Changes to One-Parent Family Payment causing "confusion and stress"

The Government was accused of adding to the pain of 9,000 struggling one-parent families by cutting a state benefit payment.

Changes to the eligibility criteria for the One-Parent Family Payment were announced two years ago but only came into force yesterday.

The Department of Social protection said the changes, which affect more than 9,000 recipients, was designed to help them out of the “poverty trap” and back into the workplace.