Poverty and social exclusion among lone-parents households

Across Europe, there is evidence that household structures are changing and evolving. Everywhere, both families and
labour markets underwent massive changes in their structural characteristics, albeit with different timings and,
sometimes, for different reasons. Lone-parent households have to surmount important obstacles in order to have a
foothold in the labour market and be able to earn income without becoming dependent on welfare payments. A disproportionate number face unemployment and the risk of poverty. The examination by the Commission of the national
action plans on social inclusion submitted by the Member States since 2001 makes it clear that growing up in a poor
family, particularly in a family with three or more children or a lone-parent family, has been identified by many Member
States as one of the main risk factors associated with poverty and social exclusion. Poverty and social exclusion among lone-parent households, if not countered, may have long-term effects because of the risk of transmission of poverty between generations: poor children are likely to become poor and socially excluded adults.

The importance of this issue led to the commissioning of a study on poverty and social exclusion among lone parents.
The study aimed to:

• analyse the reasons why lone-parent households experience higher poverty risks,
• analyse the barriers they have to face in order to access employment and other means of social inclusion
analyses reviews,
• examine how Member States have tried to address the problem, especially by taking lone parents off
welfare dependency and offering them job opportunities,
• identify and disseminate best practice among the policy measures that were examined.

This study compared and contrasted policy approaches and outcomes in thirteen countries: Bulgaria, Denmark,
France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.

European Commission: DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities: Social security & social integration: Poverty and social exclusion among lone-parents households, 2007 http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/docs/social_inclusion/2007/study_lone_parents_en.pdf

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