Woman chucked out of Jobcentre

A woman was chucked out of her local Jobcentre for trying to feed her toddler. She had turned up to pick up forms and use the computers. Her two-year old daughter started crying, staff told her to keep her daughter quiet, so she got a bottle out of her bag and was ready to feed her but because it is classed as “food and drink” she was told to leave. She fed her daughter on the steps of the Jobcentre. Understandably she felt humiliated.

The Jobcentre’s response: “Jobcentre Plus asks our customers to attend on an individual basis in order to give an individual and personal service. We ask all customers to attend on their own unless they need assistance. There appears to have been an unfortunate misunderstanding in this instance. We will, as a matter of course, speak to the office involved in this case”.

What happens if you can’t attend on an individual basis if you have kids? Such as the case of Samantha and her daughter. The rules and regulations are rigid and show no flexibility yet NL want people to find any old job but without giving good proper support especially for people with kids.

So here is a basic incentive, James Purnell, introduce free childcare to help women like Samantha.