Lone parents ‘need more cash aid’

THOUSANDS of lone parents are struggling to make ends meet and slipping into increasing levels of poverty, a study has found.

The study, Living on the Book, carried out by OPEN, the network of lone parent groups, is highly critical of the One Parent Family Payment scheme.

It says the weekly payment of €134.80 and €19.30 for each child is an inadequate means for a one-parent family to live on and offers little incentive to consider employment as an alternative to long term welfare dependency.