Single parents get welfare boost

People in receipt of one-parent family payments will be allowed to retain up to 50% of any maintenance received from early this year, the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs has announced. Currently all maintenance received by lone parents, apart from rental costs, is assessed under a means test. The new proposal, which will cost in the region of £1.3m in a full year, will allow one-parent families to make clear gains from any maintenance they receive.