The Economically Responsible Single Mum who Sees to her Future: Welfare-to-work programmes and pension savings

Abstract

In response to the economic vulnerability of single mothers and in keeping with a neoliberal ideology, many Western countries have encouraged increased labour-market participation, often through welfare-to-work (WTW) programmes. One practice adopted in these programmes is deepening knowledge of pension savings and increasing financial savviness. Feminist research points to women's lower economic status than men at retirement, especially divorcees and widows. Based on perceptions of single mothers participating in a WTW programme in Israel and their trainers, this study examines how such mothers, in a framework of vulnerability, experience policy imperatives regarding paid labour and examines their attitudes to pension savings. Findings reveal that, in reaction to the imperative of pension savings, some single mothers believed their present employment provided them with a more secure economic future, while others rejected this belief. The trainers also had divided opinions, despite their role in encouraging mothers to follow the imperative.

Dangerous vulnerability: Simultaneous prohibition and coercion in Palestinian-Israeli single mothers’ relationships with men

“…Vast literature demonstrates that single mothers in general struggle to make a decent living, as the primary and often sole provider of the family (e.g., Christopher, 2012; Lavee & Benjamin, 2016). At the same time, recent changes in social policy in Israel have drastically decreased state support for single mothers in general, therefore exposing them to continuous economic hardship (Herbst-Debby, 2019; Lavee, 2016b). Within this context, the economic situation of Palestinian-Israeli single mothers is even more complex.…”

“…Most Palestinian-Israeli women have a low level of education and lack professional skills, severely limiting their employment opportunities (Sa’ar, 2020). Those who nevertheless are able to participate in the labor market are forced to take low-paying jobs with few (if any) benefits that keep them from exiting their situation of scarcity and poverty (Herbst-Debby, 2019; Levanon et al, 2021).…”

Palestinian mothers in Israel: Can a welfare-to-work program enhance their social capital?

“…The study is part of a larger research project involving in-depth interviews, held between November 2011 and July 2015, of 20 trainers and 105 mothers (62 single, 43 married) while they were participating in the Woman of Valor WTW program. The program is directed at mothers who seek to integrate into the labor force and those already working who wish to expand their employment (Herbst-Debby, 2019). The three-year program serves as a neighborhood institution with ties to businesses, non-profit organizations and government agencies and thus brokers resources for its participants.…”

How Does the Content of Deservingness Criteria Differ for More and Less Deserving Target Groups? An Analysis of Polish Online Debates on Refugees and Families with Children

“…Qualitative studies on deservingness ideas held by welfare beneficiaries (Lavee, 2021; Herbst-Debby 2019; Kremer, 2016) provide a more detailed understanding of the factual interplay of deservingness criteria. They show how beneficiaries are reflexive agents who critically negotiate diverse public deservingness narratives.…”