Labor seeks more help for parents working on British blockade | Politics

Ministers are being called upon to change the eligibility rules of the government’s coronavirus employment retention program to assist parents and others working during the recent blockade of the state in the United Kingdom.

The call came because about 4 million people said that childcare responsibilities affected their work the last time the school was closed, according to a new analysis.

according to Research Conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (ONS), more than 22 million people reported that the first blockade affected their work. The reason is that about 4 million people, or 17.9%, cite childcare responsibilities.

The school was closed until the first half of February, and the shadow prime minister said Anneliese DoddsCalled on her government counterpart, Rishi Sunak, to take urgent action to help those with compassionate responsibilities through the current blockade.

Dodds said: “4 million working parents found it difficult to balance work and childcare during the initial blockade.

“Almost a year later, the government will have to change the eligibility rules for the severance system to assist parents and other workers working through the current blockade. Early providers are also at stake. And this new blockade could further impact attendance. “

Under current rules, individuals starting a new job after October 31st are no longer eligible for the system. ONS data suggests 520,000 people Job change Between July and September last year.

According to the same data, 625,000 people changed jobs between April and June. This means that some individuals who start a new job after October 31st may be denied access to a furlough during the latest blockade.

Dodds believes that without childcare regulations, it will have a big impact on Ability of parents to continue working..

“Currently, not supporting daycare is a short-term financial consideration,” she said.

“It will have a huge impact on parents’ ability to work, especially on their mothers, and we are likely to have already lost their jobs or have to change their time very radically because of this crisis. I know that this is a crunch point for so many families and many working parents.

“We have more guidance on how to play tennis from the government than what working parents should do to protect their children’s childcare and income. It really has to change now. . “

Anne Malindine, CEO of Raised in Bristol, said: “We are asked to be the heroes of the time, but no one has ever been interested in our experience. For example, why isn’t it on the vaccination priority list? .. Children I live in an adult family and come to the nursery every day.

“We were able to do our best, and arguably so, but I don’t think we had the opportunity to give feedback from the sector that suddenly took great responsibility. And I think it’s really obvious for the first time. I’ve seen it so far. Never. “

Due to the impact of Covid-19 since March, the number of families accessing the nursery has dropped significantly. According to a November survey conducted by the Early Years Alliance, 25% of daycare centers believed that if the government changed their approach to initial funding next year, they would not survive within six months.

According to labor analysis, this will force about 19,000 childcare workers to close their doors within six months, at risk of more than 30,000 being closed by Christmas next year.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education said: “The initial environment remains a low-risk environment for children and staff, and there is no evidence that new variants of coronavirus affect infants disproportionately.

“Keeping the nursery and childminder open will support parents and provide important care and education to the youngest children.

“We fund the nursery as usual and all children can participate in their initial setup in all parts of the UK. In the nursery, parental fees or DfE If they see a decrease in income from any of their income from, they can use the furlough system.

“Parents working in a coronavirus support scheme are still eligible for childcare support, even if their income level falls below the minimum requirements.”

“Since the first blockade, it is clear that employers have been able to dismiss qualified employees responsible for childcare, including school closures,” a Treasury spokesperson said.