One Family is Ireland’s leading organisation for one-parent families. Set up as Cherish in 1972, with Mary Robinson as Chairperson, we mark our 40^th anniversary this year and have a number of campaigns and projects planned. We are looking for skilled volunteers or interns to help with the below projects:

• 40 Stories – written project
  Job: Gather information and write up stories from former clients, of their experience of parenting alone or sharing parenting and of their experience with One Family.

• An Oral History of One Family – audio project
  Job: Set up, record and edit interviews with the founders, early members and supporters of One Family.

• Celebrating One-parent Families – major awareness-raising campaign
  Job: Gather together and write up profiles of 100 high profile people who live in or come from a one-parent family. To help change attitudes towards one-parent families, this campaign shares information on some of the many well known one-parent families that exist in Ireland and elsewhere.

If you are interested in volunteering your time free of charge for a great cause -  and feel you have the required skill-set for any of the above – please email your CV to comms@onefamilly.ie.  Many thanks!

• OPFP recipients who move on to the back to education scheme would not return to OPFP as new claimants but retain their original relation to the phasing in of the age reduction.
• The non-cohabitation rule will not apply to new OPFP recipients who move on to a CE scheme, because with the loss of double payments the criteria applicable to them will be only those of the CE scheme. This is only for NEW applicants, those who are currently on CE scheme and in receipt of double payment (their OPFP) would need to meet the non-cohabitation rule.
• The loss of the double qualified child increase for those OPFP recipients on CE will have this change automatically applied to their payment and will not need to contact Social Welfare.
• OPFP recipients who move on to CE scheme will not lose their fuel allowance.
• And finally, in relation to the phasing in of the new eligibility criterion, the date that the payment is cut is the child’s birthday and not the beginning  of the year. So for example, if the cut-off is 7 years of age, and the child enters the year at the age of six, they will retain eligibility until they turn 7.

I work in the Kildare area and am a single mother with two girls.  One eight year old and a three year old.

My youngest child goes to a local private creche four mornings and one afternoon and my eldest child has to go to the creche’s afterschool club at 2.45.  I depend on the help of my friend to collect her from school those days and drop her over to the after school club.

The cost is €120 a week and I dread the holidays and school breaks as it is a nightmare.  I have to pay for extra childcare for my eldest child. This can bring my childcare costs to €250 per week.  My wages are €320 a week and I receive at the moment €157 One Parent Family Payment, to be dropped to €148, with the earnings disregard dropping to €130 per week.  My work is of a caring and administrative nature. The children’s dad cannot help financially but does collect the children for me and takes care of the 3 year old when she isn’t at creche and I have to work. I have to be flexible on a week to week basis and never know until Friday what my next week’s work schedule will be.  The pressure and stress of this is sometimes unbearable.  I cannot hassle the children’s dad for money as a. I know he has none as he is unemployed at the moment and b. if he wasn’t unemployed I would have to pay a lot more childcare c.  I have to keep quiet with him as he is doing me a favour by collecting the children and looking after them when I need him to.  d. If he didn’t do this for me I wouldn’t be able to afford the extra childcare on my wages.  He enables me to keep my job.

My mortgage is €450 per month and I have a loan for house renovations as I had to get a new roof due to a major leak, payback of €100 per week.  I have furniture on H.P as we needed beds and a cooker and fridge and this is taken from my account every month.  I have union fees of €20 every month also and house insurance of €460, approx €8 a week. TV licence €3 per week, Bins €6 pw. ESB €20 pw, not inclusive of food and clothes and heat and the basics of living.  Now I have the €100 house charge and most likely water rates coming.

My children never had a holiday.  I work all summer to keep my head above water.  I feel guilty when my child tells me of her friend’s holidays.  I couldn’t get extra work with my employer as if I did, I would have to pay the creche extra.  The time is not available at work anyway and there is talk that we may be losing hours to keep the costs down.

I refuse to let this hurt or stop my children having a good life.  I sit and help with homework every evening and am making sure my children have a very good start in like with a good work ethic.  They realise you have to work to get money to live.  I do not want them thinking you don’t have to work for a living.

Unfortunately, while my children are so young I cannot contemplate taking on more work as they need me and will for many years.  These are their vulnerable years.  I started paying creche fees in 2003 and have paid approximately  €7500 a year, this is covering school summer holidays and Easter and Christmas breaks.  I have also had to pay for minders to come in when the children are sick and the creche won’t take them.  Double payment, as the creche still has to be paid.

Where it will all end, I do not know.  Why isn’t the government encouraging us single parents by giving us creche credits or a voucher for the creche that our children attend.  In that way,  we would be spending the money only on childcare, it would keep the creche in full employment creating jobs, reduce the number of people on the dole and leaving people with money to spend, thus creating more jobs.

I do not know why the government thinks that cutting our money will encourage people to want to work.  Sometimes I feel when I’m running around at six in the morning to get myself and two children ready for work and school and creche, what is the point? Why don’t I stay at home and be there all the time for the children. Forget creche, forget work, forget the stress of it all. Sell the house, pay the bank and go on the housing list and get help with my rent.  I’m trying to do everything right and I feel I am cut down at every turn.

