Perfection
Doe
esn’t
Exist
Women and children are hit hardest following the breakdown of a relationship, with research showing that one in five mothers falls into poverty following a split.
Comprehensive analysis of how parents fare in the years after separation found that children and their mothers see living standards fall by more on average during the aftermath than fathers. Researchers also found that, after couples with grown-up children separated, almost a third of women, usually
over 50 and often married, fell into relative poverty, a far higher proportion than for men.
The study, by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex, found that 19% of children fall into relative poverty after their parents split up. Mike Brewer, professor of economics at the university, who conducted the study along with Dr Alita Nandi, said: “Women continue to see living standards fall by more after separation than men, especially when children are involved, but even for couples with no children. Mothers and children from high-income families see especially
large drops in living standards, because the loss of the man’s earnings is in no way compensated for by higher income from alimony, child maintenance, benefits and tax credits, and having fewer mouths to feed.�
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder
Fiona Weir, chief executive of charity Gingerbread, said: “This research chimes with what many of the single parents we work with tell us every day: that they are really struggling to pay essential bills and put food on the table.” Weir said that the fact that fewer than two in five of single parents – of whom nine out of 10 are mothers – received maintenance from their child’s other parent needed to be urgently ad-
dressed: “The findings underline how vital it is to get child maintenance flowing to single-parent families. The government must ensure the changes it is making to the child maintenance system don’t see this figure fall even lower.”
It’s not what you’re made of
The study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, examined data from the British Household Panel Survey between 1991 and 2008, finding that mental health and life satisfaction declined for both men and women at the time of separation, but were quick to return to pre-split levels.
ganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, fewer than seven in 10 children in Britain live with both parents, placing the UK in the bottom four countries – above only Belgium, Estonia and Latvia – for split families.
Experts said the findings would be helpful to policymakers examining ways to reduce family breakdown rates. According to the Or-
Family breakdown has become a political issue as the government examines whether to include it as a factor when measuring child poverty.
A child is said to be living in poverty if household income is less than 60% of average wages. In 2011 that figure equated to £251 a week, meaning 2.3 million children lived in poverty. Experts said the findings would be helpful to policymakers examining ways to reduce family break-
down rates. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, fewer than seven in 10 children in Britain live with both parents, placing the UK in the bottom four countries – above only Belgium, Estonia and Latvia – for split families.
Its not what you can see
Family breakdown has become a political issue as the government examines whether to include it as a factor when measuring child poverty.
A child is said to be living in poverty if household income is less than 60% of average wages. In 2011 that
figure equated to ÂŁ251 a week, meaning 2.3 million children lived in poverty.
Blame it on the adu Women and children are hit hardest following the breakdown of a relationship, with research showing that one in five mothers falls into poverty following a split. Comprehensive analysis of how parents fare in the years after separation found that children and their mothers see living standards fall by more on average during the aftermath than fathers. Researchers also found that, after couples with grown-up children separated, almost a third of women, usually over 50 and often married, fell into relative poverty, a far higher proportion than for men.
their parents split up. Mike Brewer, professor of economics at the university, who conducted the study along with Dr Alita Nandi, said: “Women continue to see living standards fall by more after separation than men, especially when children are involved, but even for couples with no children. Mothers and children from high-income families see especially large drops in living standards, because the loss of the man’s earnings is in no way compensated for by higher income from alimony, child maintenance, benefits and tax credits, and having fewer mouths to feed.”
The study, by the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex, found that 19% of children fall into relative poverty after
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