Australia’s social security system is failing single mother families

In
July this year, we surveyed child and family services practitioners in Victoria
who work directly with single mothers and their children. We asked workers how
social security policies affected families, particularly those with a sole
parent.

The
results are staggering. Our safety net
is failing.

The survey of 169 practitioners
found:

• 63 per cent had worked with one
  or more single mothers who had experienced a payment suspension
• 15 per cent were aware of a
  family or families who had opted out of the social security system without
  securing another means of income
• 78 per cent believed payment
  rates to be insufficient, or barely sufficient to meet basic needs and provide
  an adequate standard of living
• For some single mothers it is
  necessary to stay with or re-connect with a violent partner rather than
  struggle alone to meet family needs with minimal and highly conditional
  financial support.

Of
the 739,000 children in Australia living in poverty, 39 per cent are in a lone
parent household. Rates of poverty among lone parent households have increased
as compliance requirements have been extended and eligibility rules have
tightened.

Just
over half (52 per cent) of all households receiving Parenting Payment are
living in poverty. This increases to 55 per cent for those on Newstart.

“Most of our clients present with family violence
issues, issues around secure housing and inadequate income for daily living.
Often women are driving cars they can’t afford to service or have repaired;
they speak of being unable to afford clothes for children, educational costs,
food, utility bills. Mothers go without daily necessities such as food to
ensure basic care for their children. Secure and affordable housing is the
biggest issue single mothers as well as very basic cost of living issues”.

Poverty
and the high levels of stress that accompany it affect a parent’s mental wellbeing,
parenting capacity and decision making. For children, living in poverty can
increase the likelihood of stressful experiences that affect a child’s
developing brain architecture, increasing the risk of mental health problems in
later life.

“When
the main caregiver is under such pressure, it disrupts connection, attachment
and the capacity for them to meet a child’s holistic needs i.e. time spent on
the phone or at appointments for Centrelink are extensive, and take the parent
away from their ability to engage the child in learning and play experiences.
Increased stress impacts emotional availability”.

Poverty
caused and exacerbated by welfare conditionality and low payment rates poses
significant challenges for state-funded child and family services and the
parents and children they support. Working with families to promote the safety
and wellbeing of children is made difficult when social security policies trap
families in a cycle of poverty and disadvantage, increase stress and place
pressure on mother-child relationships.

“Almost
all the time with the single mothers we support is spent focusing on meeting
basic human needs and not on higher goals such as further education, parenting
strategies or addressing their children’s emotional needs”.

These
findings are consistent with recent research showing increases in the use of
food banks and emergency relief, and rising cost of living pressures including
significant housing stress.

Keeping
people in poverty is not the answer. Australia can do better for our children.

The Centre is
calling for an urgent and immediate increase to social security payments that
families rely on and an end to payment suspensions and punitive compliance
requirements.

Read
an overview of findings here and the full paper here.