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Public call to give one-parent families an equal chance for economic well-being in Budget 2014

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Press Release

(Dublin, Friday 19 July) Today One Family, Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families, calls on members of the public to email and connect with their local TDs to demand the implementation of One Family’s “10 Solutions for Smarter Futures,” a series of ten no-nonsense, low or no-cost actions that government must implement to better the lives of the adults and children in one-parent families who continue to experience the highest rates of poverty in Ireland. 2014 is the 20th anniversary of Family Day as proclaimed by the UN – the Irish Government should reflect this by giving one-parent families an equal chance.

There are over 215,000 one-parent families in Ireland today and over half a million people living in one-parent families. One Family calls on each of these families, and everyone who knows a member of a one-parent family, to join in the campaign by emailing their local TD to ensure that all of Ireland’s families can enjoy a higher quality of life.

One Family Director of Policy and Programmes, Stuart Duffin, commented: “The 10 Solutions are all about delivering some of the supports needed to enable lone parents to have Smarter Futures out of poverty, off social assistance and into quality sustainable jobs.  These solutions may not require a lot of money but they do require public services and policy makers to think and behave creatively in order to deliver more appropriate and effective services for their customers and constituents.”

10 Solutions for Smarter Futures is part of One Family’s Strategy 2013-2015, launched last month on the 28th.  These solutions are focused on improving the well-being of Ireland’s one parent families, and they are changes that will benefit everyone. Just over 87,000 people are in receipt of the One-Parent Family Payment (OFP).  Mr. Duffin explains: “The new Jobseekers Allowance payment, which responds to our call for Flexibilities, is designed to allow former recipients of OFP whose youngest child is under 14 years of age to avail  of Minister Burton’s activation services to return to work, education or training. The implementation of 10 Solutions for Smarter Futures would make a real difference for lone parents as they move into the workplace, education and/or training as the solutions fully recognise the particular difficulties that can be faced by those parenting alone such as lack of child care and long-term absence from the labour market.”

Mr. Duffin commented further: “To help some of the poorest children in Ireland have a better life, please champion and advocate for 10 Solutions.”

One Family’s Number 1 solution is:

Flexibilities: allow lone parents who are moving to Jobseeker’s Allowance to seek only part-time work during the school term in order to assist lone parents who have a child with a disability or lack of access to childcare or are coping with a bereavement or separation.

Others include: solution 5 – Responsive Learning; solution 6 – Progression Opportunities; solution 10 – Poverty and Parent Proofing.

Members of the public are invited to visit www.onefamily.ie to learn more about 10 Solutions for Smarter Futures and to add their voices to the campaign by availing of the facility there to email their TDs. For additional information, they may also email: solut10ns@onefamily.ie.

Notes for Editors:

  • 1 in 4 families with children in Ireland is a one-parent family
  • Over half a million people live in one-parent families in Ireland
  • Almost 1 in 5 children (18.3%) live in a one-parent family (Census 2011)
  • There are over 215,000 one-parent families in Ireland today (25.8% of all families with children; Census 2011)
  • 87,586 of those are currently receiving the One-Parent Family Payment.
  • Those living in lone parent households continue to experience the highest rates of deprivation with almost 56% of individuals from these households experiencing one or more forms of deprivation (EU-SILC 2011).
  • The full 10 Solutions for Smarter Futures document is available to read here.
  • Twitter #10Solutions

 

About One Family

One Family was founded in 1972 and is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families offering support, information and services to all members of all one-parent families, to those experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to those working with one-parent families. Children are at the centre of One Family’s work and the organisation helps all the adults in their lives, including mums, dads, grandparents, step-parents, new partners and other siblings, offering a holistic model of specialist family support services. These services include the lo-call askonefamily national helpline on 1890 622 212, counselling, and provision of training courses for parents and for professionals. One Family also promotes Family Day, an annual celebration of the diversity of families in Ireland today, with almost 10,000 people attending events this year on 19 May (www.familyday.ie). For further information, visit www.onefamily.ie.

 

Available for Interview

Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy & Programmes | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 062 2023

 

Further Information/Scheduling

Shirley Chance, Director of Communications | t: 01 662 9212 or 087 414 8511

 

Update on JAT following briefing at Dept of Social Protection

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One Family attended a briefing this evening at the Department of Social Protection to learn about the new scheme announced today that will be available to lone parents:  Jobseekers’ Allowance – Transition.

The scheme removes the requirement to be looking and available for full-time employment, but has particular conditionalities that must be met. The Department will be sending letters out to those who were previously expected to move onto Jobseekers’ Allowance in the first week of July. Local offices will not have full details of the JAT until next week.

To read additional information from One Family, including Q&A, please click here.

Anyone who has any questions regarding the upcoming transition, please call the askonefamily lo-call helpline on 1890 662 212.

 

New Jobseekers’ Transition arrangement: For lone parents work is now more of a possibility

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Press Release

For lone parents work is now more of a possibility

(Dublin, 21 May 2013) Today, Minister Burton, listening and responding to One Family’s Ten Solutions campaign is presenting to Cabinet a progressive reform which will allow lone parents who are on social welfare to seek part-time work rather than full-time when they are moved to Jobseekers Allowance through a new arrangement called Jobseeker’s Transition.

One Family’s Director of Policy and Programmes, Stuart Duffin explains: ‘We have been advocating for this progressive reform since Budget 2012. All our evidence suggests that lone parents often need to access jobs with relatively short hours when returning to employment. Lone parents value working in part time-jobs as a way of balancing labour-market participation with caring responsibilities.’

