Sanctions

~Chameleon~

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

They don't have children, but if they did, she is home by three and he would ask for afternoon/evening shifts. For the few hours they might need childcare, they would presumably pay a babysitter. Like people have always done.

That's nice if you can pick and choose your shifts. Many people can't. I spent most of my career working all hours of the day and night and frequently in on-call emergency situations but I was fortunate enough to have a live-in nanny. Not everyone can afford to do so, nor does everyone have access to "out of hours" childcare to enable them to work evenings/weekends or shift work.

pinkypoopydoo

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

They don't have children, but if they did, she is home by three and he would ask for afternoon/evening shifts. For the few hours they might need childcare, they would presumably pay a babysitter. Like people have always done.

To be fair, supermarkets (which you said he works in) are notoriously difficult to "ask for shifts". Despite the impression they give, they are the most unlikely to accommodation any kind of requests for shift changes due to childcare issues. I speak from experience. And paying for babysitters is a grand idea, if the childcare is available.

In the real world, away from conurbations, child care is limited, jobs even more so.

skintmacflint

osdset wrote: »

National Insurance isn't insurance is it? Who in their right mind would willingly pay out a variable sum each week for an insurance scheme that does not actually guarantee a return. JSA is called an allowance now rather than an entitlement. And for those that paid in for all their working lives I would call it theft by the government on a grand scale.

Considering the variety of benfits available which people in different circumstances can and do claim, access to NHS , pensions, social care etc etc, I don't think the UK as a nation is too hard done by overall.

osdset

skintmacflint wrote: »

Considering the variety of benfits available which people in different circumstances can and do claim, access to NHS , pensions, social care etc etc, I don't think the UK as a nation is too hard done by overall.

I think a definition of exactly what constitutes a benefit is required here. For a start even the word 'benefit' no longer exists as far as the DWP is concerned it's been replaced by 'allowance'. Mainly because benefit equals entitlement.

The current government is not happy with any label that infers entitlement, hence Employment Support Allowance instead of Incapacity Benefit. Even those in the Support Group who are in reality unlikely ever to work again fall under the umbrella of Employment Support. Words like long term, sick, and disabled tend to bring on tantrums from Ian Duncan Smith, so he busies himself with eradicating them from general usage.

Whilst the NHS is undoubtedly beneficial, it is ultimately a paid for service for the majority of 'customers'.

Pensions are also paid for, one currently needs to have 30 years worth of NI contributions to qualify.

bigboybrother

osdset wrote: »

Pensions are also paid for, one currently needs to have 30 years worth of NI contributions to qualify.

Previously 41 - so what has happened to all of those, now unused years of contributions - all 11 years of them?

I should have stopped working at 41 and would still get a full pension.

seven-day-weekend

pinkypoopydoo wrote: »

To be fair, supermarkets (which you said he works in) are notoriously difficult to "ask for shifts". Despite the impression they give, they are the most unlikely to accommodation any kind of requests for shift changes due to childcare issues. I speak from experience. And paying for babysitters is a grand idea, if the childcare is available.

In the real world, away from conurbations, child care is limited, jobs even more so.

Just as well we live on the edge of a conurbation then . Surely even in small communities there is some young person who would babysit for a couple of hours? That's what people have always done in the past.

iammumtoone

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

. Surely even in small communities there is some young person who would babysit for a couple of hours? That's what people have always done in the past.

Thats the point lone parents are expected to leave their 13 year old for all the time they are at work ( more than a couple of hours) possibly all day, every week.

seven-day-weekend

iammumtoone wrote: »

Thats the point lone parents are expected to leave their 13 year old for all the time they are at work ( more than a couple of hours) possibly all day, every week.

Are they not at school then? And could not the parent arrange their own leave to coincide with at least some of the school holidays? Maybe two single parents could join together and share the childcare. Providing no money changed hands, this is quite legal.

I know it is not easy, I am just trying to find solutions.

osdset

From my own experience of being a single father thirty years ago, if a network of family and friends are available holding down a job is possible. Unfortunately I didn't have that network available.

I struggled for months trying to hold down a job and arrange reliable child care for two children aged nine months and three years, the construction industry is not known for it's understanding attitude to parenting commitments, and I could not commit to the hours required, so eventually I was forced by circumstance to claim one parent benefit.

To be honest that period of my life was a living nightmare, the weekly payment from social security was the equivalent one days wage as a carpenter back then, and I got increasingly behind with bills.

I do not envy anyone trying to bring up children on their own and work at the same time.

iammumtoone

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Are they not at school then? And could not the parent arrange their own leave to coincide with at least some of the school holidays? Maybe two single parents could join together and share the childcare. Providing no money changed hands, this is quite legal.

They are not at school as we are talking about weekends. Weekday/school days are not an issue as there are professional childminders that work weekdays, but they don't work weekends or evenings however the job center expect lone parents to take weekend work once their child reaches 13.