‘I had a knot in my stomach’: Government’s decision to ask people to return to work pushes single mothers into corner

Single mothers are being pushed into an “impossible situation” by the government’s decision to urge people to return to work as it starts easing the coronavirus lockdown, campaigners have warned.

Boris Johnson has said people who cannot work from home should consider making the journey into work as part of the UK’s first steps out of lockdown.

Frontline service providers warned the closure of schools and childcare providers during the coronavirus crisis will mean single mothers will struggle to return to work as restrictions are set to be loosened in England on Wednesday.

Vivienne Hayes, chief executive of the Women’s Resource Centre, the leading national umbrella organisation for the women’s sector, told The Independent: “It puts single mothers in a corner. Where are they going to turn? What are they going to do? It’s an impossible situation. It is discriminatory policymaking.

“When we come out of this crisis, we will see women, and particularly single mothers, black women and disabled women, have born the brunt of the crisis. Like we did with the government’s austerity measures.

“As usual, the government has failed to have a gender lens on its policymaking. We know single mothers are among the poorest in society. The government cares more about money than about people and that has been evidenced throughout this crisis.”

Around 70 per cent of the 2 million single parents living in the UK are currently in work, but three out of 10 single working parents are living in poverty. Some 90 per cent of single parents are women.

Joe Levenson, of Young Women’s Trust, said: “The government’s new Covid-19 recovery plan announced this week will no doubt have caused further worry and confusion, especially for thousands of single mums, who know it is simply not viable for them to return to work at present.

“Even if some children are allowed back to school soon, without the patchwork of support from grandparents, friends and after-school clubs at the start and end of the day, balancing a job and caring will be harder than ever before.

“The prime minister acknowledged that childcare responsibilities would understandably leave many unable to return to work and called for companies to use their common sense – but this leaves single mums who work at the mercy of their employer’s discretion.”

Lisa*, a single mother from Cheshire, told The Independent that the government’s haste to get people back to work had resulted in her losing her job after she refused to go back to the office.

The 33-year-old said she did administrative work for the NHS in a doctors surgery and generally deals with insurance calls, but work has dried up during the coronavirus crisis.

She was shocked she had been let go even though she is the only one in her office who has two young children, and her usual role would have been easy to do from home, she added.

The mother-of-two said: “I could have done spreadsheets from home but about two weeks ago they said they wanted me to come in and cover reception even though that is not my usual role. They knew the government was going to be easing and they said “we’re going to have to go back to normal”.

“I got really panicky. I don’t normally suffer from anxiety. It made me feel like I had to choose between work and my children. I was really upset. I was crying. I had a knot in my stomach. I couldn’t eat. The kids are worried about what is going to happen in the future job-wise.

“My 11-year-old keeps asking me what I’m going to do and how I am going to get another job. I’m very anxious and very low. I feel like I’ve failed. I’m absolutely rubbish at sleeping. I’m worried about how I’m going to cope with not having a payday. Looking after two children on your own means everything is put on one person. Despite not knowing what the future holds because I’ve lost a job, there is nobody to vent to, so you keep everything locked inside.”

Lisa, who has an eight-year-old and an 11-year-old, said she is now getting NHS counselling via phone to help her deal with the stress of losing her job during the Covid-19 emergency – adding she has had to apply for universal credit.

Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, the leading single parent charity, told The Independent single parents who are unable to access suitable childcare should not be expected to return to work.

“They must be protected from losing their jobs and their income,” she added. “We have made numerous calls on the government to recognise the needs of single-parent families and to take these into account during the Covid-19 crisis. The government must ensure that any policy changes support single parents instead of pushing them further into poverty – it’s simply not right that vulnerable groups continue to be marginalised.”

Sam Smethers, chief executive of women’s rights charity, Fawcett Society, said their research shows women, especially key workers and mothers who have young children, have the highest levels of anxiety.

She added: “The government must reassure workers that they will not have to work if they feel unsafe and must reassure parents that they will not be expected to send children back to school if they cannot protect children, parents and staff.

“The government’s plan to rebuild has to work for women and girls or it will fail all of us. So far, their focus on the impact on women’s lives has been woefully lacking. This plan does not give the reassurance we need.”

The Independent as contacted the Department for Education for comment.

*Name has been changed to protect identity