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LETTER FROM A BREASTFEEDING MOTHER ON INCOME SUPPORT
17 June 2009
I am writing to protest the degrading way in which motherhood is being treated by government benefits agencies and other private subcontracted agencies.
As a mother on Income Support with an 11-month-old son, I am being forced to attend a compulsory ‘Work Focused Group Information Session’ with up to 15 other single mothers this Friday morning at 9.45 am, 19 June. If I don’t go I face losing my benefits. The purpose stated is to: ‘help you consider going into paid work and to identify the help and support available to you to do this.’ The letter from the Jobcenterplus informing me of this stressed that they will not ‘be able to discuss any benefit enquiries’. The letter also told me ‘to make alternative childcare arrangements’, without saying if the agency would pay. And the venue is not even local, involving an hour’s travel each way.
I am still breastfeeding. My son is very active and only just learning to walk. Whilst he does eat some solids, 80-90% of his food intake is still breastmilk, about half of which is consumed in the mornings between 6am to noon. He is thriving on it.
Because I would rather not disrupt his eating pattern at this stage, I called the agency to change the time of the Session. I was told there was no flexibility, only the date could be changed. I was then informed there is a crèche on the premises. Because my son feeds on and off, particularly in the morning, this is unlikely to be of much use to me. He is unlikely to stay in the crèche anyway, so I will have to keep him with me, which will be disruptive to the group. Even if he doesn’t want to feed at this time on this day, I know nothing about the crèche on offer, how many workers will be available for the 15 or more children, nor the ages of the children likely to be in the crèche. Since my son is learning to walk and putting everything he comes across in his mouth, he requires full time one-on-one attention as he is extremely curious and determined, yet very unsteady on his feet and likely to choke on or swallow small harmful objects. I am shocked therefore that the job centre just expects me to coldly dump my child with strangers, and gives no regard to breastfeeding mothers.
Although each mother at the group information session will have unique and specific requirements and needs, given the size of the group I don’t see how anything other than general information that could be offered over the web or in a leaflet could be provided. Compelling us to attend in person is therefore sheer harassment.
This is not the first time I am called in for an interview. When my son was five months old, I was forced to attend. I tried to protest but was told that fully breastfeeding my son was not a good reason for not attending. Having traveled an hour each way across town, and then been made to wait for half an hour while a member of the jobcentre staff became available, I was then asked a total of one question: “Are you interested in returning to work?” When I answered: “No thanks, I’m still breastfeeding”, I was told I could leave and that was the end of the interview. Surely this could have been done over the phone, or better still in a note? I couldn’t even get my travel costs for this appointment refunded without incurring more travel to a tube station to print out proof of my oyster card usage – more time and travel costs that I would have to pay for myself.
It is ludicrous that the government thinks that I should seriously consider leaving my son to get paid work at this time in his development when he needs such concentrated attention. It is especially ludicrous given the lack of affordable, experienced and committed childcare. And I do mean committed: it takes love and commitment to pay full attention to a child of this age. I have the love and the commitment – why is that not recognized? Why is someone else’s care preferable to mine? Why am I being forced to attend an interview despite not being interested in paid work at this time, and not needing ‘help’ to consider it? Why this pressure to leave my son?
I have enough on my plate trying to make my limited budget stretch to all the new needs I now face. And given that there is no free childcare offered until my son is three years old (and even then very limited), I don’t see how paying a stranger to care for him, while I seek similarly underpaid part-time work (perhaps even caring for someone else’s children), will benefit either of us, financially or otherwise.
It is deeply offensive to suggest that the full time mothering I am now doing is anything other than very hard work, no matter how rewarding. To harass mothers like this by making such appointments compulsory sends a clear message that the intensive 24/7 work we are already doing, is of less value than the work of attending pointless interviews and ‘group sessions’, or taking any paid job.
Moreover, if the government is to truly encourage breastfeeding for the recommended time of up to two years, then mothers must be supported rather than harassed by government agencies. I thought maternity leave was now one year, but I find that mothers on the lowest income don’t even have a right to this.
Furthermore, I am appalled that these ‘back-to-work’ sessions are subcontracted out to private companies, such as the Mickey Star Centre in St Michaels St, London W2, and that they are given targets to meet so that their profit is dependent on harassing mothers on benefits who are already overworked and in poverty.
What kind of message does this send out about how much the State values motherhood, children, breastfeeding and all our wellbeing?
As a mother I should be supported at every stage. Advice and resources should be offered so I can consider my options when my son and I are ready. Compulsion is incompatible with my child’s wellbeing. It damages my sense of accomplishment and worth as a mother, and puts strain on our relationship.
Yours sincerely,
JH
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