New analysis from Labour reveals 1.9 million single mothers are affected by the Government’s benefit freeze.
And they are calling on the Government to end the benefit freeze immediately, which is the “single biggest cause of rising poverty” in the UK”.
Due to the freeze, a lone parent who is not in employment is around £900 a year worse off according to figures from the House of Commons Library.
Margaret Greenwood MP, Labour ’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “The benefit freeze is the single biggest cause of rising poverty, yet the Government is continuing to press on with this austerity policy for the fourth year.
“Mother’s Day should be a time of celebration for mums, but today many will instead be struggling to make ends meet.
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“Labour will end the benefit freeze and make tackling child poverty the priority it should be once again.”
In 2016, the Conservatives froze most working age benefits for four years, including Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit , Child Tax Credits, Working Tax Credits and Child Benefit.
According to the House of Commons library analysis, the benefit freeze means that a lone parent who is not in employment with one child is around £900 a year worse off.
A parent with two children is just over £1,200 a year worse off, whether in the legacy system or the Universal Credit system;
New Government figures published on Thursday revealed that 14 million people are locked in poverty in the UK, including 4.1 million children.
