Open Letter to Therese Coffey

Children are being pushed into poverty because DWP have stopped classing lone parents under 25 as adults. - this can’t be right. I’m proud to stand with 100+ charities, academics and colleagues from across the House who have sent a letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Therese Coffey MP urging her to end the young parent penalty.

I have also signed EDM 177 which states:

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.