Single Support From the Job Centre Plus

Now we have had quite a few stories heighlighting the Job Centre Plus' bad service, so it's refreshing to hear something more positive from the JCP people. Well, it's an idea that if put into play in the correct way by JCP, could be positive anyway. Under a new change in benefit rules, single parents will get a helping hand to find jobs that they can manage around their roles as parents. Now if they keep to that idea, this is the kind of reasonable behaviour that will freshen up JCP.
From May the 21st 2012, all single parents will be moved from Income Support to Jobseekers Allowance when their child turns 5 (instead of the current 7). Those who have kids aged 12 or under will be able to refuse to take jobs outside of school hours, without it affecting their benefits. It is said that advisors at JCP (these ones known as Lone Parents Advisors) will offer one-to-one advice on training, childcare and CV's, plus help to find local family-friendly jobs. Now, as I think you may of gathered, I'm not the biggest fan of the way DWP and JCP have ran the JSA to customers,in terms of the very bad way they have often dealt it. But if they do manage it right this time, maybe this could help some people out. When The Sun published this news, intreastingly it came with a story about a lady who mentioned that finding a salon job that could fit around her family was tough, so her advisor suggested she start her own buisness-and the advisor gave her a grant to buy equipment. An example of a helpful advisor like that at JCP is good-well done to that person, and JCP use this as an example of having helpful advisors offering advice and to give a grant, also suggesting the idea and encouraging someone to start their own buisness-it's a great move to encourage as an option, but I always found previously JCP ignored it far too much.