Sorry for the ranting, it’s good to get it off my chest. But, I must be doing something right though as both my kids are very happy and the eldest was the top of her class in her Christmas exams.

Niamh, 2012

Dear Ciara,

Many thanks for corresponding with Minister Burton on our behalf. Whilst the letter provides factual information and some of it is drawn from the letter that will shortly go to parents in relation to the One-Parent Family Payment unfortunately it is still not clear what the Department’s strategy is in this area, what policy and research this was based on and how they will ameliorate the poor education levels of parents, the lack of employment and the absolute dearth of afterschool care.

Regrettably it has become clear to me that these cuts were made without reference to policy or research but were simply a means of cutting the budget without touching the principal rates of social welfare payments. What is even more unfortunate is that so many of these cuts have fallen on the shoulders of the poorest families and children in Ireland. One Family and our members will continue to speak and advocate on these issues and we appreciate your assistance to date and we look forward to working with you in the future.

Best wishes, Karen

We are sending a letter to all the Ministers, backbenchers and opposition TDs seeking meetings with them and calling on their support to reverse the cuts. We enclose a copy here

We are calling on you to help us by lobbying them as well.  Just adapt the enclosed letter and send it off yourself. Feel free to include your own story and issues. Visit your local TD in their clinic this weekend – speaking to people in person has a huge impact. Explain to them why it is not possible to cut poor families anymore and then expect them to work. We know many of you are interested in having a protest about this issue and this is something we would also like to look at with the help of other organisations so that we can mobilise enough people to be really seen and heard.

Please let us know who you have lobbied and if you are interested in a taking part in a protest by emailing info@onefamily.ie or calling 01 6629212

Remember, our askonefamily helpline is there to provide information and support should you need it on 1890 662212. We will post updates when we know the dates of implementation for the various cuts. Thanks from everyone in One Family.

 The rate of payment for the One Parent Family Payment will remain at €188 for the adult and €29.80 per child, per week.

The upper age limit of the youngest child for new claimants of the One-Parent Family Payment will be reduced to 7 years on a phased basis. It will be reduced to 12 years with effect from 2012, then age 10 in 2013 to age 7 in 2014.

There is a reduction in the amount of income disregard for One Parent Family Payment from €146.50 a week to €130 per week.  Further reductions will follow in the next four years.

The transitional payment of half of the rate of One-Parent Family Payment will be discontinued when the recipient’s earnings exceed €425 per week. Existing recipients of the transitional payment will not be affected.

Child Benefit

The amount of child benefit will remain at €140 a month for the first two children, then €148 for the third child and €160 for the fourth child and subsequent children.  Over two years the rate will be standardized for all children.

Multiple Births

The grant of €635 paid at birth on all multiple births and further grants of €635 paid when the children are 4 years of age and 12 years of age will be discontinued from January.

Back to School Clothing & Footwear Allowance

A reduction in the rates of payment from €305 to €250 for a child aged 12 or over and a reduction from €200 to €150 for children aged 4 to 11.

The age of eligibility for the allowance will increase from 2 to 4 years of age.

Fuel Allowance

The payment of €20 per week during the winter months will decrease from 32 weeks payment to 26 weeks payment.  Payment will be made until mid-April.

Rent Supplement

The minimum contribution towards rent for the purposes of the Rent Supplement scheme will increase by €6 to €30 per week.

Mortgage Interest Supplement

The minimum contribution towards rent for the purposes of the Mortgage Interest Supplement scheme will increase by €6 to €30 per week.

Community Employment Schemes

The payment of two qualified child increases where the person is on a Community Employment Scheme and One Parent Family Payment, Deserted Wife’s Allowance/Benefit or Widow(er)’s Pension will be discontinued with a loss of €29.80 per child per week.

New CE scheme applicants will no longer able to retain the One Parent Family Payment (or other social welfare payment) and CE scheme income.

For existing CE scheme participants the entitlement to a Community Employment payment and another Department of Social Protection payment, such as One Parent Family Payment, at the same time will be phased out over 3 years.

Back to Education Allowance

The Cost of Education Allowance will decrease from €500 to €300.

Family Income Supplement

The household income limits will remain at 2011 levels, €506 for one child, €602 for two children, €703 for 3 children and €824 for 4 children.

Carer’s Allowance

The half-rate Carer’s Allowance will continue to be paid to people who are full-time carers and who are getting another welfare payment, such as One Parent Family Payment.

Domiciliary Care Allowance

The age of entitlement for Domiciliary Care Allowance will be extended from 16 years to 18 years of age.

Half-rate payments

People getting One-Parent Family Payment, Widow(er)’s Pension, Surviving Civil Partner’s Pension or can get half-rate Jobseeker’s Benefit, Illness Benefit or Incapacity Supplement if they satisfy the qualifying conditions. These half-rate payments will cease for applicants for Jobseeker’s Benefit, Illness Benefit and Incapacity Supplement from 2012.

One Parent Family Tax Credit

There is no change to the tax credits rates or income tax bands.  The One Parent Family Tax credit remains at €1650.

Universal Social Charge

People with an income of less than €10,036 will no longer pay the Universal Social Charge.