From July 2, single parents who are in employment and have a child over the age of seven will have the hours they can work before receiving the payment reduced.
At the moment, single parents who are working are eligible to receive the lone parent’s allowance until the youngest child reaches the age of 14, but the new proposals will bring the age limit to seven.
More than 30,000 parents will lose their one parent family payments under the new regulations. Instead of receiving lone parent allowance, they will be moved onto jobseekers’ payments if their child is seven.
According to Tanaiste Joan Burton, the changes are designed to get lone parents out of the poverty trap and into work.
Instead of receiving payments, families will be offered education and training supports, but some parents’ groups claim that adults could be up to €80 a week worse off under changes.