A third of children in Britain living in a single parent family are in poverty
A third of children with a working single parent are living in poverty, according to a report published by charity Gingerbread to mark its centenary.
It estimates that by 2021, 63% of children in single parent families are likely to be in poverty. The report finds that the number of single parents on zero hours contracts has increased tenfold in the past 10 years, and that some single parents have been encouraged into unsustainable self-employment by Jobcentre advisers in an attempt to get them into work.
Commenting on the report, Rosie Ferguson, Gingerbread’s Chief Executive, said:
“The findings of this report illustrate how single parents’ aspirations can be thwarted by circumstances outside their control. The majority of single parents work but many are still locked out of the secure, flexible employment opportunities they need in order to provide for their children. Low-paid and insecure jobs, as well as the lack of affordable childcare, mean that some single parents struggle to put food on the table for their children.
“The government must work with jobcentres, employers and childcare providers to ensure that work genuinely provides a route out of poverty. We need to strengthen the system of support for single parents to provide a decent standard of living for them and their children.”
Gingerbread is calling on the government to:
Suspend job-seeking conditions for single parents with pre-school aged children and single parents in training, to avoid pushing single parents into unsustainable work
Tailor jobcentre support for single parents and invest in higher levels of training and education, which lead to more sustainable work and long-term savings for the government
Work with employers to embed a genuinely family-friendly labour market, including improving the availability of good quality part-time and flexible jobs
Expand promised childcare support to target assistance on low income families effectively, including widening access to the 30 hours’ free childcare to single parents in education/training and in variable-hours work, and supporting parents with the upfront cost of childcare.
Rosie Ferguson continues:
“As we mark 100 years of Gingerbread, we are proud of everything that has been achieved to improve single parents’ lives. But it’s not right that we still live in a society where children of single parents face twice the risk of poverty compared to those from couple families.
“Gingerbread will continue to support single parents and celebrate their many contributions to the UK today. We need others to commit to real change too. We want to see single parents valued and given the same opportunities as any other family. The tide is turning, but there is much more to do.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub