Example letter to MP about changes to the benefits system

I am writing to you about my concern over the changes being made as regards lone parents on income support in the latest welfare reforms.

Home educating parents can currently take Income Support until their youngest child is 16. In October 2008, new legislation comes into force where once the youngest child is 12, Income support will be replaced with Job Seeker's Allowance and the parents told to find a job. In 2010 the age limit for the youngest child will be reduced to 7 years old.

Home educating parents were not consulted by the Government when the draft impact assessment was drawn up. The White Paper from December 2007 stated that "it was strongly felt that increased conditionality was not appropriate for:

parents with disabled children or whose children had additional needs;
carers of both disabled children and adults;
mothers fleeing domestic violence; and
parents who choose to home educate."

However, decisions appear to have been made in the meantime that there will be no exemption for allowing home educating parents to remain on Income Support. This has caused distress to many home educating lone parents as they are now worried that they will have no choice but to take up paid employment and send their children to school come October 2008. Once a lone parent is transferred from Income support to Job Seeker's Allowance, they will be required to actively search for paid employment and accept a job if they are offered one, or else their Job Seeker's Allowance will be terminated.

Home educating parents are already doing a vital full-time (and unpaid) job, and this must be taken into consideration by the Government when implementing welfare reforms. A home educating parent is also a full-time carer of a child so is unavailable to take up paid employment. The consequence of this is that home educating lone parents are completely unable to meet the terms and conditions of Job Seeker's Allowance as it is impossible and impractical for them to take a job in addition to educating and caring for their children full-time. Therefore it would be both morally and technically wrong to move them from Income Support to Job Seeker's Allowance.

Home education isn't purely an alternative lifestyle choice. A high proportion of home educated children previously attended school but were withdrawn for reasons such as bullying, unhappiness, failure to cater for SEN, or problems with teaching style and the curriculum. Their parents have often been forced to give up their jobs or jeopardise their careers in order to be able to function as a full time carer as well as an educator.

State schools are not free and it typically costs the taxpayer £5,000 per year to keep a child at school. Therefore there is no real economic argument to force home educating parents into paid employment and children into state schools. It is purely a political decision.

The Government's proposed welfare reforms of forcing home educating lone parents to get a job as soon as their youngest child reaches the designated age threshold, and forcing their children to attend school primarily as a childminder service whilst the parent is out working are draconian and will only ruin vulnerable children's lives. The longer term consequences of the welfare reforms will be an increase in the number of families living in poverty if they have Income Support withdrawn, and an increase in bullying, childhood suicides, mental illness, and further loss of social cohesion if vulnerable children are forced to attend school.

On July 22nd 2008, MPs will vote on the welfare reforms before the summer recess. I would therefore be very grateful if you would:

1. Acknowledge that home educating lone parents are full-time carers, so are not in a position to enter the workforce.

2. Exempt home educating lone parents from the welfare reforms by allowing them to take Income Support until their youngest child is 16.

3. Ensure this message is effectively shared with Job Centre staff.