Early day motion · EDM 177 · 10 Jun 2021

End the young parent penalty

Tabled by Wendy Chamberlain (Liberal Democrat) 33 signatures

The motion

That this House notes that there are 1.8 million single parents across the UK, with nearly half of all children in single parent families living in poverty; further notes the particular impact of Covid-19 on single parents who are both the carer and income generator for their family; believes that all single parent families should receive appropriate support from the UK Government; regrets that young single parent families under the age of 25 have to claim Universal Credit at a lower rate than those aged 25 or over; further notes that until the introduction of Universal Credit in 2013 young single parent families were entitled to the higher rate of standard allowance in recognition of the cost of caring for a child alone and that this exemption still exists for claimants of legacy benefits; and urges the UK Government to end this Young Parent Penalty and reinstate the exemption for all young single parent families.

Source: the official Early Day Motions database.