Got a question about income support changes for lone parents?

Oldernotwiser

3guesses wrote: »

The point is that it is near impossible for a single parent to work and study at the same time. £65 a week to cover the cost of food, heating, etc? Oh yes, talk about being handed everything on a silver platter.

..

Wrong again! Lone parents (unless they already have a degree) are usually the best supported of students, although their funding will preclude their receiving IS/JSA. They are eligible for the full student funding package as well as additional allowances for dependents and being a lone parent. Most lone parents are far better off as students than they are on benefits.

SingleSue

Re studying and working, my brother has one full time job, one part time job and has shared care of his two children.....he is currently doing a degree via OU.

I may not be working in an official sense but my caring role pretty much covers the hours (plus more!) of working in a full time job, I am a single parent (through divorce) and my ex never has the children (he has seen the children for the grand total of 2 hours this year), so no nice weekend breaks without the children here....I am currently doing a degree via OU.

So it is entirely possible to work and study and be a parent, yes it may mean slightly less sleep or telly time and more organisation but it is completely possible.

There are many many people who study via OU and work full time, single and in partnerships, it may not be the obvious choice as you miss out on the Uni life and it can be quite isolating but slowly and surely, you get there.

As I said before, I have no idea why I didn't do it earlier, maybe it was snobbery at it not being a 'proper' university but once I finally got my head out of my bottom and got over my snobbery, it has turned out to be the best thing I have ever done...it has given me hope for the future whilst still being there for my family.

katiesmummy

I have a question....

What happens if tax credits are completely stopped? Many people rely on tax credits to pay for childcare which can sometimes cost as much as a persons wages. Is this universal credit idea that is being talked about going to work in the same way as tax credits or will it be for the lowest earners only? By lowest earners only I mean minimum wage.

Surely they won't just leave all those that rely on the childcare element in particular with nothing?

3guesses

FBaby wrote: »

I think you need to re-read, I WAS a single mum then. You can be a single mum and your kids still sometimes seeing their dad on a weekly basis.

Sorry, it wasn't clear to me from your post that you were a single mother at the time. At least you had some help from the father, a luxury my friend does not enjoy.

FBaby wrote: »

Why does she need to retrain? Many jobs require a certain level of education, but not always in a specific discipline. And why should single parent get all the help to retrain when others don't?

As I previously said, she needs to re-train because she is not physically capable of returning to her previous career. And again as I previously said, it is near impossible for a single parent to parent well, study for a degree AND work 16 hours a week. To do 2 of those 3, fair enough, but not all 3. Nowhere have I suggested that "[a] single parent [should] get all the help to retrain"; all I have said is that we should make it POSSIBLE for single parents to retrain by allowing them to claim Income Support while studying WHEN THEY HAVE NO OTHER INCOME. And that's it. For someone who has clearly had to struggle through a similar situation I'm quite surprised that you seem unable to empathise. All my friend wants is a fair chance to re-train, whereas the odds seem stacked against her in all directions. Preventing her from being able to get off benefits is completely counter-productive to say the very least.

FBaby wrote: »

I decided to retrain and did a Masters in Business. I had to pay every penny of it and repay the loan for 5 years afterwards at a rate of £300 a month, including after my daugther was born... Why was it expected that I should pay my full Business degree when I decided I needed to retrain, but single parents should be treated differently?

Again, nowhere have I suggested that single parents should be exempt from tuition fees. All I have said is that there should not be this unrealistic expectation that they can work, study and do a good parenting job all at the same time. My friend is not fortunate enough to be able to get a loan; it is purely through the fortune of a grant from a charity that she can pay the fees for her course. And I can assure you that the financial hardship is taking a considerable toll on her mental health.

3guesses

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

You may consider yourself an expert but what I wrote is correct. No graduates can get funding for a second degree (with some exceptions in the field of Health) and the only students who can claim benefits whilst studying full time are lone parents and disabled students.

I also don't know where you get the idea from that mature students can't access funding to do a degree; this has never been the case, which I know from both my professional and personal experience.

You stated in your original post:

No students get funding if they already have a degree and neither can they access benefits whilst studying.

This (the part highlighted above), as I then pointed out, is factually incorrect and you have now acknowledged that ("the only students who can claim benefits whilst studying full time are lone parents and disabled students"). (BTW, in case you hadn't noticed, this thread is about IS changes for Lone Parents.) Ergo, what you originally wrote was not correct...

