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Social Security Benefits: Lone Parents

Asked by Neil Duncan-JordanLabourDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 22 October 2024UIN 9274

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data her Department holds on the proportion of single parents affected by the two-child benefit cap who are in paid employment.

Answered by Alison McGovern

1. About half (52%) of Universal Credit or Child Tax Credit households affected by the policy, or 230,000, are single adult households, and about half (48% or 220,000) are couples, as show in Figure 2 of the latest statistics commentary published here: Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit claimants: statistics related to the policy to provide support for a maximum of two children, April 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

2. In April 2024, 82,000 (40%) of single parents who are affected by the policy were in work.

3. In April 2024, the mean average take home pay of single parents who are affected by the policy and were in work was £1,038 per month.

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