HC Deb 02 March 1992 vol 205 cc72-3W
6. Dr. Michael Clark

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of lone parents receive regular maintenance payments.

Mr. Jack

A survey of the circumstances of lone parent families in the United Kingdom carried out in 1989 found that only 30 per cent. of lone mothers received regular amounts of maintenance for their children. Our proposals for a new system of child maintenance aim to remedy the situation.

Mr. Wolfson

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to help lone parents who want to re-enter the labour market.

Mr. Jack

Currently, significant help is built into the benefits available to lone parents who want to work. In particular, family credit gives considerable encouragement. Lone parents get the same adult credit as a two-parent family, and one parent benefit is disregarded in calculating their income. Disability working allowance, which is to be introduced on 6 April 1992, will make the same provision for lone parents as family credit.

In housing benefit and community charge benefit, those lone parents not on income support, benefit from the higher, £25, earnings disregard and from a lone parent premium which is higher than the rate of lone parent premium in income support.

From 7 April 1992, this help will be further enhanced by two measures. First, family credit will be available to those working at least 16 hours a week rather than 24. This will enable many lone parents to work the qualifying number of hours and fit them around school hours, and so benefit from the more generous provisions of family credit.

Secondly, from the same date, the first £15 of maintenance they receive will be disregarded in calculating income in family credit, housing benefit, community charge benefit, and disability working allowance. This will increase the disposable income of all such recipients.

In addition, when the new Child Support Agency starts work in April 1993, more lone parents will receive higher amounts of child maintenance and be able to take full advantage of the changes in family credit.

On 11 December 1991, we announced a grant of £1 million to the National Council for One Parent Families to enable it to provide courses for lone parents who are thinking of going back to work. The courses will help lone parents to improve their job search skills, and will provide a range of information on local facilities and personal finances.