As I understand it, single parents will no longer receive an allowance when their child reaches 13.
Do you think this will just encourage them to have more?
IE: First child reaches 12 then they get pregnant and they can get the allowance for another 13 years ..
By that logic, why not cut it for 1st and 2nd children too - do you reckon that will stop children being born to lone parents?Why don't they cut off child support (or at a minimum reduce below the level of the first and second child) for third an subsequent children FOR everyone. Might discourage those who already have 1-2 children from having more if they can't provide for them.
They're doing it already.
Why don't they cut off child support (or at a minimum reduce below the level of the first and second child) for third an subsequent children FOR everyone. Might discourage those who already have 1-2 children from having more if they can't provide for them.
So based on the last census, there has been a significant drop in the rate of marriage in this country; those that are getting married are waiting till later in life.
There hasn't been an equivalent drop in the birth rate and the rate of very young mothers having children without a partner (i.e those in their teens) has remained relatively flat. These are typically the group of lone parents who are invariably brought into play in these discussions; despite the fact that they make up the smallest grouping of those claiming LPA.
So adults aren't marrying, but they are still having children, LPA costs are increasing year on year and it's not all the teenagers.
Here's my theory - partly based on the above and partly from my anecdotal evidence.
Young couples are having children, ostensibly living apart, and then getting married to each other some years later.
Why would they do this?
Because the LPA pays better than doing it the other way around.
If you (as a couple) believe it is better (or more financially viable) for one parent to care full-time for the children, particularly for the early years; then you can opt not to marry for several years, live apart (or at least have separate addresses) and have one partner claim LPA.
I've seen this phenomenon enough times over the last decade or so to believe that this is the true reason behind the rate of increase of claims for LPA.
lone parents allowance is only paid where one parent is raising the children alone without the support of the other parent
Lou - I agree with you, not all single parents ask to be single and single parents are not scum of the earth the way some people seem to think. Lots of lone parents are working and struggling to make ends meet with no help from anybody - you never hear the runaway fathers being critiscised, some of who have the cheek to claim tax allowance for the chil they never see.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?