Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 71: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his plans to reform the one parent family payment [15438/10]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Government believes that the current arrangements, whereby a lone parent can receive the One-Parent Family Payment until their child is 18 or 22 if in full-time education, without any requirement for them to engage in employment, education or training, are not in the best interests of the recipient, their children or society.

Despite improvements made to the One-Parent Family Payment over the years, a large proportion of lone parents and their children are still experiencing poverty.

In general, the best route out of poverty is through employment. We recognise that work, and especially full-time work, may not be an option for parents of young children. However, we believe that supporting parents to participate in the labour market, once their children have reached an appropriate age, will improve both their own economic situation and the social well-being of themselves and their families.

The Department has undertaken a comprehensive review of the One-Parent Family Payment and developed proposals which are designed to:

Prevent long-term dependence on welfare and facilitate financial independence;

Recognise parental choice with regard to care of young children but with the expectation that parents will not remain outside of the labour force indefinitely, and

Include an expectation of participation in education, training and employment, with supports provided in this regard.

To meet these social policy objectives, I will be introducing changes to the One-Parent Family payment in the forthcoming Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010. For new customers, from early 2011, it is proposed that the One-Parent Family payment will be made until the youngest child in the lone parent family reaches age 13 years. For existing customers there will be a phasing out period to enable them to access education and training, to prepare them for their return to the labour market.

Under the reformed scheme there will be special provisions for families with children for whom Domicillary Care allowance is paid and for those who are recently bereaved (married and cohabiting) with children over the age of 13 years.

This change will bring Ireland's support for lone parents more into line with international provisions, where there is a general movement away from long-term and passive income support. The EU countries achieving the best outcomes in terms of tackling child poverty are those that are combining strategies aimed at facilitating access to employment and enabling services (e.g. child care) with income support.