Bibliographies

The following bibliography has been compiled from the Australian Family & Society Abstracts database and other resources held in the Institute's library. Where available a link to the document on the Web is provided. Most items can be borrowed from the Institute's library via the inter library loan system. Online publications in PDF format require Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Sole parenting

Welfare to work

A feminist family agenda: Putting the mother back into sole parenting.
Branigan, Elizabeth; Keebaugh, Shannon
Just Policy no.38 Dec 2005: 6-11

In this article a feminist approach is taken towards affirming the position of single mothers within policy debates concerning sole parents. The article examines the ways in which the interests of single mothers may be subsumed within the generic terms 'sole parent'. It points out that although women generally bear most of the costs of providing for children after relationship breakdowns, recent policy initiatives have resulted in tax benefits to single fathers who undertake 10 percent of the care of their children. The article suggests that the inequality of income support is one effect of the efforts of a vocal male minority of single fathers to vilify single mothers and misrepresent their motives. It argues that gender neutral policies in relation to sole parents fail to recognise that post separation poverty is intrinsically gendered.

Childcare use and parents' labour supply in Australia (PDF 506 KB).
Kalb, Guyonne; Lee, Wang-Sheng
Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2007, 32p, tables (Working paper no.13/07), Online

Using 2002 data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, this paper analyses the demand for and the cost of formal and informal childcare. Predictions of demand of formal childcare and of costs of informal childcare are then used to impute total childcare costs at different levels of labour supply. The predicted total costs are incorporated into the estimation procedure of structural labour supply models for families. This study largely replicates that conducted by Doiron and Kalb using 1996 Australian data. It found that the average elasticities of labour supply with regard to the cost of childcare are quite similar to the earlier study's estimates. The elasticities remain at the lower end of the range identified in the international literature, with the exception of the elasticities for sole parents on relatively low wages and / or with preschool children.

Dad, where are we going to live now? A report on sole father families who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness.
Canberra Fathers and Children Service
Canberra, ACT: Canberra Fathers and Children Service, 2004, 128p, tables, figure, Online

This study profiles children and fathers in single father families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The study report contains: data from the Supported Accommodation Assistance Program on single father families who are homeless, a review of the literature on these families, and examines the pathways of these families into homelessness. It describes the development, values and principles, knowledge and practice, service delivery, and organisation and governance of Canberra Fathers and Children Service (CANFaCS), an accommodation service model dedicated to this family group. The report provides a summary of the CANFaCS model, examines deficits of the model, and considers the transferability of the CANFaCS model to other jurisdictions.

'Dad, where are we going to live now?' Exploring fathers' experiences with homelessness.
McArthur, Morag; Zubrzycki, Joanna; Rochester, Anthony; Thomson, Lorraine
Australian Social Work v.59 no.3 Sept 2006: 288-300

In 2003, over 41,000 families with accompanying children throughout Australia were assisted by homeless services. Sole fathers with children in their care who are homeless are a minority group within this overall population of homeless families and, as such, little is known about their experiences of homelessness and fathering. The present paper reports on an exploratory study of sole fathers with children in their care who were homeless in the Australian Capital Territory. The study identifies the fathers' pathways into and experiences of homelessness, and the fathers share their stories of what it means to be a sole father. The paper identifies the issues fathers may experience when dealing with homelessness and fatherhood. An increased understanding of these experiences can contribute to the development of further research and improved practice with such families.

The determinants of employment for Australian mothers - a further analysis of lone and coupled mothers.
Alexander, Michael
In: Families Matter: 9th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, February 2005 - proceedings. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2005, 24p, tables, Online only

The Family and Work Decisions (FAWD) survey, conducted by the Australian Institute of Family Studies in late 2002, is a survey of 2405 mothers (approximately half coupled and half single) that looks at a wide range of reasons as to why mothers with dependent children decide whether or not to participate in the paid labour market. Using data from the FAWD survey, the purpose of this paper is to test an expanded model of mothers' employment determinations that includes economic, sociological and psychological factors and to see whether these factors impact on lone and couple mothers in a similar or differential way. The study expands our understanding in relation to mothers' attitudes about a career, their attitudes about the effects of maternal employment on children's development and well- being, and the impact of long-term health problems within the family.

