ESDA

Dear Stakeholder

 Lone Parent Obligations - Temporary Change to Process

I wrote to you last year to tell you about the changes the government was introducing from November 2008 to the rules for lone parents receiving Income Support and for all parents claiming jobseekers allowance.

The changes mean that lone parents with older children are no longer eligible for Income Support solely on the grounds of being a lone parent once their youngest child reaches the age of 12. Instead, those able to work can apply for Jobseekers allowance and those with a disability or health condition are expected to claim Employment and support allowance.

This is how the policy applies to new and repeat claims from lone parents and since March 2009 and how we have applied it to existing lone parents with a youngest child aged 12 or over as their eligibility to income support solely on lone parent grounds ended.

It has recently been brought to our attention that the legislation does not enable us to end Income support for existing lone parents if they have a disability or health condition or for them to claim Employment and support allowance. This means that if an existing lone parent whose youngest child is aged 12 or over also has a disability or health condition and is incapable of work, they continue to meet the conditions of entitlement for income support.

The government plans to amend the legislation to restore the original policy intent later this year. Until the legislation is changed we will be introducing a temporary change to our processes from week commencing 31^st August 2009 to enable existing lone parents with a disability or health condition to remain on income support.

The change will only affect existing lone parents with children aged 12 or over as part of phase 1 of the changes if they have not taken part in a voluntary interview before the 31 August.  For those lone parents who have already completed a claim form to claim Employment and support allowance or who will do so before 31 August we have decided to allow the claims to proceed rather than risk intercepting them and possibly leaving customers without any benefit.

An exercise will be carried out to determine what to do about those existing lone parents with a disability or health conditions who have already had their income support stopped and have claimed Employment and support allowance.

I will write again once we have a clear view on the implications for these customers, most of whom we believe is not financially worse off as a result of moving to Employment and support allowance.

Should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me on 01483 446152 or at Surrey and Sussex.

Email: supportteam@jobcentreplus.com 

Yours sincerely

Debby Gill

District Manager JobCentre Plus Surrey and Sussex