Background
Benefit conditionality rules have been tightening for single parents since 2008. Prior to then, single parents were not required to work until their youngest child turned 16 – though many did, for example, in 2003, 51% of single mothers were in work. Initially single parents were expected to work when their youngest turned 12. By 2017, this had been gradually reduced to when their youngest child turned 3.
In October 2023, the Government introduced new work requirements for lead carers of 3 to 12 year olds stating they must be available for work for up to 30 hours a week (up from 16 hours for parents of 3 to 4 year olds and up from 25 hours for parents of 5 to 12 year olds).
Our research
Hearing from hundreds of single parents about how worried they were about these changes, we ran an online survey and spoke with dozens of single parents about their experience. 638 single parents completed our survey, a full report and a summary version of the findings are available below.
Key research Findings
59% of single parents find their current work requirements unmanageable
81% of single parents said 30 hours a week is unmanageable for them
74% of respondents found work coach meetings were not useful and a further 20% weren’t sure if they were useful
98% of respondents face barriers to work including a lack of access to affordable childcare, a lack of flexible work and single parent employment discrimination
The flexibility the DWP promised with the roll out of this policy is inconsistent
The DWP has ignored the disproportionate impact from this change on single parents.
solutions
Any system which wants to support single parents must recognise their unique circumstances. However, in its current format, the Conditional Earnings Threshold policy disregards the needs and realities of single parent families. For single parents on a low-income, this policy represents a double whammy. Lower pay means more hours of work are needed to meet the earnings threshold. Furthermore, those on lower earnings report being less able to increase their work hours.
If the government is truly committed to breaking down barriers to work, they first need to recognise the unique circumstances of single parents. This requires the introduction of a single parent lead carer category which has lower work requirements than lead carers in couples. Doing so would acknowledge the additional caring responsibilities of single parents and the extra challenges they face in managing those responsibilities alongside paid employment. Secondly, the government must address the broader barriers single parents face in accessing paid employment.
Read the report
You can download our full report or the summary version below.
Press Release
You can download our press release on our employment report below.
VIEWS FROM SINGLE PARENTS
Below are comments single parents made during our research about their own experiences.
balancing work plus single parenting
“They [the government] have no idea what it’s like to be a single parent, because if they did, there is absolutely no way they would ask parents to work 30 HOURS A WEEK.”
“It's really depressing and demotivating because I'm already doing the best I can working several part time jobs. I'm still in terrible poverty and my mental health is shocking especially in winter. I'm scared being forced to work more hours will break me.”
childcare challenges
“I’m currently an apprentice and my hours vary, I’m contracted 16 hours but I can do between 16-25 per week. It costs me more in childcare and isn’t even worth me working half the time what I pay out. I’ve just paid £318 for 9 weeks and only been given £109 back. Robbery. Not even half let alone 85%.”
“I struggle to afford the childcare outright before being able to claim it back.”
“I can’t find childcare longer than what I have already got as all settings are full, have very limited hours and waiting lists.”
flexible work
“I have not been able to take any hours in my zero hours job that work around my children since becoming a single parent.”
“My current employer only has 18.5 or 37 hour contracts, when my commitments increase I will be forced to either find another job to stay part time or go full time.”
“My current employer isn’t able to offer me more hours I live in a rural location which means there are limited job opportunities especially ones that would enable me to work around child care”
Barriers to work
Single parents highlighted a number of barriers to work during the research. As shown in the graph below.
campaign for change
We are campaigning against the increase in work requirements for single parents. You can get involved here.