Exploring the implications of welfare changes for single parent families in their transition to paid work (PDF 263 KB).
Cook, Kay
Brotherhood Comment Apr 2007: 14, and Online

The article outlines a proposed study of single parents required to return to work under Australian welfare to work legislation, to be undertaken by researchers at Deakin University and the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with the Brotherhood of St Laurence. 250 participants will be asked about their income, time use, health and well being. A small number will also be interviewed about how the welfare to work transition experiences shape their everyday lives.

Ex-nuptial children in Australia: An empirical analysis of nonmarital births.
de Vaus, David A
Journal of Family Studies v.11 no.1 Apr 2005: 36-44, tables, figures

The tight link between childbearing and being married has substantially unraveled in recent decades. This paper documents the extent to which this unraveling has occurred in Australia. It examines current levels of ex-nuptial births and the steep increase in such births. The link between ex-nuptial births on the one hand and maternal age and ethnicity on the other are explored. Accompanying the rise in ex-nuptial births has been a rise in loneparent families. The paper examines the extent to which this rise is due to parental separation and the extent to which it is due to unpartnered mothers having children. The paper also explores whether children born to cohabiting but unmarried parents experience a greater rate of parental separation than do those born to married parents. Data are also provided that suggest that the sharp rise in ex-nuptial births has taken place within a social context in which such births are increasingly accepted. (Journal abstract)

Facts about single parent families and welfare.
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 14p, figures, tables (ACOSS Info no.380), and Online (PDF 80 KB)

The Government's new Welfare to Work policy will reduce payments to most single parents and expose them to harsh penalties if they breach new activity requirements. This paper discusses the following facts: single parent families are among the poorest in the country; most single parents are middle aged separated mothers; almost half of single parents already have jobs; the remaining jobless single parents will not get jobs easily. It explores likely outcomes for single parents under the new package: social security payments for many single parents will be lower; proposed investment in employment assistance is not enough to overcome single parents' barriers to work; single parents face new activity requirements designed for people without caring responsibilities; single parents could have no payments for up to eight weeks if they breach their activity requirements; the changes contain significant work and study disincentives for single parents.

Family structure, quality of the co-parental relationship, post-separation parenting and children's socio-emotional wellbeing (PDF 2.8 MB).
Baxter, Jennifer; Qu, Lixia; Weston, Ruth
Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Research Conference (2007: Melbourne, Vic)
In: 2007 Longitudinal Study of Australian Children Research Conference. Melbourne, Vic: Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2007, 46p, Online

Using data from 'Growing Up in Australia, the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children' (LSAC), it will be possible to study the effects of family structure and parental relationships on a child's social and emotional well being. Parental separation, subsequent single parenthood or remarriage, pre-separation circumstances, post-separation parental hostility and relationship quality, child contact, and other factors impact upon the child's perceived well being. This presentation outlines this research project, and presents findings based on the first two waves of the LSAC data. In particular it compares children from single mother families, re-partnered mother families (i.e biological mother and stepfather), and intact families of two biological parents.

From the smallness of the community, comes the strength of the community: Sole mothering in rural and remote Australia (PDF 186 KB).
Loxton, Deborah
In: Program and papers: 8th National Rural Health Conference, 10-13 March 2005, Alice Springs, Northern Territory. Deakin, ACT: National Rural Health Alliance, 2005, 9p, tables, figures, Online

To investigate the health and economic well being of sole mothers a series of focus groups were held in metropolitan and regional New South Wales. The qualitative study indicated that the factors that underlie economic and psychological well being differ by area of residence. Sole mothers from inner metropolitan areas experienced higher housing costs than sole mothers from rural and remote areas. At the same time though, benefits included access to public transport, bulk billing general practitioners and some ancillary health services. Sole mothers who lived outside metropolitan areas faced difficulties accessing transport, health services and higher education, a lack of privacy, a lack of consistency in psychological health services and difficulty in obtaining legal representation. However, they experienced personal benefits of small town living, including a strong sense of community and good social support, which helped to reduce stress. (Author abstract, edited)