I do not know the full ins and outs of my friend's situation; all I know is that she had to fund herself when she studied her first degree as a mature student, so having now to fund herself also in order to re-train is a real kick in the teeth.

3guesses

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Wrong again! Lone parents (unless they already have a degree) are usually the best supported of students, although their funding will preclude their receiving IS/JSA. They are eligible for the full student funding package as well as additional allowances for dependents and being a lone parent. Most lone parents are far better off as students than they are on benefits.

*SIGH*

I did say in my original post:

Could you ask the minister why a single parent of a 7+ year-old child who is studying a degree (either full time or part time) should not be eligible to claim Income Support when they have NO other income, eg. they are having to re-train...

Feel free to read and understand the whole of my posts...

3guesses

SingleSue wrote: »

Re studying and working, my brother has one full time job, one part time job and has shared care of his two children.....he is currently doing a degree via OU.

I may not be working in an official sense but my caring role pretty much covers the hours (plus more!) of working in a full time job, I am a single parent (through divorce) and my ex never has the children (he has seen the children for the grand total of 2 hours this year), so no nice weekend breaks without the children here....I am currently doing a degree via OU.

So it is entirely possible to work and study and be a parent, yes it may mean slightly less sleep or telly time and more organisation but it is completely possible.

Again, as I previously said, what if the OU does not offer the course you want to do??? Are you really saying that single parents should be restricted to doing degrees through the Open University? And no doubt be grateful to be allowed that privilege?

Welcome to the UK 2010: the land of education apartheid...

SingleSue

3guesses, I was only providing an alternative, an alternative which has worked for thousands of others, be they single, married, with children, without children, working or not working.

I didn't say that single parents should be restricted to OU study only, I just offered it as an alternative.

In case you didn't know, I am a single parent to 3 children, two of whom require an awful lot of care...and my ex husband never has them, so I do understand the difficulties. It was also a choice I had to make, fortunately, the OU does carry my choice of degree and because my choice was purely down to the fact the boys care needs are such that attending a full time degree course is impossible (plus my local Uni not actually doing my degree), the OU was the only way I could go.

Oldernotwiser

3guesses wrote: »

You stated in your original post:

No students get funding if they already have a degree and neither can they access benefits whilst studying.

This (the part highlighted above), as I then pointed out, is factually incorrect and you have now acknowledged that ("the only students who can claim benefits whilst studying full time are lone parents and disabled students"). (BTW, in case you hadn't noticed, this thread is about IS changes for Lone Parents.) Ergo, what you originally wrote was not correct...

I do not know the full ins and outs of my friend's situation; all I know is that she had to fund herself when she studied her first degree as a mature student, so having now to fund herself also in order to re-train is a real kick in the teeth.

It's very easy to quote somebody out of context when you have been proved wrong but I can't waste any more time explaining things to you.

Your friend would not have had to fund herself because she was a mature student but, as she did, she would receive no further funding. This would be the same for anyone and is only fair, given the enormous subsidies full time students receive (or have until now). Lone parents with children over 7 cannot claim IS, whether they are studying or not - I really don't know why you think your friend should be an exception.

I think you insult all lone parents who manage to study, work 16 hours a week and bring up their children when you say that this isn't possible and imply that their childrearing must suffer if they try. You also insult those who have gained their degrees with the OU by implying that this is in some way a second class option.

Quite frankly, your ignorance knows no bounds.

FBaby

3guesses wrote: »

And again as I previously said, it is near impossible for a single parent to parent well, study for a degree AND work 16 hours a week. To do 2 of those 3, fair enough, but not all 3.

It is only near impossible if you put it to your head that it is. It is very possible indeed. I parent very well and I will shout it because everyone involve in my children life have told me so. My kids are very well adjusted emotionally, are very well behaved and excel at school. Their school reports are a credit to their ability and behaviour, my daughter is top of her year with a level of 5b in Maths and English at the end of year 5 (and my boy level 3 at the end of year 2). I get complimented on them all the time. I am also a good and dedicated employee and always have been appreciated by my bosses (working 30 hours +). I also did well on my studies, getting good grades (although yes, this of the three areas was the one I put last).

I am not the only one in my situation managing ok. As a matter of fact, some have to do it in even more difficult conditions, but as a poster pointed earlier, it will involve giving up just about all of your free time and enjoyment. I didn't watch TV, went on forums, go out with friends, shopping or anything like that, something that many are not prepared to give up.