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Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008

I thank noble Lords who have participated in the debate, which I would characterise as offering support for the underlying policy approach, but asking some questions around the practicalities and implementation. I shall try to deal with as many of the substantial number of points raised as I can. I am sorry if the letter did not reach the noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, until late today—it certainly was not intended. He raised a range of questions. He asked why now. It is clear that we face challenging times, as I said in my opening remarks, but we have reasons to be confident about the economy’s prospects once we get through this difficult period. However, it is vital that we continue to focus on keeping people in touch with the labour market. I do not want to overstress a perhaps political point, but one of the problems we still face with incapacity benefit is that people were dumped on it in the past without support, and the longer that people are on benefits, the more difficult we know it is for them to engage. That is why we are introducing the measures now. The noble Lord asked also about training. Jobcentre Plus has comprehensive plans in place to make all staff aware of the changes in income support for lone parents before 24 November. All Jobcentre Plus staff will receive awareness training and process-and-scenario walkthroughs prior to the changes going live on 24 November. Staff training for dealing with the changes to JSA will be phased in line with the profile of lone parents leaving income support each month. Our training delivery started on 13 October. We plan to train sufficient staff ahead of go-live for new and repeat claims on 24 November. I have more detail on that if the noble Lord wishes to follow it up after the debate. The noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, and my noble friend Lady Hollis asked about childcare and affordability. As I said in my opening remarks, we are investing a huge amount of money in childcare provision. The upper limits under the childcare element of tax credits are £175 for families with one child, and £300 for families with two or more children. The childcare element of working tax credit currently benefits around 449,000 lower- and middle-income families. Of those working families, around 287,000 are lone parents and 162,000 are couples. The noble Lord asked what happens if wraparound childcare is not fully in place. Childcare is available for the large majority of parents who want it. To put this in perspective, in the next two years we expect about 18,000 additional lone parents to move into work as a result of these changes. The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey 2007 reported 460,000 vacancies in childcare and early years provision in England alone. The noble Lord asked what happens if suitable childcare is not available, a point also pressed by my noble friend Lady Hollis. Advisers will be required to take into account both the availability and suitability of childcare when they consider whether a parent’s childcare responsibilities make it unreasonable for him or her to stay in employment, to take up paid employment or to carry out a jobseeker’s direction. Advisers must also consider any necessary childcare expenses where they represent an unreasonable amount of that person’s earnings. A lone parent who is claiming JSA will not be penalised if she or he has just cause for leaving a job or good cause for not taking up a job. The noble Lord and my noble friend focused on what is suitable childcare and the range of circumstances that lone parents can face. Jobcentre Plus personal advisers will work with parents and the childcare partnership manager to identify and access appropriate childcare provision. They will not dictate to parents the type of childcare or which providers they must use—that must remain a decision for parents. A lone parent who considers that he or she cannot take up a job to which they are referred by a personal adviser because appropriate and affordable childcare is not available will need to demonstrate that they have taken reasonable steps to secure such care. If they are able to justify that, sanctions would not apply. The noble Lord asked about childcare places in England and Wales, and in Scotland in particular, for children aged 11 to 14. In England, another concern of the noble Lord, we will ensure that by 2008 a third of all secondary schools will be extended schools; they will be open from 8 am to 6 pm and offer activities for both children in the school and the surrounding area.