Going solo: the lived experience of single parenting: A collection of quotes, thoughts and ideas developed in collaboration with single parents.
Campbell, Melody; Roberts, Elizabeth
Adelaide, SA: University of South Australia, 2004, 20p

This booklet contains a collection of thoughts from single parents on the following topics: the joys; the challenges; communication; parents' skills and strengths; children's skills and strengths; stereotypes; playful parenting; finding time to connect with your children; finding time for yourself; and getting connected with other parents.

Hey, Dad! for separated fathers: A parenting education program for men.
King, A; Slocombe, L; Fletcher, R; Clugston, H; McKenzie, P; Chudleigh, A; Kerr, P
Wahroonga, NSW: Centacare Broken Bay, 2002, 96p, ill., forms

The Hey Dad! For Separated Fathers program is based on the Hey Dad! parenting education program for men but is designed specifically for men parenting children but not living with them every day. The course aims to generate detailed discussion among participants so that experienced leaders can support men as they study their own role as a parent. This booklet includes resources, handouts, and session outlines for the use of course leaders. The ten session topics are: Fathering today; Experiences of separated fathers; The father and child link; Understanding our children; Understanding behaviour, feelings and needs; Communication: making it work; Protecting your child; Managing behaviour; What might lie ahead?; Where to now?

The influence of child support and welfare on single parent families.
Mckenzie, Hayley; Cook, Kay
Just Policy no.45 Oct 2007: 13-19

Single mothers are typically a low income group, and among the most disadvantaged groups in Australia. 64 per cent of sole parent child support recipients rely on Centrelink Parenting Payments as their main source of income, supplemented by other benefits including the Family Tax Benefit (FTB). In order to be eligible for more than the minimum rate of FTB, single parents must take reasonable action to secure child support from the non resident parent. Child support payments that are late, partial or not received have a serious financial impact on low income families; the Parenting or Newstart payment plus the FTB alone may be insufficient to cover basic living costs. This article examines the financial status of single parent families receiving child support payments, and reports the results of a focused ethnographic study that explored the experiences of six single mothers entitled to receive child support and welfare payments. It discusses: the child support process; the relationship between child support payments and welfare payments; implications of living on welfare and child support; and power relationships, negative stereotypes and stigma. The study recommendations include processes to ensure that child support payments are made in full and on time, future research into the outcomes of child support and welfare payments on the health status of single parents and their children, and the need for the Child Support Agency and welfare system to work together more cohesively.

Marginalised groups in Western Sydney: the experience of sole parents and unemployed young people.
Hurni, Anne
In: Currie, G., Stanley, J., and Stanley, J. eds. No way to go: transport and social disadvantage in Australian communities. Clayton, Vic: Monash University ePress, 2007, p10.1-11

Transport disadvantage has a complex relationship with other areas of social disadvantage and the spatial distribution of transport coverage and services. This chapter discusses the findings of a study into the travel needs and experiences of two groups, sole parents and unemployed young people, in Western Sydney. It differentiates between the travel needs and the transport needs of these two groups in order to identify the problems and solutions. The study highlights the misfit between current transport services in the area, which are targeted towards the commuter, and the needs of the two groups. The chapter argues that if transport disadvantage is to be addressed, the transport needs of various groups within a particular locality must be identified and accommodated in local transport planning.

Mothers: The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Pocock, Barbara
In: Poole, M. ed. Family: changing families, changing times. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin, 2005, p113-134, figures, table

The main carers in Australian families are mothers. This chapter discusses the pressures on some mothers, usually single mothers, to go out to work, and on others, usually married women, to stay home and look after the children and other dependants. It then describes patterns of labour market participation and working conditions for women, the sexual division of labour, and the burden of unpaid work and care undertaken chiefly by women. It explains work care regimes and their outcomes within a cultural habitus of motherhood that has failed to adjust to the significant changes in the range of duties undertaken by mothers. The chapter discusses ways of achieving better work care regimes to support the reality of working mothers through, for instance, paid maternity leave, and concludes that such innovations could minimise the mother wars that divide working mothers from stay at home mothers.

