Single parents often face a daily battle to survive, especially when it come to the pressures of raising children alone and bringing in enough money. But to help them in their struggles, the government of British Columbia offered an income assistance platform that includes new training and employment program.
In its first five months, the income assistance program for single parents has increased to 2,500 applicants. According to Revelstoke Review, British Columbia's social development minister, Michelle Stilwell was reportedly encouraged by the continual growth of applicants on their single parent employment program.
"One of the good things that I see is that about two-thirds of those clients who have come forward have employment obligations, but one-third are not actually obligated to look for work, and they are looking for work," Stilwell said.
Stilwell also added that 60 to 100 people, majority of which are women, are applying at WorkBC employment centers. As a condition of assistance, however, most applicants are required to seek employment once their children are three years or older.
Under British Columbia's single parent employment assistance program, tuition, daycare and transportation costs for up to a year of on-the-job training or education towards in-demand jobs for single parents on social assistance or disability payments are covered. The benefits, which also include extension of government-paid dental and other health benefits, can also continue for up to the first year of employment.
The latest British Columbia single parent employment assistance program replaces its previous system called as the "welfare trap." Based on the previous system, single parents would lose their assistance payments and benefits if they went back to school to train for a job.
Meanwhile, the largest work category for its single parent employment training is nurse aides as well as orderlies in health care facilities. Other skills such as office administration, industrial trades and truck and heavy equipment operation are also in-demand.
In other news, single parents are reportedly struggling with debt. Debt charity StepChange recently revealed that more than 60,000 single parents have asked for its help last year, The Guardian notes.
Alarmingly, nine out of 10 single parents admitted that they had been forced to lessen their expenses on basic needs like food and children's clothes. Two-thirds of them, on the other hand, were skipping meals to ensure their kids had enough to eat.
In addition, struggling single parents also have to work a "14-month year" to compensate for in-work benefit cuts, The Sun reports. There are also a lot of striving single parents that are locked out of work, The Telegraph adds.
