In the report, Labour MP Frank Field argues that a two-parent familyearning the minimum wage would have to work 116 hours a week to gain thesame income as a single mother working 16 hours a week, who, after taxcredits, would have a total income of 487.
However, Kate Green, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group,said in response to the report, 'There is no discrimination. Children inlone parent families face a 50 per cent risk of being in poverty,compared to a 23 per cent risk for children in two-parent families.Resources must be targeted to need.'
She added, 'Where we agree with Frank Field is that more must be done tomake work pay, both for one-parent and two-parent families. It reflectsbadly on British employers that poor pay and conditions mean more thanhalf of children in poverty are in a working family.'
The Reform report, entitled Welfare Isn't Working: Child Poverty, isavailable at http://reform.moodia.com.