One-parent families.
Australian Bureau of Statistics
In: Australian social trends 2007. Canberra, ACT: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007, (ABS catalogue no.4102.0), p48-53, and Online

As a proportion of all families with children under 15 years, one parent families have increased for most of the 20 years since 1986. In the last few years, the number of sole parents with children under 15 years has fallen slightly and they now account for 20 per cent of all families with children of that age. In 2003-04, government pensions and allowances were the principal source of income for 61 per cent of one parent families. This article profiles one parent families, focusing on their labour force participation, educational level and economic situation. It draws on information from five ABS surveys: the Labour Force Survey (LFS), the Family Characteristics Survey, the Survey of Education and Work, the Survey of Income and Housing (SIH) and the Household Expenditure Survey (HES).

The psychological health of sole mothers in Australia.
Loxton, Deborah; Mooney, Rosemary; Young, Anne F
Medical Journal of Australia v.184 no.6 20 Mar 2006: 265-268, tables, and Online

This study, which used data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, aimed to determine the psychological well being of sole mothers in Australia. The study measured demographic characteristics and economic status; prevalence of suicidal thoughts, self harm and psychoactive medication use; and depression and psychological health. Two age groups were surveyed: younger women aged 22 - 27 years and middle aged women aged 47 - 52 years. The study found that sole mothers are more likely than other women to experience debilitating psychological health problems. (Journal abstract, edited)

The rise of three-generation households among two-parent and single-parent families (PDF 192 KB).
Brandon, Peter D; Heyworth, Carole; Griffen, Lyn
HILDA Survey Research Conference (3rd: 2007: Melbourne, Vic)
In: HILDA Survey Research Conference 2007: papers. Parkville, Vic: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne, 2007, 22p, Online

This study examined the formation of three generation households among children living with one and two parents. Using panel data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, analyses suggested that certain child, parent and household predictors increased or decreased odds that grandparents would eventually co reside with grandchildren and their adult children. The strongest predictors of co residence or non co residence were the ages of children and mothers, maternal nativity status and earnings, and household size. This study revealed several factors salient to children's entries into three generation households, which despite an ever increasing prevalence, are still poorly understood.

Sole parents and income inequality.
McInnes, Elspeth; Taylor, Jac
SACOSS News May-Jun 2007: 8-9

Two brief case studies are used to illustrate the financial impacts on sole parents of the 2006 Welfare to Work changes to income support and child support. The article highlights the financial disadvantage to sole parents who claim income support and who have been moved off the Parenting Payment Single, compared with those who continue to receive the Payment. It discusses the social factors that create a context of income vulnerability for single mother families.

Sole parents: Changes and challenges.
Robinson, Elly
Family Relationships Quarterly; Issue: 10:; 2008:

The number of households in Australia headed by a sole parent has increased over recent years, and is likely to continue to do so. Sole parents are at increased risk of disadvantage in terms of employment, housing, income and social participation. This article discusses the effects of relationship breakdown, parenting responsibilities and associated disadvantages on the health and wellbeing of sole parents and how the experience of sole parenting may affect their ability to offer the caring and connected relationships that children need. The article considers the interplay between a child's wellbeing and the wellbeing of their parents. It finds evidence that a focus on quality relationships, regardless of family structure, is important for child outcomes, and calls for an understanding of the challenges faced by sole parents and adequate support to ensure stability, connectedness and wellbeing for all families.

Sole parents: Finding the right balance? (PDF 365 KB)
Nelms, Lucy
Brotherhood Comment Apr 2005: 8, and Online

There is virtue in seeking to raise the workforce participation of sole parents, but there is concern about how the proposed welfare reforms might affect this group. This article considers the significant structural, personal and other barriers to combining work and caring experienced by sole parents.

