Sole-parent work test urged

The Government's social policy advisers are urging ministers to make sole parents go back to work part-time as soon as their youngest children go to school.

The proposal, from the Ministry of Social Development in its briefing to new minister David Benson-Pope, would restore the central element of the work-testing regime for sole parents introduced by former National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley.

It was greeted with horror yesterday by the Combined Beneficiaries Union. But the Act party welcomed the fact that the Social Development Ministry and the Treasury "have sympathies with the policies of the Act party".

Mr Benson-Pope said he was unlikely to implement "a blanket work test", but declined to rule out his ministry's ideas.He would not take a "punitive approach", but he recognised that many sole parents and other beneficiaries wanted to work, and he planned to consider the proposals in the coming months.

The ministry's comments came in a section on the planned "single core benefit" which has been endorsed by the Labour Government.

Ministers plan to scrap the separate existing benefits for the unemployed, the sick, invalids and sole parents. At present, only those on the unemployment benefit have to be available for work.

Under the new system, the ministry says, "the starting point for every working-age benefit applicant (and for existing recipients) should be the initial identification of capability, goals and employment potential".

Those ready to work immediately will be given "job opportunity- focused employment services and income support".

Parents looking after children will be helped to "explore employment options, with childcare support, that take into account the ages and needs of the children".

"Consideration should be given to a part-time work test for sole parents," the ministry says.

"Work-test options include basing the test on the age of the youngest child at entry on to benefit, eg applying a part-time work test to the parent when that child enters school. This approach fits the New Zealand norm, with mothers' participation in employment increasing significantly when their children enter school in both two- and one-parent families.

"Whatever approach is taken, placing a part-time work test requirement on sole parents makes guaranteed access to quality, affordable childcare and out-of-school care a critical issue."

Combined Beneficiaries Union president Helen Capel said the new approach was too blunt because some children still had high needs after they started school and needed a parent at home.