New Deal for Lone ParentsNew Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) is a voluntary programme designed specifically to help lone parents who wish to prepare for and move into work. NDLP provides advice and guidance for lone parents together with opportunities for training or work experience. Lone parents who join the NDLP programme will work closely with a Personal Adviser who will arrange for them to receive any practical help they might need such as advice on training or education, help with job applications or writing a C.V.
What is the New Deal for Lone Parents?The NDLP programme offers a range of help from encouraging and motivating lone parents to identifying their skills and developing their confidence, to the more practical aspects of finding childcare, sorting out benefits and applying for jobs and training. It will also address all other barriers to work such as disability. NDLP is a voluntary programme available to all lone parents who are: - Aged 16 or over; and
- Have a dependant child under 16; and
- Are not working; or
- Are working less than 16 hours per week; and
- Are not an asylum seeker (unless they have exceptional leave to stay or have refugee status).
All lone parents who are eligable to participate in NDLP will be entitled to a refund of the cost of travel and assistance towards childcare expenses incurred while attending pre-arranged NDLP interviews with a New Deal Personal Adviser in their local JobCentre or Jobs & Benefits Office.
Lone parents, who are in receipt of any of the qualifying benefits listed below, may also be eligible to claim Childcare Subsidy, Childcare Assist and/or a Training Premium. The qualifying benefits are:
Research has proved that 90% of lone parents want to work. New Deal for Lone Parents offers lone parents a chance to refresh or learn new skills, and so increase their employment prospects.
If you wish to join the NDLP programme you should contact your local JobCentre or Jobs & Benefits Office and avail of the services of a New Deal Personal Adviser who will guide and assist you by:
- talking to you about job vacancies in the area;
- helping you to find information on childcare
- helping you calculate how much better off financially you can be in work;
- explaining what benefits are available when you are working and helping, where appropriate, to arrange for payment of those benefits;
- helping to arrange training to improve your job prospects and update your skills;
- providing an in-work support service to help you make the move into employment and ensuring arrangements are in place to help you to remain in work;
- matching you to job vacancies.
You will have access to a range of programmes and courses to improve your job prospects. You will also be able to take advantage of some training courses, whilst still receiving benefit, in order to help you obtain the skills that will help you into work.
If you are a lone parent who undertakes approved and agreed work focused training you will receive a £15 Training Premium for a maximum period of 52 weeks. The Training Premium will be totally disregarded when calculating your entitlement to Income Support, although it may affect you if you are in receipt of other qualifying benefits. You may also receive assistance with childcare costs in the form of Childcare Assist and Childcare Subsidy.
If you are a lone parent who starts work you may still be entitled to a range of benefits which means you could be better off in work than on benefit.
This is a tax credit administered by her Majesty's Revenue and Customs which tops up the earnings of working people. It will support some adults without children or adults with a disability. It will continue to help with the costs of childcare.
Lone parents who are working may be able to get Housing Benefit to help with the cost of their rent and/or rates. Whatever your earnings, if you have been on Income Support for 6 months or more, Housing Benefit may continue at the same rate for 4 weeks after you start work. This is called Housing Benefit Extended Payment and is designed to tide people over so that their rent and/or rates are covered until they receive their first pay. When Housing Benefit Extended Payment ends, Housing Benefit may be payable.
Help with child care costsIf you are a lone parent who participates in New Deal for Lone Parents you may be able to claim a Childcare Subsidy when you take a part-time job of less than 16 hours per week. The Childcare Subsidy is designed to meet the cost of registered childcare whilst you are working and can be paid for up to 52 weeks from the date that you commence part-time employment. All payment of Childcare Subsidy will be disregarded when calculating entitlement to Income Support. If you are a lone parent who is participating in the NDLP programme and who is commencing work of at least 8 hours per week, you may also be entitled to claim Childcare Assist, which gives financial help towards the cost of registered childcare for your child/children in the week immediately before you start work.
If you are a lone parent who is in receipt of incapacity benefits and you undertake part-time work you may however find that your benefit is adversely affected.
Lone parents will need suitable good quality child care if they start work. The local Health and Social Services Board/Trust holds a list of registered childcare providers.
If Working Tax Credit or Housing Benefit is claimed then extra help is available towards childcare charges. Health Service Treatment
The Job Grant
From 25th October 2004, lone parents moving into full time work may be entitled to a Job Grant payment of £250. To be eligible for the non-taxable Job Grant payment, lone parents must:
- move directly from benefit to remunerative work of at least 16 hours per week; and
- expect the employment to last for at least 5 weeks; and
- have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit or combination of qualifying benefits for the previous 26 weeks without a break, immediately prior to moving into remunerative work; and
- not received a Job Grant payment from any source in the previous 26 weeks.
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