Welfare Reform Bill

I accept that any amendment has a proper purpose behind it. I do not mind how many there are, as long as we have the time to get through them all. I would not accept without detailed evidence the proposition that the use of a framework approach to legislation has become worse or grown under this Government. It certainly existed under the previous Government. Amendment 49 would make similar provision with respect to work-related activity under Clause 2. I fully understand why the noble Lord and the noble Baroness have tabled this amendment but I hope I can reassure Members of the Committee that it is not necessary. Parents who are mandated to "work for your benefit" schemes need reassurance that their children will be cared for in a safe and secure environment while they participate. This is less likely to be an issue for parents undertaking work-related activities under Clause 2 because it should be possible, for the most part, to build these activities around their caring responsibilities. However, there will be instances where participation may require the use of childcare. Some parents may be able to call on informal sources of care, such as grandparents, to meet their needs. This is the choice made by many working parents. Others may require formal, paid childcare. The first reassurance that I can give noble Lords is that, when setting up their jobseeker’s agreement, parents can agree certain restrictions on their availability for work because of their caring commitments. A lone parent may, for example, agree with their adviser that their caring responsibilities mean that they have to restrict their job search to employment of 20 hours a week. In this instance, they would not be required to participate in a "work for your benefit" scheme for more than 20 hours a week. I also reassure noble Lords that, for those who choose to use formal childcare, affordability should not be an issue. Parents who necessarily incur childcare costs when participating in "work for your benefit" programmes or work-focused activities will have all reasonable costs met. This will ensure that childcare is affordable and that customers on employment programmes are not worse off by virtue of the requirement to participate. Of course, the availability of suitable provision may be as significant an issue for parents as affordability, and these amendments seek to ensure that a person could be required to participate in such a scheme only where there is guaranteed and predictable access to good-quality, affordable and flexible childcare. I have to point out there can be no absolute guarantee that a parent will be able to access exactly the childcare that they need.