Official report shows low pay and job insecurity undermine lone parent employment target
23.09.04

Leading children’s charity demands action to improve skills and conditions to reach target

New findings published today and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, contain welcome evidence as to how policy can assist lone parents into decent, sustainable, employment.

‘Lone parent employment rates have risen but are now stuck at about 54 per cent. The target of 70 per cent of lone parents in paid work is a challenging one but the research demonstrates that if lone parents had the same risk of leaving employment as other groups, the stated official objective of 70 per cent of lone parents in paid work would be met’ said CPAG Chief Executive Kate Green

‘Lone parents are more likely to leave work than other groups. This is associated with having young children but also with the conditions they face on entering work. Those who have higher skills are also more likely to stay in employment, and many lone parents on Income Support have no vocational or academic qualifications. The research shows that too often the push to get lone parents into work results in low pay and insecure employment,’ Kate Green added.

‘Today’s research shows that having low pay doubles the risk of exiting employment, and that pushing lone parents into low paid and insecure work does little to tackle child poverty.’

‘Where the New Deal for Lone Parents works well is where it supports lone parents into worthwhile sustainable employment, and the message from this research is clear – what is needed to reach the target of increased lone parent employment is policy to overcome the particular barriers faced by this group – this means investment in skills, better pay, and easier and more affordable access to childcare.’

Notes:

1. Kate Green was responding to research published today by the Department for Work and Pensions. Researchers at the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy at the University of Bath wrote the report for the Department of Work and Pensions
2. Report authors and title: Martin Evans, Susan Harkness and, Ramon Arigoni Ortiz, Lone Parents Cycling Between Work and Benefits.

For more information contact
Dr Paul Dornan
Tel. 020 7837 5222
pdornan@cpag.org.uk