One-parent payments - Change must do no harm

Under the new Social Welfare and Pensions Bill, lone parents will eventually only receive the one-parent family payment until their child is up to the maximum age of seven years old.

These new social welfare rules, which are to be phased in, have been criticised as “regressive and counterproductive” by Barnardos, the National Women’s Council of Ireland, and Open, which represents lone parent groups.

In Apr 2011 the eligibility for parents applying for the payment was cut from those with a child under 18 years of age to those with a child under 14. Next month this is being reduced to those with a child up to 12. This will be further reduced to 10 years of age next year, and only a parent of children up to seven years of age will be eligible by 2014.

The number of such payments rose by about 25% in a decade, and the scheme is estimated to cost €1.6bn this year.

Until 2011 long-term support for the parents extended until the child reached 18, or 22 in the case of those in full-time education.

The proposed changes are to encourage lone parents to engage in employment, education, or training. “The best route out of poverty and social exclusion is through paid employment,” said Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton.

It is important that there must be no hint or suggestion that they aim to put any of the children out to work, at the cost of their education or otherwise. That would be the most frightening retrograde step.