Single parents need clear advice on leaving children unattended
Gabriella Jozwiak
Monday, December 6, 2010
Lone parents are being advised by Jobcentre Plus workers to accept jobs that force them to leave older children alone at home, according to the Single Parent Action Network (Span).
The charity has been contacted by parents with children aged 11 and older who were instructed to accept work even if they did not have suitable childcare.
One mother was told she would have to leave her 13-year-old children at home if a job offer was made, and that she could not request working hours that matched the school day. "I said I wouldn't be prepared to leave them, but they said, if there is a job that you have got to do in the evening, you will have to," she said.
Welfare changes made in October mean all single parents with a youngest child aged between seven and nine are automatically switched from income support to jobseeker's allowance. Parents who fail to engage with job seeking can have their benefits cut. However, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said that lone parents are able to specify jobs with school hours only, and will not be penalised for not accepting jobs with unsuitable hours.
Safeguards in the legislation state that single parents of any child should be able to turn down a job if suitable childcare is unavailable.
Span is concerned advisers are giving parents mixed messages. "It's worrying that there are protections in the legislation that aren't being communicated," said Laura Dewar, Span's policy and parliamentary officer.
"Parents should make the decisions about what's best for their children. If childcare isn't available for older children, it's not good to advise people to leave their children on their own."
There is no legal age limit for leaving a child unattended, but parents who place their children at risk by leaving them alone can be prosecuted. The NSPCC recommends the cut-off at 12 years, but the parent must make their own a judgment. "If your child is under the age of about 12, they may not be mature enough to cope with an emergency," said Chris Cloke, NSPCC 's head of child protection and diversity. "They should not be left alone for more than a very short time."
Dewar wants to see job centres provide lone parents with clearer advice on work and childcare options, but a DWP spokeswoman said this was not their role. "Jobcentre Plus does not advise parents on what age they can leave their children at home," she said.
