Ms Bríd O'Brien:

Better information, more timely supports and reassuring people - basically helping them to make that move - would help. If somebody has children and they are concerned that from a family perspective it might not work out, they should be informed of the working family payment and we should ensure people get access to that in a more timely fashion. An issue raised with us by one of the lone parent organisations is whether people can access the working family payment if they have been offered a zero-hours contract. The payment should be based on the number of hours a person is working but if there is uncertainty about that, it could again be a challenge. There are those little pitfalls in the system. Somebody might be thinking that they know where they stand now and if they make that move they are not so sure. They are wondering whether there will be a large hole under the welcome mat if they go in that door and where will they end up. That is a big issue for people.