Fianna Fáil Social Protection Seanad Spokesperson, Senator Catherine Ardagh has said that being in work does not always equate to increasing incomes for loneparents.
Commenting this week Senator Ardagh said, “The Minister needs to understand that while more lone parents are now in paid employment, it does not necessarily mean that their family incomes have increased or even remained the same. They need their employment to pay them a decent salary to incentivise a return to work.
“The reforms implemented by the last Government resulted in a significant reduction of payments to many lone parent headed families. These reforms have now placed thousands of lone parents into a welfare trap, and reduced the options available to them in the future.
“While some lone parents were able to increase their hours of employment, many are now taking home less money as they have lost the weekly Lone Parent Allowance, and the secondary benefits that come with that payment,” said Senator Ardagh.
“The vast majority of lone parents I have met in my constituency are now working but they aren’t earning enough to meet their family’s needs. They are now reliant on another welfare payment to put food on the table.
“Moving them off the Lone Parent Allowance and onto FIS is not effectively addressing the real issue at hand, and does not always result in increasing family incomes.”
-ENDS-
Commenting this week Senator Ardagh said, “The Minister needs to understand that while more lone parents are now in paid employment, it does not necessarily mean that their family incomes have increased or even remained the same. They need their employment to pay them a decent salary to incentivise a return to work.
“The reforms implemented by the last Government resulted in a significant reduction of payments to many lone parent headed families. These reforms have now placed thousands of lone parents into a welfare trap, and reduced the options available to them in the future.
“While some lone parents were able to increase their hours of employment, many are now taking home less money as they have lost the weekly Lone Parent Allowance, and the secondary benefits that come with that payment,” said Senator Ardagh.
“The vast majority of lone parents I have met in my constituency are now working but they aren’t earning enough to meet their family’s needs. They are now reliant on another welfare payment to put food on the table.
“Moving them off the Lone Parent Allowance and onto FIS is not effectively addressing the real issue at hand, and does not always result in increasing family incomes.”
-ENDS-
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