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Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2008

There is flexibility in the system, specifically in the agreement which an individual lone parent would have to reach with the jobcentre adviser. That could lead to a requirement to work for only 16 hours a week and would obviously seek to focus on a job that is suitable for that individual. However, if the job that is suitable and available for that individual is not consistent with childcare being available on an affordable basis, then clearly that person could not be subject to sanctions. So it is not only a generic availability; it has to be available in the specific circumstances of the individual involved. I am looking for support from the Box on that and I see a few nodding heads. I hope that helps my noble friend. The noble Lord, Lord Skelmersdale, asked about funding. I shall leave aside the tax credit issue at the moment but lone parent transition loans will be paid out under crisis loan legislation. The crisis loan funding comes from the amount allocated annually for budgeting and crisis loans. The lone parent transition loans will be funded from that budget and, in 2007-08, £511 million was paid in budgeting loans and £121.2 million in crisis loans. My noble friend Lady Hollis raised a number of challenging points. On the use of the language, I entirely take the point that my noble friend has made. Whatever the conventions, it seems to me that we are dealing with a group of people who are overwhelmingly likely to be women rather than men. It is not beyond the wit of parliamentary draftsmen or draftswomen to get that right. My noble friend asked about sanctions and how they would apply. In this order we are amending the JSA regulations in connection with good and just cause. The decision-maker must consider whether a parent’s childcare responsibilities make it unreasonable for her to stay in employment, to take up paid employment or to carry out a jobseeker’s direction. We propose that the decision-maker must specifically consider the availability and suitability of childcare. In addition, we propose that decision-makers must consider any necessary childcare expenses where they represent an unreasonable amount of a person’s earnings. My noble friend again raised issues of flexible working. No decisions have been made on this or on any other forthcoming regulations but it is only right that the Government look afresh at the costs and benefits of new regulations in the light of the global economic downturn. The Government are determined to do all they can to help both employers and employees in tough economic times and flexible working can give both employers and employees mutually beneficial flexibility, helping to keep businesses profitable and to keep people in work. The business benefits of flexible working in tougher economic times are well documented and it can make workplaces more efficient, with improved productivity and reduced absenteeism. That is looking at it from a business point of view but it can also provide a real link for the individual to good-quality employment. My noble friend asked how lone parents will be treated if their children become ill. As now, Jobcentre Plus advisers will be able to take that into account when deciding whether there should be a sanction. Advisers have to consider whether it would be unreasonable for a person to stay in a job if they have to look after a child who is ill. If it is unreasonable, they will not be penalised. That applies also to attendance at interviews. My noble friend also asked about travel times, particularly in relation to rural areas. The JSA policy stipulates that travel time of up to an hour each way within the first 13 weeks of a JSA claim and one and a half hours each way thereafter is appropriate. Jobcentre Plus staff would also consider whether travel time to a job is reasonable, taking health or caring responsibilities into account, and would include any reasonable time required to drop off and pick up children from school or childcare. The noble Lord, Lord Kirkwood, raised a number of issues. He stressed the point that in many ways lone parents are in a unique position and that we need to address these issues in a sensitive and balanced way. I entirely agree. I believe these regulations seek to do that. He asked me about Peter Hain’s comments and what our position is on that. Peter was reported as saying that work is simply not an option for some people and we agree. Some people will remain on income support and some will go on to the employment and support allowance and may end up in a support group. I think it is already recognised that we are not saying that absolutely everyone must work because we know that is not appropriate for everyone. This is about helping those people who can work to move towards the labour market. The noble Lord said that lone parents can be quite desperate for work. That is generally right—indeed, it is possibly overwhelmingly right—which is why I believe that we are pushing at an open door with these policies. It does not preclude a regime of sanctions; if used sparingly and in clearly defined circumstances the evidence shows that they can have a beneficial impact. The noble Lord asked what would happen if a lone parent’s child was disabled. Under the new proposals, any lone parent who receives carers’ allowance for disabled children or who is caring for others will be able to continue to claim income support. So they will not be under the JSA regime. The Government considered an exemption for lone parents with a child for whom the lower rate care component of DLA is payable. However, it is our view that such a child, by definition, would not require the amount of care that precluded the parent from paid work, particularly given the flexibilities which we are building in to these arrangements. The noble Lord asked what evidence we had that sanctions work.