By NIGEL GREEN

Last updated at 21:37 10 March 2007

Unemployed single parents are receiving free massages and beauty treatments - paid for by taxpayers.

Under the Government-backed scheme, being tested around the country, they are being given the treats to 'boost their confidence'.

So far, more than 1,000 people, mainly women, have taken advantage of 'pamper days' at salons as part of the project, called Big Brother. It has been justified on the grounds that if jobless people are happier and more presentable, it will be easier for them to find work.

But critics say the project is a waste of public money. So far the cost to taxpayers is at least £60,000, but the figure is likely to spiral.

The scheme - in operation in Hereford, Worcester, Northumberland, Durham and Greater Manchester - is open to any single parent over the age of 18 who has been unemployed or on disability benefit for at least six months. They can choose from a range of treatments, including a massage, a haircut, new make-up, a facial, a manicure and even ear-piercing.

They can also claim a separate £30 handout to spend on a shopping trip for new clothes, and are eligible for free lunches and childcare.

The Big Brother scheme is run by Inspire2Independence, a private company based in York. It is backed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and the European Union. Neither the DWP nor Inspire2Independence would say how much public money was being spent on the scheme.

A teenage girl who works in a salon used by the single parents was critical of the initiative. 'They didn't look like they needed their confidence boosting - they were all very loud,' said the girl, who did not want to be identified.

'They seemed to have a really good time. One of them was talking into her mobile phone and laughing and joking with a friend about how she was still drunk from the night before when she woke up that morning. Many of them had tattoos and were wearing crop-tops.'

A man whose teenage daughter works at a salon in Northumberland said: 'My daughter was baffled when she was told these women were getting treatments for nothing. They had make-up done, had facials, had their nails filed and some even had their ears pierced.

'When you think of all the staff needed to organise this, as well as the fancy leaflets, it must cost a fortune. My daughter earns the minimum wage in the salon while she studies at college. She doesn't get a penny from the Government and earns less than these single mothers get in benefits. What message does this send out to teenage girls?'

Martin Callanan, the Conservative Euro MP for the North East, said: 'I'm sure there are lots of other parents, not to mention pensioners, who would like the State to pay for their pampering.

'Using a private consultancy to organise all this and taking people on shopping trips is a poor use of public funds. It is very suspicious that they are unable to tell us how much this is costing taxpayers.'

Steve Munzer, head of marketing for the project, said last night: 'Some of these women really lack confidence. Many have been out of work for a long time and some are even scared to leave the house. They are taken to buy interview clothes, treated to a massage and sometimes a facial. It's nice if they do find work but success is not necessarily judged on that.'

A DWP spokeswoman declined to say how much had been paid to Inspire2Independence, claiming it was 'commercially sensitive'.

She said: 'The main purpose of the course is to remove some of the barriers lone parents face, to enable them to enter the labour market and to mentor them with a view to progressing to further support through the New Deal for Lone Parents.

'Participants find the course very rewarding and a significant number move on to the New Deal for Lone Parents, where further tailored support and advice is available.'