Dundee SNP

Dundee East MSP Shona Robison today cautiously welcomed new statistics which show that the number of lone parents receiving grants to take up higher education 2008-2009 in Dundee East is the highest in Scotland with Dundee West also in the top five.

The grants are made available from the HE Childcare Fund, the Lone Parents Grant and Lone Parent Childcare Grant to assist widowed, divorced, separated or single students bringing up children with the costs of childcare.

Shona said: “I’m pleased that lone parents in Dundee are increasingly taking up the opportunity of these grants to assist them with childcare costs so that they can continue in Higher Education. I note that Dundee East is the highest in Scotland with Dundee West also in the top five.

“The grants are made available from the HE Childcare Fund, the Lone Parents Grant and Lone Parent Childcare Grant to assist widowed, divorced, separated or single students bringing up children with the costs of childcare.

“I’m also pleased to note that the overall number of FE students in Scotland receiving support from the FE Childcare Fund has increased from 3,255 in 2006-2007 to 3,535 2007-2008.

“The Scottish Government is keen to support access to education from all age groups and sectors of the population.”

Concerns have been raised in Dundee over the UK Government’s imminent changes to benefits which will mean that lone parent’s Income Support may stop in two weeks time if their youngest child is 12 or over.

Those lone parents losing their IS will need to contact their Jobcentre Plus and find a job and make a claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance. They will also have to attend Work Focused Interviews designed to get them into work.

Dundee Councillor Jim Barrie, who will be standing for the SNP in the Westminster seat of Dundee West at the General Election, has expressed concern over these changes, which take effect in less than two weeks time.

Councillor Barrie, presently SNP Spokesman for Social Work and Health on Dundee City Council, said: “These changes seriously undervalue the work of parenthood and treats the raising of children as the equivalent of being unemployed.

“Only lone parents with foster children or those who receive Carers’ Allowance or incapacity Benefit or credits or have a dependent child receiving middle or higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance will still be able to receive Income Support.

“Lone parents outside those categories will lose their Income Support and be required to attend Work Focused Interviews every three months. Lone parents with a youngest child of 12 or over will not be entitled to Income Support after 24 November 2008.

“These benefit changes will be phased in over the next three years and will cover youngest child of 7 years by 2010.

“My concern is that there may be some single parents who place a higher value than the Brown government on the raising of children, who will now effectively be designated unemployed, rather than as lone parents. They will be forced to take a job and arrange for alternative childcare instead of having the option of being a fulltime parent.”