survive until I got paid, how long would it take to sort out Benefit
Claims and Childcare. Most of all, I think it is important that
you and your children are emotionally prepared to return to work.
I think that the New Deal is in principle a good idea, but greater
understanding of issues affecting lone parents and work need to
be applied so that it does not become a punishment that forces
lone parents from one poverty trap into another.
Case Studies of Lone Parents on IS where a work
focused interview is not appropriate
(1) Lone Mum, two kids lives in
Carnwadric, Glasgow, is on Income Support, has neighbours from
hell who have previously put used condoms through child's bedroom
windows. Now has to keep windows shut tight in the summer and
winter. Virtually a prisoner in her own home. Her kids are bullied
and beaten up. There is graffiti of slander and abuse written
on her walls. She had started a course in Social Care but could
not cope with the pressure. Now getting medical treatment for
health and she is scared she will be forced to work and not be
around for the children.
(2) Lone Parent living in Hamilton
her husband committed suicide and she is now widowed. She has
four children, a six year old, and four year old triplets. One
child has been sexually abused while in the park in July 1998.
The woman is suffering from depression and is on anti-depressants.
She is trying to move house, as her house is right next to the
park where the children were abused. She is also having HIV test
results for her children. A work focused interview is the last
thing this Lone Parent need to face along with all the other issues
she is having to face.
(3) Christine lives in Airdrie,
Lanarkshire with her two children (nine and six). Her social worker
contacted One Plus for advice. It seems that when her youngest
child was a baby, she was beaten up so badly by her partner that
he was imprisoned for six months. The couple are now separated
and she has become a lone parent. The CSA asked her to attend
an interview and threatened her with a Benefit Cut. Christine
did go to the interview with her social worker in attendance.
The social worker explained the background of violence and she
was exempted from giving the required information to the CSA.
However, she did sign the form.
A few weeks later her house was raided by her
ex-partner who threatened both herself and the two children. He
has now contacted a lawyer to contest for access, for which he
is receiving Legal Aid. Christine's primary concern was her fear
for her life, and she has had threatening phone calls from friends
of her ex-partner. Her secondary concern, which nonetheless are
very important, revolve round harsh financial penalties which
she now has to face. She will have to change her phone number,
may face a bill to move house, and will have to contest her ex-partner's
pursuit of access to the children.
Christine's life is in turmoil, a compulsory
work-focused interview will only add to the family's strain and
have no beneficial role in improving her situation. Only when
she has moved again and is free from the fear of her partner's
behaviour will Christine be able to look at her future options.
(4) Lindsay lives in Paisley and
has two children, 12 years and 14 years. Although she has been
separated from her husband for eight years, she is still extremely
frightened of him, and had her telephone number changed to avoid
his threats. He continually cruises around her house in his car
and on occasions, has taken her children off in the car at death
defying speeds as if he were aiming to crash the car. Lindsay
actually put a stop to divorce proceedings, such is the threatening
hold he has over her. She phoned One Plus in tears, as she'd read
information about the "Back to Work Scheme" in the Evening
Times. Lindsay was worried that she would be forced to work and
wouldn't be available for her children when they came home from
school. One Plus reassured Lindsay that she wouldn't be made to
work. Women's Aid leaflets were also forwarded with information
on how to obtain an interdict with powers of arrest.
(5) Tricia is only 19 years old, lives in Kilmarnock
and has a small baby of just a few months of age. One Plus was
contacted by her mother who said that her daughter was refusing
to claim Income Support as a lone mother because she was afraid
that the Benefits Agency would contact the CSA, who would intervene
in her case and contact the father of her child. Tricia lived
in two refuges and greatly fears for her life at the hands of
the child's father. In the meantime, by refusing extra Income
Support, Tricia is existing on only £39.85 per week (single
person's rate). She loses out on £38.85 weekly benefit and
the £100 maternity payment. This lone parent is clearly facing
trauma and upheaval in her life. A work-focused interview is clearly
inappropriate.
(6) Joan is a lone parent with a
six year old son. She has been contacted by the CSA and authorised
them to contact her son's father. She didn't use the undue harm
and distress exemption because she felt it may stigmatise her
son if "official" organisations knew about his father—particularly
the school.
Joan had lived with her child's father for six
months during which period he was extremely threatening to her.
He also smashed up the house and kicked the baby's cot around
(witnessed by her mother, sister and sister-in-law). This terrorising,
coupled with cancer, had taken its toll on Joan's health and she
was extemely stressed. Since the child's father was contacted
by the CSA, she has been receiving phone calls in the middle of
the night, and has received a letter from the father's solicitor
demanding access to the boy, even although he has never seen the
child since the separation.
Joan is fearful that her child's father will
pick him up from school and so makes sure either she or her mother
pick him up. She would like to work part-time but is worried about
what she would do during school holidays. A work focused interview
will only add further stress to Joan who has had successful treatment
for cancer but whose mental and physical health is still fragile.
Cases where Lone Parents are in work and facing
difficulties
1. Norma: Works full-time—just
over limit for Family Credit—gets no maintenance.
Has after school care costs for two kids—these
have just risen from £130 to £160 per month—this
has thrown out her carefully worked out budget. She feels very
aggrieved that she is doing everything she is supposed to do ie
out at work full-time and cooperating with CSA and she is scrimping
and scraping for every penny. Thinking about giving up work.
2. Mary: Works full-time—two
kids (three years and five years)
Starts work 8 am—relationship broke up—no-one
to help take one kid to nursery and other to school. No after
shcool care place available. Family Credit is £59 but she
has lost much of her HB and CTB and has accumulated both Rent
and Council Tax arrears. Rent arrears at Summary Warrant/Notice
to Quit stage. Planning to give up work.
3. Angela: Was on sick and then
had to leave work. Got £63 wage on 23 April but no wage slip—made
claim for Income Support. As of 20 May 1998 has not received any
benefit. Living on Family Credit and Child Benefit. using credit
card to buy food and other essentials—up at limit for that.
4. Jackie: Lives in Housing Cooperative
home given "notice to quit" because of approximately
£1,000 rent arrears. Working full-time—by time she
buys food, fuel, clothes, travel to sick mother—no money
left for any treats —very depressed as a result. Will be
homeless and forced to give up work.
5. Angela: Sacked because she took
time off as her child was sick. Suing for unfair dismissal—last
wage £62. No wage slip. Can not get Income Support—seeing
Welfare Right Officer. Was employed by a legal firm and can not
get her P45 or wage slip from them.
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