Hansard

Income Support: Lone Parents

Volume 474: debated on Tuesday 1 April 2008

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Mr. Frank Field

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents in receipt of income support in the most recent period for which figures are available had (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five or more children. (197144)

Mr. Plaskitt

[holding answer 26 March 2008]: The requested information is in the following table.

Number of children in lone parent families in receipt of income support in Great Britain

Number of children

Lone parents in receipt of income support

All claimants

765,630

One child

351,820

Two children

246,700

Three children

110,410

Four children

39,690

Five or more children

17,000

Notes: 1. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with children under 16 and not receiving incapacity benefits. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 4. Data are to May 2007. Source: 100 per cent DWP Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.