Help calls from single parents up by over 100%

THE number of single parent families seeking help from the One Family support group increased by over 100% last year.

In its annual report, launched yesterday, the group said one-parent families are still struggling for financial and social support because of the lack of a holistic approach by Government.

The organisation recorded a 107% increase in the number of single parent families who accessed their services in 2004. It urged the Government to introduce a more holistic family policy and claimed 2004 was particularly difficult for families due to the so-called ‘Savage 16’ cuts announced in the 2003 Budget. Figures show one parent families are three-and-a-half times more likely to live in poverty than the general population.