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Child clinical
psychologist OLIVER JAMES on the Welfare Reform Bill
From:
oliver.james@eburypublishing.co.uk
Pressurizing
mothers of under-threes to return to work is disgraceful. The government
should be crucified for its present attempt to do so because if the bill
becomes law it will increase depression among mothers and mental illness
among their children.
Firstly, there is a
mountain of evidence that when mothers with small children who strongly
wish to care for them are forced back to work it greatly increases their
risk of depression. If depressed, they become less responsive as
mothers, increasing risk of many problems in their children, from
antisocial behaviour to psychiatric illnesses. A depressed mother is
also more likely to have a disharmonious relationship with partners,
also increasing disturbance in children.
Secondly, if an
under-three year old is separated from its mother and left in inadequate
substitute care it is at higher risk of becoming aggressive, insecure
and of developing ADHD. A high proportion of substitute care available
to women with low incomes is completely inadequate. There is no excuse
for subjecting under-threes to it. If the ministers passing this bill were forced to have their own children placed in this low quality of care, rather than the nannies that they use, it might change their minds.
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Dear Members of the Lords’ Grand Committee on the WRB,
We are forwarding the statement (above) from prominent child clinical psychologist Oliver James who spoke at a parliamentary briefing hosted by Baroness Afshar.
The statement focuses on mothers of children under three because these mothers are already being targeted. In pilot areas they would be required to participate in ‘work-related activity’, in preparation for the programme to be rolled out nationally, and there is mounting evidence that despite government denials many have already been called in for interviews. We also know of single mothers of children under one still being breastfed, who have had to attend such interviews. The government is even refusing to exempt mothers of children with disabilities who receive low rate Disability Living Allowance.
We hope that Mr James’s expert view will be taken into account in the debate.
Yours sincerely,
Claire Glasman, WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities) Sonya Delancey, Legal Action for Women Kim Sparrow, Single Mothers’ Self-Defence
For further information contact: 020.7482 2496 winvisible@allwomencount.net law@crossroadswomen.net centre@crossroadswomen.net
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