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Hi
I am a lone parent of a 5 year old. Last september I started a college course to be a childcare practitioner. It is a part time course, i attend college all day on a monday and then also attend placement at a nursery on a thursday and friday. Everything was going great as i was on income support. However, my daughter turned 5 in January which changed my benefit entitlement. I am now on jobseekers allowance. Now everything is so so hard! I have to be actively looking for work. They dont care that 3 days out of the week i am busy with college etc and the rest of the time I have my daughter! I finish college in june but that is only my Level 2. To get a job you have to be a level 3 which means another year at college.
I really want to do my level 3 and have a proper career. There is no way the jobcentre will let me stay on jobseekers for that amount of time..but please tell me how i am meant to fit in a job aswell! The jobcentre say if a job becomes available i must quit college to take the job. That to me is insane...i am going to college to better myself and get qualifications..so i can have a good job. Its hard when you are alone with a child trying to cope, i dont have anyone to help with childcare.
They are hassling me so much part of me thinks i should just do what they say and quit my dream to work in a shop. Surely there is another option :( any advice would be much appreciated
This makes me so angry to read this its people who do nothing about helping themselves that need hassling.
What you need to understand is that they are sat at there desk doing their job and for you to be entitled to claim jobseekers allowance they have to 'tick boxes ' to say you are looking for work so the way I see it is this
You continue doing a great job of being a parent and college but you need to 'show' them your actively seeking work
That's what I'd be doing.
It doesn't make it right and it's annoying as your already busy bit we have to sometimes go along with a system.
Good luck with everything x
Hi carrierachel and welcome along.
The others have said it all....it is indeed ridiculous that this is happening to you. Until your child is 13,however, you can only be compelled to apply for jobs that fit in with school hours as Pam says. It really is a case of seeing what game they want you to play, and playing it, while getting on with your course.
I live in Wales, and I know grants are different. A lone-parent friend of mine is a student at the local university, having got there by passing an access course. Her youngest child is 10. So just a thought here...
Are you able to do the level 3 as a full-time course? Aren't the rules different when you're on a full time courese, with various grants being available?
carrierachel
I am sorry to hear about your experience and the pressure you feel with the jobcentre to move into work before you have finished your course (to level 3). I work for the Single Parent Action Network the charity that runs One Space. I campaign on trying to improve the rights of single parents on job seeking benefits. I campaign on improving the rights of single parents to undetake training and study to improve their job prospects. After all the Government's aim is for claimants to move into sustainable employment. I will certainly do what I can to highlight cases such as yours to politicians to press for a change in practice.
In the meantime I am in contact with a really nice journalist who is currently writing a piece for a publication about the experience of single parents on JSA and is interested in the limitations on single parents training opportunities. Do you want to have the opportunity to share your experiences with her? Hopefully her article will contribute to Government and public awareness of the limitations of current practice. She has interviewed other single parents which I have put her in touch with and has treated them kindly and respected issues that they wish to keep confidential. If you are interested then you are welcome to email me and I can put you in touch.
Laura 
L.dewar@spanuk.org.uk
iv been on jsa for 3 yrs done everything they asked job searches interviews etc. Constantly pressured but i held out got the job that fits with my kids. I think if it hasn't changed u get shoved onto the work programme after a yr.
Glad you finally found a job that fits you and your family aphy
Hi carriechel,
Sadly I don't think these new rules were brought in to help single parents make a better life for themselves and their children. You were doing all the right things to ensure you would be in a good position to be able to conbine earning money and the important work of looking after your daughter and these new rules rather than encouraging your efforts will make continuing with your course difficult or impossible.
Anyone who has experience of being in sole charge of a young child like you are will appreciate that combining a college course and being a mother requires skill, dedication and hard work. It just seems stupid to force you to quit your college course wasting all the work you have already put into it to take on the sort of work that is unlikely to be secure, long term or be paid highly enough for you to manage without wages being topped up with benefits.
Apart from sympathy my only advice is to try and continue with your course as long as possible. As far as I know with such a young child you only have to accept a job with hours that match school hours and maybe even term time only if you can prove childcare is difficult to find or unsuitable in any way for your daughter. Jobs such as these are virtually non existant. I certainly don't know of any shops that would employ you on these terms. You might get "lucky" and not find a job. Rules are changing all the time.
Best wishes with whatever you decide to do. You sound like a great Mum. Be strong. x