Anger over reform of welfare payments

ANGER was growing among support groups yesterday at the Government’s planned reform of the One Parent Family Payment that would see it scrapped when the youngest child reaches 13.

The National Women’s Council said the proposals contained in the Social Welfare Bill, published without fanfare on Friday evening, would create “a generation of latch-key kids”, while Fine Gael said the Bill broke a series of promises and offered little alternative to those who may be affected.

Social Protection Minister Éamon O Cuív, interviewed on RTÉ’s This Week programme, defended the Bill, claiming he wanted to encourage people back to work.

The Bill proposes that from 2011 new applicants would be affected, so it would be 2014 before the payment cut came into play.

“At the very beginning there will be virtually no savings as it is a slow-burner,” the minister said.

He said there would be savings “in time” but he did not have figures to show how much would be saved.

Mr O Cuív also denied that the plan would force women out of home, which might mean children being left at home until a parent returns from work.

He said there would be better after-school services and added that some areas would need to be focussed on due to ‘patchy’ services.

National Women’s Council chief executive Susan McKay said: “Lone parents who are able to find full-time employment will face a difficult choice – pay for expensive childcare for their young teenage child after they come home from school, or take the risks associated with letting their children come home from school to wait without adult supervision until their parent finishes work.

“The proposals will have no impact on lone parents of children over 13 who are, and remain, unemployed. However, for One Parent Family Payment claimants who work part- time – estimated by the Department of Social Protection to constitute 70%-80% of claimants – the change may have disastrous consequences, forcing many to leave employment.”

One Family policy and research manager Candy Murphy said: “We see little evidence that the proposed changes will help move parents off social welfare and in particular into well-paid work that will lift families out of poverty.”

The benefit is currently paid to single parents until their youngest child reaches 18, or 22 if in full-time education.

The decision to target lone parents sparked anger among Fianna Fáil back- benchers, with Charlie O’Connor in Dublin South West and Mattie McGrath in Tipperary South voicing concern.

Fine Gael Social and Family Affairs spokeswoman Olwyn Enright said lone parents were being “singled out as the easy option”.

“The Bill is a huge letdown. It fails to deliver on Government promises for a PRSI holiday for employers taking on new staff.

“This measure, originally proposed by Fine Gael and included in the last budget, was supposed to be in the Bill,” she said.