Are You A Lone Parent?

Have you been on benefits for a year or more?

Now could be the best time financially for you to find a job.

For the past year and a half, the Jobcentre in Morecambe has been running a pilot scheme. Any Lone Parent who has been on Income Support or Income Based Jobseekers Allowance for a year or more, can claim an extra £40 a week, when starting a job of at least 16 hours.

This is in addition to:
Job grant of £250
Housing Benefit/Council Tax benefit 4 week run on.
Working Tax credit
Child Tax Credit
Child benefit.

Some Housing and Council tax benefit if on a low wage.

Since the scheme started, over 140 local Lone Parents have benefited from the extra income.

If you would like to know how much better off you could be, contact Morecambe Jobcentre.

This scheme is only available to lone parents starting work before 30 th September, 2006. Do not miss out. Ring Linda 302188 or Peter 302187

Star Pupil Shines

Local resident and star pupil Laura Seymour has been awarded the prestigious ‘High Sheriff of Lancashire’s Young Citizen Award’.

Laura was rewarded for her work in school and her input in to neighbourhood issues. She has previously won awards from Morecambe High School; her most recent was the ‘Alan White Memorial Prize for Contribution to the School Community 2005’. She has also been involved in raising money for charitable events such as hosting a ‘Stars in their eyes’ in aid of the Tsunami appeal in 2005. This event is to be repeated this year at Morecambe High in April for another charity.

Laura’s main contribution to the community, however, comes through her work with the Young Persons Crime Prevention Panel at Morecambe Police Station. The group look at local neighbourhood issues and work on actively solving problems.

Laura has given up her spare time to be involved heavily in the scheme, being successfully involved in many
projects.

Laura works hard to be an ambassador for young people ensuring they remain on track and involved in positive activities within their community. PC Kath Bromilow from Morecambe Police Station nominated Laura.

Laura was presented with ‘The High Sheriff of Lancashire’s Young Citizen Award’ at Lancashire Police Headquarters by James Armfield OBE DL (High Sheriff of Lancashire), Steve Finnigan (Chief Constable of Lancashire) and Jon Butterworth (National Operations Director National Grid). The picture shows Laura with PCs John Bassinder and Kath Bromilow.