Survey of single parents shows families continue to struggle

The Australian Greens said today that a new survey of single parents shows families are continuing to struggle to cover even the most basic living costs.

"This is another in a long series of reports that shows families are struggling, and yet the Abbott Government looks set to make things even harder by cutting support like the school kids bonus," Senator Rachel Siewert, Australian Greens spokesperson on families and community services said today.

"The results of The Parenthood's survey of single parents, released today, shows that parents' mental health is suffering as they face the reality of being unable to feed their kids, pay rent or meet school expenses.

"Two thirds of parents say their children have suffered social or emotional distress as a result of these cuts. It's heartbreaking that kids are being exposed to these circumstances at such a young age.

"As if things weren't bad enough, parents are now facing the prospect of the School Kids Bonus being cancelled, the expansion of income management and other budget cuts.

"Newstart provides inadequate income support, very low earning capacity and ineffective assistance to help people into secure work. How does the government expect people to transition into the workforce, or pick up more hours, when their mental health is suffering, while they're incurring debt and while they're unable to cover costs like food and education?

"Newstart must be increased and single parents must be given more appropriate support that allows them to raise a family without being placed at such an acute risk of poverty and disadvantage," Senator Siewert concluded.