Help for Lone Parents

• New Deal for Lone Parents
• Help with Childcare Costs
• What can be paid for?
• How much will I get?
• How will it be paid?
• Finding out more

If you are a lone parent bringing up a child and you are receiving Income Support, you could join New Deal for Lone Parents. This is a new Government programme to help you decide if now is the time to return to work or training. If you want to, you can arrange to see your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser for advice and information. Once you join the Programme, you will be offered:

• advice on jobs advice on training advice on benefits
• help with working out how much you need to earn to be better off
• help finding out about childcare
• and help with childcare costs while you train or attend job interviews

Who is New Deal for Lone Parents for?

New Deal for Lone Parents is for any lone parent with a dependent child making a new claim for Income Support or receiving Income Support.

Lone parents with children of school age are sent letters telling them about the programme, and inviting them to meet with a New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser.

If your youngest child is under five, you can choose to join the Programme. Just contact your Benefits Agency office or Jobcentre and ask to contact your nearest New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser.

What help is available for childcare costs?

Once you have joined New Deal for Lone Parents you could get help with childcare costs while you train, attend interviews or appointments with your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser or attend job interviews.

To be eligible for the help with childcare costs your training must:

• be approved by a New Deal for Lone Parent Adviser, before you enrol
• be work-related and increase your chances of finding a job - you need to have a business case accepted by your Adviser to show that you really need to undertake training in order to find a job
• be normally up to NVQ/SVQ level 2 or equivalent, or in certain circumstances up to NVQ/SVQ level 3
• be no more than one year long

What kind of childcare can be paid for?

To be eligible, childcare providers taking part in this scheme must be registered, approved or run on school premises. The following services are eligible:

• childminder registered with the local authority
• out of school scheme registered with the local authority, run on school premises, or approved playscheme registered with the local authority, run on school premises or approved nursery registered with the local authority
• pre-school or playgroup registered with the local authority

If you are not sure if your chosen childcare provider could be eligible, ask your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser.

How much will I get?

You could get a maximum of £60 per week for one child or £100 per week for two to help you pay for childcare. If your childcare costs more than this you will have to pay the difference. Your adviser will help you find out about childcare while you train or search for a job. If you are training, your adviser will encourage you to find out whether your college could contribute to your childcare costs.

How will the money be paid?

Your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser will send a form to your childcare provider explaining that Employment Services will pay the agreed amount and requesting confirmation of the childcare arrangements. Then your childcare provider should send the forms back to your New Deal for Lone Parents personal adviser, who will arrange for the money to be paid directly to your childcare provider. Payments are usually monthly.

Finding out more about New Deal for Lone Parents

You can:

• Contact your local Jobcentre or Benefits Agency office to find out more about New Deal for Lone Parents
• visit the New Deal for Lone Parents website
• call the New Deal Information line - 0845 606 2626
• ask your New Deal for Lone Parents Personal Adviser what help you could get to help you pay for childcare while you train or search for work

Further information can be found on the government's New Deal website or on the Child Support Agency website