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Family Solicitors

Women “disadvantaged” by JSA criteria (9 February 2015)

Date: 09/02/2015
Duncan Lewis, Family Solicitors, Women “disadvantaged” by JSA criteria

An independent inquiry coordinated by the Fawcett Society has found that some women are disadvantaged by Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) criteria – especially lone parents, women who are victims of domestic violence and women who have English language difficulties.

Social housing publisher ,Dash24.com reports that the report Where’s the Benefit? An Inquiry into Women and Jobseeker’s Allowance has concluded that some aspects of JSA are putting female equality and women and their families “at risk”.

The inquiry found evidence of failings in the design and implementation of JSA, with claimants who are experiencing domestic violence from a partner not being routinely advised that special arrangements can be put in place to protect them.

In the case of lone parents – 92% of which are women – JSA claimants are still expected to look for full-time work to qualify for JSA, even if they are bringing up a family alone.

Full-time work requirements under JSA include being available to travel to and from work for up to three hours a day, regardless of whether a claimant is single-handedly caring for children as well.

The report says that as a result of JSA eligibility criteria, some women are having to meet “near impossible conditions” to be able to receive JSA.

Claimants who fail to meet JSA requirements are sanctioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) – meaning their benefits can be stopped for a period of time, leaving them without any income to support themselves or their family.

The inquiry has made 12 recommendations to improve delivery of JSA to women, including:

• Specialist advisers should be available to support claimants such as lone parents, women experiencing domestic and sexual violence – and women with difficulties speaking and understanding English. The specialist advisers could ensure that policies already in place to protect vulnerable women are followed in practice.

• “The conditions demanded of claimants should take “sensible and appropriate” account of the impact of caring responsibilities, language barriers and the impact of domestic and sexual violence.

• Claimants should be told about policies in place to take account of the specific needs of lone parents – and of people experiencing domestic or sexual violence.

• All claimants should receive a thorough diagnostic interview after three months of claiming JSA, to ensure they are receiving the support they need to move into “sustainable, quality employment” – and are not being required to take up activities, at a cost to the public purse, that make little or no contribution to their job search.

Chair to the inquiry and chief executive of the Equality and Diversity Forum, Amanda Ariss, said:

“These women are not being provided with the support they need to move into work, which would benefit the women themselves, their families and the wider economy.

“Instead they are forced to meet conditions that are sometimes close to impossible, with the constant threat of sanctions should they slip up.

“It doesn’t have to be this way – with some modest changes to the design and implementation of JSA, we could have a system that supports women to move into quality, sustainable work.”

Fawcett chair Belinda Phipps added:

“Women – particularly mothers – are more likely to be affected by financial hardship in the home because they act as ‘shock absorbers’, shielding their children and families from the impact of financial hardship.

“Every day women in the UK are going hungry so that their children can get fed.

“All of this affects their ability to seek work and to engage with a system that discriminates against them.”

Duncan Lewis Family Solicitors

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For expert legal advice on family law and child care matters, call Duncan Lewis family solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

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