Posted: 18.07.2007
Immediate Release

One Parent Families Scotland is extremely unhappy with the proposals unveiled today to require lone parents to seek work when their youngest child reaches 12 and later to reduce this to seven.

Sue Robertson, Director of One Parent Families Scotland said,

"this increased pressure on lone parents to seek work when their children are young is totally inappropriate. Government policies designed to support lone parents moving into employment are still failing many parents, with the huge difficulties of tax credit and benefit administration, and the shambles of the Child Support Agency which is shortly to be abolished. Lone parents are doing a valuable job bringing up children and should retain the freedom to put their children first."

Childcare is a key problem for lone parents wanting to return to work. In England there is a statutory requirement through the Childcare Act 2006 for local authorities to ensure childcare is available for all working parents including those whose children have additional support needs. In Scotland there is no similar requirement and there is no recognition in the tax credit system of the extra costs of childcare for children with additional support needs or of the costs of childcare for three or more children.

Lone parents on Income Support have lower qualifications and more health difficulties than women in two parent families and are twice as likely to move in and out of employment as other claimants. Government Pressure without adequate support risks forcing even more into unsustainable jobs.

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For further information contact Sue Robertson or Susan Rew on 0131 556 3899.

Any lone parents who wish to comment on this story, please email comments to info@opfs.org.uk.

Notes to Editors:

One Parent Families Scotland is a national organisation representing the 150,000 lone parents in Scotland. As well as operating the lone parent helpline in association with One Plus and One Parent Families, it produces a wide range of publications and runs local support and childcare services in various parts of Scotland.