One-parent Families (Hansard, 10 December 1996)

HC Deb 10 December 1996 vol 287 cc177-8W 177W

§ 18. Mr. Barry Jones
To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement concerning poverty in one-parent families. [6862]

§ Mr. Andrew Mitchell
No Government have agreed on a simple or meaningful way to define poverty.
Many lone parents are less well off because they do not work. The Government have substantially enhanced in-work benefits to help them improve their living standards. Over 200,000 lone parents have moved into 178W work supported by family credit since 1992, and from April 1997 the new parent plus scheme will pilot ways of helping up to 100,000 lone parents into work.