Internationally, there is a general movement away from long-term and passive income support. For example, in the United Kingdom lone parents are required to seek work when their youngest child reaches the age of ten. From October 2010, the minimum age will be further reduced to seven. In Norway, Sweden, Germany and Italy there is a work obligation when the youngest child is aged three. In the 2006 Government discussion paper, Proposals for Supporting Lone Parents, it was initially proposed that a parental allowance would continue until the youngest child reached the age of seven years. However, 13 years is considered to be a more appropriate age for this change as the need for child care will lessen from that age. This change to the one-parent family payment will bring Ireland's support for lone parents more in line with international provisions where countries achieving the best outcomes in terms of tackling child poverty are those combining strategies aimed at facilitating access to employment and enabling services with income support.

See this item in context