Anti-child poverty policies vs lone parents?

Government anti-child poverty policies focuses on putting parents into work, millions are spent on benefits and tax credits to help them out, but does it really work for lone parents?

Tanya Murphy is bringing up three daughters – aged eight, ten and sixteen – on her own in Bournemouth. She is struggling to make both ends meet working part-time and receiving child tax credits.

“If you are bringing up children, you should get some sort of help from the government – like child benefit – but I think really that they should let you just do as many hours at work as you can rather than checking up on you all the time, because that’s what they do,” she says.

She argues that if she works more hours the government cuts benefits and in that way she is trapped in poverty.

“They push you to go out to work, but at the end of the day you are not better off, because you are restricted to hours,” she adds.

Joseph Rowntree Foundation policy and research manager Helen Barnard has another argument: “Entry rates into jobs of lone parents is actually similar to parents in couples, but their exit rates are much higher.”

She explains why:



Unemployed single mum of two disabled boys – Sarah Perks – is struggling to cope too. Month by month she and her children survive on “miserable” maintenance from the dad of the children, disability living allowance for both children and her carer’s allowance, which is drop in the ocean comparing with the needs of her family.

“The government has to look at the situation like mine realistically. The amount that they are given is so little, besides they give the carer’s allowance for only one child even though I’m looking after both of them. Moreover, for the second child they give less benefit, which doesn’t make sense.”

She argues about unfairness of the system:



Sarah tried to earn a bit by working part-time, but she soon had to face the truth – “it was just impossible” for her.

She explains why:



DSCF Child Poverty Unit spokesperson Paul Campbell says that the government is working hard to help children in poverty and to make there lives better.

He adds that as a result of personal tax and benefit measures coming into effect in 2009-10, “families with children will be, on average, £500 per year better off and families with children in the poorest fifth of the population will be, on average, £650 per year better off.”