Single parents worst hit by taxes and cuts

New research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that single parents will be among those hit hardest by changes to tax and benefits policy over the next four years. Single parents who are not in employment will lose £2,000 per year on average, 12% of their total income.

The report, The Impact of Austerity Measures on Households with Children, was commissioned by the Family and Parenting Institute [1].

Fiona Weir, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said:

“Half of children in single parent families are already living in poverty. Horrifyingly, this report shows that some of these will lose up to £2,000 a year by 2014 because of planned changes to the tax and benefits system. This will mean serious hardship for many thousands of children.”

“These families are the most vulnerable; it cannot be right to make them bear the biggest burden.”

ENDS

 
Notes to Editors

[1] The report is available at www.familyandparenting.org

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