Lone parents victims of ‘monumental failure’

Children have been among those worst hit by seven years of cuts, but the rate of poverty among one-parent families is disproportionally higher than other family types, writes Evelyn Ring.

One Family chief executive Karen Kiernan said Government policy, despite the stated intent to support one-parent families out of poverty, was proving to be a “monumental failure”.

Ms Kiernan said children in one-parent families are more than twice as likely to live in poverty.

“The number of children in Ireland living in consistent poverty — meaning that they are both at risk of poverty and experiencing deprivation — has risen to nearly 12%,” she said.

Ms Kiernan pointed to an analysis of the figures which showed that almost one in four children (23%) in a one-parent family were experiencing poverty.

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“They have carried the burden of austerity on their shoulders as the poorest and most vulnerable in our society,” Ms Kiernan said.

Of particular concern is the change to welfare benefits for lone parents that came into force over the summer.

Under the changes, single parents in receipt of social welfare will be required to seek employment or training when their youngest child reaches the age of seven.

They will also move from the one-parent family payment to a new transitional benefit.

The Government says that the move is facilitating one-parent families out of welfare dependency.

However, One Family said lone parents already working part time are experiencing income decreases of up to €100 a week on already “minutely managed” budgets.

“Rather than giving away tax breaks or giving a miserly €5 a week in child benefit, Budget 2016 should be radical in its approach in investing in services for our poorest children and family,” said Ms Kiernan.

One Family says the Government must introduce a package of supports and services for parents moved off the one-parent family payment and to jobseeker’s allowance if it is serious about supporting lone parents in getting into sustainable employment and out of social welfare.

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Tánaiste and Social Protection Minister Joan Burton said budget proposals, such as an increase of about €5 in child benefit and changes in the USC, would improve the income of many lone parents.

Under the USC plans, tens of thousands of workers would no longer pay the charge by raising the entry point from €12,000.

Ms Burton said reforms to the USC would be targeted at low- and middle-income families.

Ms Kiernan said Budget 2016 must demonstrate a firm commitment from Government to support one-parent families rather than penalising them and to work towards ending the shameful spectre of child poverty in Ireland.

Ms Burton has been criticised for pressing ahead with changes to the one-parent family after declaring in April 2012 that she would not proceed with it unless she got “a credible and bankable commitment” from the Government on the delivery of a Scandinavian level of quality, affordable childcare.

Ms Burton agrees that more childcare facilities are needed but has argued that the change would increase incomes in many one-parent families.

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Among the package of supports for one-parent families that One Family insists must appear in the Budget are:

• Income to remain at €90 for all one-parent families, regardless of their payment;
• Access to free fees for part-time education options;
• Adjust the Family Income Supplement so it makes work pay for lone parents by reducing the qualifying hours to 15 per week and taper payment;
• Provide a high-quality accessible childcare and out of school care system.

The Children’s Rights Alliance (CRA) has also expressed concern about reforms to the one-parent family payment that were introduced in July.

It points out that the reforms would reduce the income of around 11,000 parents, ranging from over €100 to €30 a week — a significant amount for a low- income family.

“No poverty impact analysis has been undertaken on recipients who have transitions from one-parent family payment to a different payment,” said the CRA.

The Vincentian Partnership for Social Justice said it is concerned that child income supports do not take account of increasing costs in adolescence.

It points out that, since 2008, children have suffered because of reductions in child income support payments and also changes to eligibility criteria for payments.

It has found that there are children living in households with an income that falls far short of what they need for a minimum essential standard of living.