He continues: ‘A part-time job acts as a ‘stepping-stone’ into working longer hours. There are good reasons for believing that any experience of work is likely to improve future chances of employment – particularly for lone parents who have spent long periods out of work. ‘For those parenting alone, whose primary responsibility and duty of care is to their child(ren), progressive activation which encourage employment efforts by acknowledging and responding to the needs and supports around childcare, personal and career development are very welcome.’

Karen Kiernan, One Family CEO explains: ‘One Family has been calling for a series of flexibilities in relation to the compulsory activation of lone parents in line with other jurisdictions due to the unique family and parenting responsibilities they face. Given the relatively poor provision of accessible and affordable out of school care in Ireland, these flexibilities are a must and we are pleased that Minister Burton has responded to the concerns of our members and clients on this critical issue.’

Duffin further highlights: ‘As part of this reform One Family looks forward to working with Government to provide meaningful engagement and tailored support for those moving back into the labour market and or education to secure a new future for families and children while helping to safeguard parenting responsibilities. Our New Futures programme has been specifically designed to delivery on this welfare to work policy.

Kiernan warns: ‘One Family will be closely monitoring how this policy is implemented in practice to ensure that parents are not compromised and that the number of part-time hours required under the new transition scheme will be achievable for parents.’

Find out more about One Family’s 10 Solutions campaign here: http://bit.ly/15KsorZ  #10Solutions

Press

Available for comment:

Stuart Duffin, Director Policy & Programmes, One Family | t: 087 062 2023

Karen Kiernan, CEO of One Family | t: 086 850 9191

For further information or scheduling, please contact:

Shirley Chance for One Family | t: 087 414 8511 | e: schance@onefamily.ie

UNICEF publishes Report Card 11

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One Family is attending Taking Action to Fight Child Poverty and to Promote Child Well-being, a two-day conference in Dublin organised by Eurochild, European Anti-Poverty Network Ireland, UNICEF and Children’s Rights Alliance as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU.

Yesterday UNICEF published Report Card 11 naming Ireland as the 10th best developed country in the world for children to grow up, ahead of both the UK and the US. This report, launched by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald, is the culmination of research spanning ten years (2001-2010) and also shows a decade of steady progress for the nation’s children.

“However, this report card does not show the on-the-ground reality of austerity policies and practices which stem from Budget 2012 which are hitting the poorest families hardest,” said Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy and Programmes at One Family.

“Those at the top had the boom but it’s those at the bottom being made to suffer the bust and this particularly is the case for those parenting alone. We need to build and invest in the jobs, housing and childcare that will stimulate the economy and meet the needs of all families.

“If we don’t it will be shocking and dangerous in public policy terms, and also a catastrophe for the childhoods and life chances of so many of our children.”

At the conference, One Family has presented Investing in Children – Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage. Our 10 Solutions for Smarter Futures campaign sets out pointers for government to alleviate the impact of persistent and consistent poverty for those parenting alone. Learn more about 10 Solutions here.

The time for One Family’s ‘Ten Solutions Smarter Futures’ is now

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Almost half of the State’s children are living in households in receipt of social welfare, the Oireachtas Social Protection Committee was told yesterday.

Ita Mangan, Chairwoman of the group that recommended a two-tier child benefit system, warned that this is “worrying” and also told the committee that one in five children in the Republic of Ireland lived in a home where income was less than €20,000 a year. Labour TD Brendan Ryan noted that the lack of affordable childcare was a “major barrier” to single parents working.

One Family’s ongoing campaign Ten Solutions Smarter Futures clearly outlines why the current welfare system needs to be reformed. It is time for a system which lifts people out of poverty and treats everyone with dignity and respect. Responding to Ms Mangan’s evidence to the committee Stuart Duffin, Director of Policy & Programmes for One Family, highlights the benefits of  Ten Solutions Smarter Futures  and encourages TDs and Senators to agree its execution.

“Against a background of inaccurate and discriminatory media stories which too often demonise lone parents, the system increasingly focuses on blaming individuals for being out of work,” Mr Duffin said.

“Overall, welfare reform has resulted in gaps in provision, especially for those in precarious situations such as those parenting alone. Reforms are based on the assumption that those on welfare should move into employment, regardless of the existence, quality or sustainability of jobs. They assume that benefit recipients lack the motivation to work. Significant moral and ethical questions exist over the ability of large multi-national private employment agencies to profit financially when disadvantaged people find themselves jobs.

“Meanwhile the real barriers to employment such as lack of childcare, employer discrimination, below poverty level wages and the lack of jobs are not tackled effectively. Many lone parents are required to engage in work seeking activities, education and training despite inadequate childcare provision in some areas.”

Mr Duffin concludes: “The real challenge is to make childcare affordable for those at the bottom end, so that there are strong incentives for those parenting alone parents to continue or engage in employment and/or education. That would do much more to help reduce child poverty, and it would help our economic our recovery too.”

The current system is expensive to administer. It is time to stop tinkering with the system and make some fundamental changes which can be achieved through an area-based whole of government outcomes-focused tactic to reduce child poverty. Current policies and practice do little to address the inequalities that place lone parents in precarious labour market situations. There is an acute and urgent need for policies that:

1.         Guarantee flexibilities within JA,

2.         Prevent in-work poverty and create adequate incomes to ensure that no child experiences poverty,

3.         Support job retention,

4.         Guarantee affordable, flexible and high-quality childcare.

The families facing the hardest struggle, particularly those parenting alone, do not have the spending power businesses need to get back to growth and create new jobs. It would be far better for family welfare and business growth if families were at the frontline of economic stimulus. Countries that took this approach when the economic crisis started have recovered much more strongly.

Read more about One Family’s Ten Solutions Smarter Futures campaign here.