Budget 2006 brings welcome increase in benefits for children

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22/03/06 One Parent Families welcomes the Chancellor's continued commitment in Budget 2006 to increasing benefits for children in line with earnings, to providing more money for childcare and to helping more women into work, into better jobs and to balance their family and work responsibilities. But the charity is concerned that, without significant further investment, the Government's poverty-reduction targets may not be met.

One Parent Families Chief Executive Chris Pond said:

'Budget 2006 confirms the Chancellor's determination to tackle child poverty but also leaves him with much more to do. The increases in the Child Tax Credit and Child Trust Fund payments and the boost for workplace childcare are welcome but latest figures show progress in tackling lone-parent poverty has stalled so the pressure is now on for a bigger push to ensure the poverty-reduction targets do not slip.'

One Parent Families is also concerned that the cuts announced today at the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue & Customs could undermine the Government's ability to deliver on its pledge to help more lone parents escape poverty by moving into work. Chris Pond said: 'Cutting DWP budgets could mean schemes like the New Deal for Lone Parents will face an uphill struggle to help enough lone parents to get and keep jobs, thus jeopardising the poverty-reduction goals. We were hoping for more not less investment in the NDLP.'

Chris Pond welcomed new measures to help women improve their skills:

'All the research shows that gaining qualifications helps lone parents to move into work and to hold on to their jobs, so new training opportunities for low-skilled women must be a priority in the fight against child poverty. Currently one-fifth of lone parents have no qualifications yet only 6-7 percent of New Deal for Lone Parents participants receive any help with training. The Chancellor should build on today's announcement by broadening the scope of the New Deal for Lone Parents so that it offers real training chances and access to jobs with opportunities for in-work progression.'

Further information from press officer Jane Ahrends on 0207 428 5416/ 0788195 1138

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