Welfare Reform Bandwagon

Hi

I am single mother if twin two year old and I work part time just 17.5 hr a week I find my child care cost huge for that 17 hrs I pay 850 per month I only get paid 600 from my job lucky the government pay me 550 towards it otherwise I wont be able to work. What really really annoys me tho I that have tried to them in to a council nursery which would be 250 per month saving both me and the government alot per month . I have tried three time and alway feel like I am getting fob off . I am now trying again for April but it so stressful . I would probably be better off quoting my job which is something for my own pride I don't want to do.

I think it is disgraceful how motherhood is devalued. I realise that some mum's will be able to work perhaps with some family support, or perhaps they have a better paid job, or perhaps they feel better working. However, there are many parents who find parenting can be tiring, as well as fun and rewarding, and to have to combine working, childcare, with parenting it can be too much for either the child or the mum. We forget that some 2 or 3 yearolds are up at 5 am taken to nurseries for 7.30 to be collected at 6.00 then bedded at home at 7.00 pm. Every single day of their lives - more or less. How hard is this for mum and baby. For me I am 53 with 17, 14, 12 , 10 and when I go to work I will be totally exhausted and worried about how the younger ones get home safely, what will they all be doing left home alone, and what about time with mum. At the moment, I am married and am ok to stay at home, but not in 2013 - as far as I see it I will need to register for work too. I am tired just washing, cleaning, socialising, educating, loving, and helping others too - which is great, I childmind for relatives and see elderly relatives too regularly - and I am trying to educate myself on the computer for when my youngest gets to highschool so I can get a job, so I am busy, However, as a single parent I would not know how I would cope. The stresses of poverty, as working families on minimum wage are living in poverty. The cost of childcare and finding childcare. I always wondered why it is not against equality rights when mums need to pay for childcare costs out of their wages automatically and a man or woman with no kids would not need to. People with childcare costs are certainly punished, it should be free if women are made to return to work and then put on an even footing with non parents.

This government show no regard for parenting, nor does any single parent group or the country, I am finding it difficult to find anyone that supports mums can stay at home until youngest is 16, and I think this is the best choice for women and children. Look to america where people cannot afford childcare and it has been seen for 3 and 5 yearolds to be left home alone, children left home alone attacked in their homes, etc. Is this where we are heading?

I think there should be a group to support single parents being made to go to work - and I guess this is where your group comes in, I just wish you were fighting the government changes and supporting mums to stay at home - is there any group doint this? Why are people so hard on mums and young families, do people not see how motherhood helps the state.

There are no jobs out there, with work for your benefit schemes, increased volunteering, more specials, etc etc, so most unemployed will end up here. How on earth does a single parent at a moment's notice find childcare, how do they find the money to pay for it? How do they afford the bus fares for these schemes and uniforms for these schemes, that they need to pay for? It is disgusting all the changes hitting the poorest families both single parent and two parent families are both hit bad,.

The knock on effect of what this government are choosing to do will be more single parent sanctioned (as they cannot possibly take up any job at any notice), more people working for benefits - less taxes paid, young people unable to get saturday jobs or part-time jobs as these have gone to the benefit schemes, what is left then volunteering and apprenticeships. It is all so frightening to me. I think all parents do a good job, but I would say being a single parent is tougher as you have to provide everything on your own and usually with no parental support and in poverty and noone to hug or discuss worries with. It is great that groups like yours exist.

I wish a lobbyist group existed for the rights of mums to stay at home to bring up kids if they wish to.

Not sure how true this is but heard that the government will from April 2013 only pay H.B for the ammount of people living in your house (meaning if there are 2 people in your house but 3 rooms then they will only pay you housing benefit for 2 rooms. This is another measure that will surley encourage women to go out and get pregnant again to fill up all the rooms in their house and get full housing benefit. ( well it's got to better than facing homlessnesss) if they cannot afford their rent top up. So if the government are wondering why the population is on the rise they need to think about why. The point I have just made for 1 and parents being forced out to work now when their youngest child is 5 with virtually no childcare and some 5 year olds find it hard enough to go to school, never mind being without mum or dad during the holidays,too.I am so lucky that that the government did not give birth to these measures when my child was 5 as there is no way in a trillion years she would have gone to a childminder as well as school so I would have had serious problems there.(have the government actually thought that not 5 year olds will not go to anyone other mum and we do not all have granparents who can help out due to their own working commitments. some would say that it is easier to just bail out and have another baby. Be lying if I said the thought was not on my mind. also I would like whoever reads this comment to be aware of the fact that I am activley and very eagarly looking for work (even participating in vol work which I love but sadly this does not seem to be enough for employers. I am well qualified went to work voluntary from when my daughter was 3 as I wanted to be a good example setter and also to be able to be there for her.I would like to say also that" Mothers already do the hardest job in the world and without us this government would have to pay people a lot of money to do our job" (hence the extremerly high rate foster carers are paid). Sorry that I have bought up a lot of subjects but this is something I feel really passionate about. xxx

I am curious as to why the government is stopping child benefit for high rate tax payers so therefore inadvertedly taking money from innocent children (did they cause the mess that we are in?) "no".

I am a single mum, my 16 year old daughter has cerebral palsy and has been in receipt of high care and high mobility since the age of 5, we got the dreaded renewal for application for dla and sent them off, waited 9 weeks to be told that she's no longer entitled to either benefit, note that there has been no change in her condition and it will never get any better,she is in full time education, i need to be there for her for appointments etc, i have to collect her from school on the odd lunch time if she's feeling stiff and do some physio before taking her back so she can continue with her day more comfortably, now because they say she isnt entitled i lose out on carers allowance which means im not entitled to income support and have to go on to job seekers, which means i have to be actively seeking work, i have no support from anyone who's going to care for my daughter, this whole system is crazy !!

I am curious as to why this government is intending to penilise innocent children (who might I add did not cause the resession) by removing child benefit from their parent/s January 2013, sorry peeps but it is how I see it. surley in anyone's books this cannot be fair. xx

I myself found myself in a position of total chaos when put on jobseekers allowance by the government. my daughter turned ten and i was told i had to find a job,any job and was giving 48 hours to find childcare. to cut along story short i then found gainful employment with opfs. as i am only working 8 hours i have no help from the government with chilcare. i therefore have to go on the good grace of my family for childcare. i think it is totally ludicrous that the government put more merit in financial gain than the welfare and safety of my child. the scottish government need to put affordable accessible child provision in place before they expect single parents to go to work.

This atirlce went ahead and made my day.

I am a single mum, I am struggling to get by as I am in full time employment and finding it extremely difficult 2 gain any advice or help from child tax credits. It seems to be a pantomime trying to claim this since jan 2011 still no further forward. I'm now back to work and have no
Money to pay for my child provider no one to turn to.