PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents (17 May 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure equity of treatment for lone parents in the administration of (a) child benefit payments, (b) national insurance contributions, (c) carers' allowance and (b) other social security system matters.

Asked by:
Marsha De Cordova (Labour)

(a) Entitlement to Child Benefit is dependent on a person making a claim for it and is payable to a person responsible for the child or qualifying young. All claimants are treated equally within the administration of Child Benefit, with the exception that payments can be made weekly rather than four-weekly for lone parents.

(b) The amount of NICs payable is dependent on the person’s earnings and there is no difference in this regard between lone parents and non-lone parents.

(c) The primary purpose of Carer’s Allowance is to provide a measure of financial support and recognition for people who give up the opportunity of full-time employment in order to provide regular and substantial care for a severely disabled person. All carers are treated equally within the administration of Carer’s Allowance.

(d) Under Universal Credit (UC), comprehensive support is provided to lone parents. There is help available for childcare costs for children of any age. Claimants can recover up to 85% of their eligible childcare costs through UC (or 70% of those costs through working tax credits). Further assistance may be available through the Flexible Support Fund. Jobcentre Plus staff can help parents to find work that fits around childcare responsibilities and provide intensive support to lone parents. UC is designed to make work pay, so not all of a person’s net earnings are deducted from UC. Claimants with children and/or disabilities will benefit from a work allowance which means they can keep either: £293 per month if they also receive housing costs element, or £515 per month if they don’t receive any housing costs element.

Answered by:
Will Quince (Conservative)
25 May 2021