Help for Lone Parents
If you are a lone parent bringing up a child and you are
receiving Income Support, you could join New Deal for Lone Parents.
This is a new Government programme to help you decide if now is the
time to return to work or training. If you want to, you can arrange
to see your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser for advice
and information. Once you join the Programme, you will be
offered:
- advice on jobs advice on training advice on benefits
- help with working out how much you need to earn to be better
off
- help finding out about childcare
- and help with childcare costs while you train or attend job
interviews
Who is New Deal for Lone
Parents for?
New Deal for Lone Parents is for any lone parent with a
dependent child making a new claim for Income Support or receiving
Income Support.
Lone parents with children of school age are sent letters
telling them about the programme, and inviting them to meet with a
New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser.
If your youngest child is under five, you can choose to join the
Programme. Just contact your Benefits Agency office or Jobcentre
and ask to contact your nearest New Deal for Lone Parents personal
adviser.
What help is possibly available for childcare costs?
Once you have joined New Deal for Lone Parents you might get
help with childcare costs while you train, attend interviews or
appointments with your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser
or attend job interviews.
To be eligible for the help with childcare costs your training
must:
- be approved by a New Deal for Lone Parent Adviser, before you
enroll
- be work-related and increase your chances of finding a job -
you need to have a business case accepted by your Adviser to show
that you really need to undertake training in order to find a
job
- be normally up to NVQ/SVQ
level 2 or equivalent, or in certain circumstances up to NVQ/SVQ
level 3
- be no more than one year long
What kind of childcare could possibly be paid for?
To be eligible, childcare providers taking part in this scheme
must be registered, approved or run on school premises. The
following services are eligible:
- childminder registered with the local authority
- out of school scheme registered with the local authority, run
on school premises, or approved playscheme registered with the
local authority, run on school premises or approved nursery
registered with the local authority
- pre-school or playgroup registered with the local
authority
If you are not sure if your chosen childcare provider could be
eligible, ask your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser.
How will the money be paid?
Your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser will send a form
to your childcare provider explaining that Employment Services will
pay the agreed amount and requesting confirmation of the childcare
arrangements. Then your childcare provider should send the forms
back to your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser, who will
arrange for the money to be paid directly to your childcare
provider. Payments are usually monthly.
Finding out more about New Deal for Lone Parents
You can:
Help for working parents
For more information about help for working parents, please
visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/index.htm
