Important campaign - please take action now

AHEd and Schoolhouse have been working together to oppose new UK Government Social Security Regulations which will see lone parents who are reliant on Income Support moved on to Job Seekers Allowance as soon as their youngest child reaches 12 (from November 2008), the age threshhold being reduced to seven by 2010. Lone parents will then be expected to be available for paid employment outside the home, regardless of the needs of their children.

To coincide with the all too short consultation prior to the regulations being brought before Parliament before the summer recess, we have just launched the Every Single Parent Matters? campaign. It involves a postcard lobby of MPs by parents and a parallel postcard lobby of the four Children’s Commissioners for Scotland, England, Wales and N Ireland by children and young people.

This short and sharp campaign requires immediate action by all parents and young people who are concerned about the impact of these proposed Social Security Regulations on vulnerable families.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NOW!

Parents and interested adults (UK wide):

* Download the MP lobby postcard and print it out.
* Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MP and his/her address, which is House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA.
* Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MP can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
* Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.

If you live in Scotland, Wales or N Ireland, please also:

* Download the MSP/AM lobby postcard and print it out.
* Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of your MSP/AM and his/her address. Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that your MSP/AM can return the postcard to you with his/her comments. [NOTE: Although this is a reserved matter, these regulations affect children and families and also represent a legitimate area of concern for the devolved administrations, so it is important to lobby MSPs/AMs and MPs]
* Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.

Children and young people:

* Download the Children’s Commissioner lobby postcard and print it out.
* Complete the addressee box on the front with the name of the Children’s Commissioner for your nation and and his/her address.

Kathleen Marshall, Scotland’s Commissioner for Children and Young People, 85 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh EH8 8AU

Sir Al Aynsley-Green, Children’s Commissioner for England, 11 MILLION, 1 London Bridge, London SE1 9BG

Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Oystermouth House, Phoenix Way, Llansamlet, Swansea SA7 9FS

Patricia Lewsley, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, Millennium House, 17-25 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BA

* Write your name and adddress in the box on the back so that the Children’s Commissioner can return the postcard to you with his/her comments.
* Contact AHEd or Schoolhouse to let us know what his/her response is and we will record it on the AHEd wiki.

Organisations with an interest in supporting families:

* Download the poster about the campaign and display.
* Post the campaign information on your website and include in your newsletter.

Everyone:

* Download the poster about the campaign and display
* Let others know about this campaign so that MPs and Children’s Commissioners are left in no doubt about our vehement opposition to these regulations.

Thank you,

Barbara Stark (Chair, AHEd ) ahed@ahed.org.uk

Alison Preuss (Convener, Schoolhouse) media@schoolhouse.org.uk