A paper examined the constraints placed by social inequalities on the lives of lone mothers - without reducing these multi-dimensional lives to the one-dimensional category lone mother - in order to create the basis for less stigmatizing and more effective policies.
Source: Vanessa May, Lone Motherhoods in Context, Real Life Methods Node/Sociology/University of Manchester (0161 2750265)
Links: Paper
Date: 2006-Dec
An article reported a study which examined the potential of a state subsidy to be extended to support informal childcare. Care was found to be negotiated differently depending on whether it was provided by a grandparent or other family and friends. Lone parents tended to favour paying for childcare provided by family and friends other than grandparents.
Source: Christine Skinner and Naomi Finch, 'Lone parents and informal childcare: a tax credit childcare subsidy?', Social Policy and Administration, Volume 40 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Dec
An article examined the receipt of child support by lone mothers across the income distribution. Lone mothers who were already relatively better off (compared with other lone mothers) were more likely to receive child support. However, lone mothers who received child support tended to receive similar median amounts, regardless of their income levels. Moreover, child support was a more important part of the income package for lone mothers with low incomes than for those with higher incomes.
Source: Christine Skinner and Daniel Meyer, 'After all the policy reform, is child support actually helping low-income mothers?', Benefits, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
An article said that child support reduced child poverty rates by over 60 per cent for those lone parents in employment who received it, and that it could achieve more if the regime were more effective.
Source: Jonathan Bradshaw, 'Child support and child poverty', Benefits, Volume 14 Number 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Oct
The government announced a pilot scheme under which lone parents with children aged 11 and over would be eligible for a 'work related activity premium', worth £20 per week, if they agreed to take the necessary steps to prepare themselves for entering and competing in the workplace.
Source: Press release 12 October 2006, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release | Personnel Today report
Date: 2006-Oct
A report evaluated an initiative designed to increase the number of lone parents who did paid work. There was a need to significantly increase the number of lone parents who perceived paid work as a viable option, and to strengthen the role that Jobcentre Plus personal advisers played in helping them to move from benefit into employment.
Source: Aisha Riaz et al., Work Works Final Evaluation Report, Working Paper 35, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Oct
A paper sought to develop a new set of survey questions that better measured the complexities of lone parents decision-making around (returning to) work that could be adopted as a standard approach, making cross-survey comparisons easier.
Source: Debbie Collins, Michelle Gray, Susan Purdon and Alice McGee, Lone Parents and Work: Developing new survey measures of the choices and constraints, Working Paper 34, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper
Date: 2006-Sep
A report examined the association between the outcomes of the 'in work benefit calculation', or better off calculation , received by lone parents during a lone parent work-focused interview and their work and benefit outcomes. New/repeat lone parents were more likely to enter work and leave benefits than existing claimants, and policy measures to bring lone parents closer to the labour market needed to differentiate between these groups.
Source: Genevieve Knight and Diana Kasparova, Lone Parents: In Work Benefit Calculations Work and benefit outcomes, Research Report 367, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Aug
A report examined the net impacts of the lone parent work-focused interviews (LPWFI) and New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP) programmes. For new/repeat claimants, the combined effect on benefit exit of LPWFI and NDLP (relative to no programme participation) was insignificant in size for the first year, but then positive - starting at 2 and rising to 4 percentage points at 18 months.
Source: Genevieve Knight, Stefan Speckesser, Jeff Smith, Peter Dolton and Jo o Pedro Azevedo, Lone parents Work Focused Interviews/New Deal for Lone Parents: Combined Evaluation and Further Net Impacts, Research Report 368, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Aug
A report said that a previous study had over-estimated the impact of the New Deal for Lone Parents on the numbers of lone parents in receipt of benefits.
Source: Peter Dolton, Jo o Pedro Azevedo and Jeffrey Smith, The Econometric Evaluation of the New Deal for Lone Parents, Research Report 356, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Jun
A think-tank report said that benefits and tax credits were being paid to 200,000 more lone parents than actually existed. Many people might be exploiting vagueness in the definition of a lone parent - co-habiting with a partner but describing themselves as single.
Source: Mike Brewer and Jonathan Shaw, How Many Lone Parents are Receiving Tax Credits?, Briefing Note 70, Institute for Fiscal Studies (web publication only)
Links: Briefing Note | IFS press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined lone parents knowledge and understanding of how their benefit might be sanctioned for failing to take part in a mandatory work-focused interview. Generally, lone parents were aware of sanctions, had a reasonable understanding of the principle of sanctioning, and understood that they could receive a sanction for non-attendance.
Source: Lucy Joyce and Karen Whiting, Sanctions: Qualitative summary report on lone parent customers, Working Paper 27, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Working paper | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A study found that the work-focused interview programme for lone parents was working well. It appeared to have met a key objective of maintaining progression between meetings and enabling personal advisers to build on any previous interviews. The vast majority of advisers had found this aspect of mandatory action plans useful, particularly during mandatory review meetings.
Source: Andrew Thomas and Gerwyn Jones, Work Focused Interviews and Lone Parent Initiatives: Further analysis of policies and pilots, Research Report 319, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Links: Report | Summary | DWP press release
Date: 2006-Feb
Researchers examined the effects of work focused interviews for lone parents. The main barrier to work was found to be childcare, although in some cases interrupted education, health problems, disability, and caring responsibilities for relatives or children with illness or disability were also problematic.
Source: Genevieve Knight and Andrew Thomas, LPWFI and Review Meetings Administrative Data Analyses and Qualitative Evidence: Final report, Research Report 315, Department for Work and Pensions (0113 399 4040)
Date: 2006-Feb