2 July 2009 – Supporting family friendly work at heart of welfare reform - Cooper
The Government will make sure that work pays for lone parents who try out part time jobs as a step to getting off benefits. As part of a new trial announced by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper, lone parents on Income Support who work for less than16 hours will be able to earn £50 a week through their own job before it has any impact on their benefit.
The trial, in selected areas from 2010, is designed to support lone parents who take up jobs with limited hours to fit with their family responsibilities, availability of childcare or things like picking the children up from school by making sure they are better off in work. It reflects Ministers’ determination to support family friendly employment as part of welfare reform.
The Government will also provide families with stronger support through the Welfare Reform Bill as it goes before the House of Lords today. Parents who have been victims of domestic violence, and are claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance, will be exempt from the requirement to look for work for three months.
Lords Minister Bill McKenzie also told the House of Lords today that the new requirements on lone parents with school age children will be implemented in a way that supports parenting and family life, as well as getting more parents into work.
The Government will bring forward amendments to ensure that Jobcentre Plus advisers must take account of the well being of the child and the availability of childcare when helping lone parents look for work or start preparing for work in future.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Yvette Cooper said:
"We need to help families out of poverty by helping parents work, and we will always do so in a way that also supports family life. We want parents to get the help they need to build a better life for both their children and themselves."
Speaking in the Lords, Lord McKenzie confirmed that lone parents with children over seven will move to Jobseekers’ Allowance and gave reassurance to parents of younger children that the Government will put measures in primary legislation confirming that those with children under seven will not be obliged to seek work.
The Government is already developing pathfinders to help parents with children aged between three and seven prepare for work in future through things like taking up training or getting their CVs up to scratch. These will look at how parents whose children are at nursery school or reception class at school can start preparing for work in the future and could also include other steps that help them, such as getting debt advice or sorting out a housing problem.
Speaking in Parliament, Lord McKenzie reaffirmed the Government’s intention not to extend this requirement to parents of children under three years old in order to support families in the early years, and said this will be confirmed in primary legislation. Parents with younger children will still get one to one support from a personal adviser, who will still be able to offer them help if they wish to take it up.
Lord McKenzie said:
"These amendments confirm existing Government policy by putting it into primary legislation, rather than secondary. We have always made clear that the measures will be implemented in a way that supports families and children. These safeguards give parents reassurance that Governments will not be able to make changes to this landmark Bill without going back to Parliament."
Notes to Editors
- The Welfare Reform White Paper, "Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future" was published on 10 December 2008.
- The Welfare Reform Bill was introduced on 14 January 2009 and is currently in committee stages.
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