Single parents given new deal
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The first step towards getting half a million lone parents back to work was taken yesterday as the Government launched its first New Deal pilot schemes.
Computer systems as well as personal advisers are at the centre of the scheme which will ensure that all single parents will be invited to JobCentres for advice on getting work or further training once their children reach school age.
The first phase of the scheme began yesterday in Cambridge, Sheffield, Cardiff, Warwick, Warrington and Halesowen. Further schemes will be launched today in Hamilton and next month in Croydon. More than 40,000 lone parents and 80 personal advisers will be involved.
Each adviser will help parents seek out job and training opportunities in their area, together with childcare facilities, and they will be shown how much better off they would be financially with a job.
A series of computer points will be located in JobCentres and other public places such as libraries which the parents can operate themselves simply by touching the screens to discover what opportunities might be available locally.
Harriet Harman, the Secretary of State for Social Security, said at the Cambridge launch that there were presently more than 1million lone parents bringing up nearly 2 million children on income support. "Two million children being brought up on the breadline is simply not acceptable," she said.
But Alan Howarth, the education and employment minister, said that there would be no compulsion to take up work. "There will be many single parents for whom it is not appropriate at the moment to go to work. We are not in any way seeking to pressurise people into doing what isn't right for them or their children," he said.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments