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Government watchdog slams lone parent work requirements: changes will increase numbers seeking work at time of rising unemployment
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06/10/08 Government today announced that it will go ahead with plans to force lone parents to actively seek work, despite a strong recommendation from the independent Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) that they do not proceed. The changes will add to the numbers of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance, at a time when unemployment is already rising.
Government announced in December last year that it would ask lone parents who have children aged seven and upwards to claim Jobseeker's Allowance and actively seek work. The regulations necessary to achieve this change were referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee, an independent body which scrutinises social security legislation. Today, the Committee's report was published with a strong recommendation that the Government ‘do not proceed with these proposed regulations' a recommendation ignored in today's statement from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions James Purnell that the changes would go ahead.
The changes are expected to affect over 100,000 lone parents this year, who will move from Income Support, where they are considered as inactive, to Jobseeker's Allowance, where they will be counted as part of the unemployment figures. September's unemployment figures show that unemployment increased by 81,000 over the quarter to reach 1.72 million.
In a strongly worded report published today, the SSAC concluded that the Government's proposals were ‘a leap in the dark'. The Committee stated that:
"For parents of younger children, this regime is untried and its chances of success rest heavily on support services that have yet to be delivered in the quantity and variety that will be needed.....we have noted the underlying tensions between government policies to promote greater personal responsibility for their children, and greater engagement in securing their health and well being, and policies that may have the effect of forcing lone parents to give priority to paid employment and the demands of employers.. the operation of a sanctions- based benefit regime risks placing lone parents in poverty if they are subject to financial penalties, thus jeopardising the aimed for reduction in child poverty."
Commenting today, Chief Executive of One Parent Families|Gingerbread Fiona Weir said:
"We are extremely disappointed that Government has chosen to ignore the view of the Social Security Advisory Committee that these are the wrong proposals at the wrong time. These changes will push lone parents into an increasingly difficult labour market, without giving them the support they need to negotiate it.
"We are extremely concerned about the possible impacts on children of benefit cuts on those parents who do not take up jobs, and of the ability of Jobcentre Plus to cope with these changes at a time when their services are likely to be pushed to the limit."
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