Sole-parent families: Different needs or a need for different perceptions?
Robinson, Elly
Family Matters; Issue: 82; 2009: 47-51

Sole-parent families are on the increase in Australia, and will continue to be a significant minority of family types. As such, it appears timely to ask what we know about sole-parent families and whether policy and practice responses to their needs are based on contemporary evidence. This article explores themes within the literature on sole-parent families and considers the extent to which sole parenting itself, or associated factors, impact on outcomes for children. What helps sole-parent families, in terms of a more sophisticated understanding of their needs and methods of support, is also considered.

The sole parent family: Family and support networks.
Webber, Ruth; Boromeo, Deborah
Australian Journal of Social Issues v.40 no.2 Winter 2005: 269-283, table

This paper reports on a research project that focused on the experiences of ten sole parents and their support networks. Results indicate that they relied both on informal support networks and welfare organisations in the initial period of sole parenthood but that this reliance waned over time. Participants accessed church groups, cancer support groups, governmental agencies, financial institutions, and counselling services. After the initial use of support networks, many of them became involved in recreational activities that they had not participated in during the course of their marriage. They emphasised the importance of friends who were influential in assisting them to cope with the initial stresses of sole parenting. Most were critical and disillusioned about the level and type of assistance from the extended family and the emotionally charged responses to their situation. They were also critical of Government services and felt stigmatised by the treatment they received. (Journal abstract)

Time to care: A comparison of how couple and sole parent households allocate time to work and children (PDF 403 KB).
Craig, Lyn
Sydney, NSW: Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2004, 32p, tables, figures (SPRC discussion paper no.133), and Online

Households provide their members with both financial support and caring services. In sole parent households, the vast majority of which are headed by women, the functions of earning money and caring for children fall to one individual. The risk that sole mothers may fail to perform either or both of these functions adequately has made these women and their children a subject of social concern and policy interest. The financial consequences of sole motherhood have been extensively studied both in Australia and cross nationally. The other area of concern, that the children of sole mothers are disadvantaged in terms of parental attention, has not been systematically investigated. To begin addressing this research gap, this paper analyses the Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Survey 1997 (over 4000 randomly selected households) to establish whether, in Australia, the time sole mothers spend with their children differs in either quality or quantity from that of mothers, and/or fathers, in couple families. The related issue of whether sole mothers suffer more time pressure or time constraint than partnered mothers is also addressed. (Author abstract)

The use of family-friendly work arrangements by lone and couple mothers.
Hughes, Jody; Gray, Matthew
Family Matters no.71 Winter 2005: 18-23, tables

Access to a range of flexible work arrangements is important in assisting employed mothers to balance their family and work responsibilities. While there has been a substantial amount of research on the use of family friendly work arrangements by Australian mothers, little is known about the use of these work arrangements by lone mothers and how this differs from that of couple mothers. This article addresses the question of whether lone and couple mothers differ in their use of, and unmet need for, family friendly work arrangements. These are questions on which there is little published research.

Welfare to work: At what cost to parenting? (PDF 392 KB)
Cox, Eva; Priest, Terry
Sydney, NSW: Office for Women, NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, 2008, 52p, Online

The Australian 'Welfare to Work' social security policy was changed in 2006 to increase workforce participation among single parents. This report examines the impact of these changes on parents' well being and parenting quality, and assesses the service and policy processes. It draws in part upon a longitudinal survey of 46 single parents, who were interviewed at the commencement of the new policy and 12 months later, on their income support payments, employment status and experiences, educational participation, volunteer work, financial situation, health and stress, parenting time and quality, child care, and contact with social security services. The authors found the 'Welfare to Work' policy change undermines parent and family well being and fails to achieve the expected benefits from parental employment. The authors critique the policy and its underlying assumptions, and propose recommendations to improve service delivery, flexibility, and assessment criteria, and recognise the importance of family life.

What future? The long term implications of sole motherhood for economic wellbeing.
Loxton, Deborah
Just Policy no.35 Mar 2005: 39-44, tables

Sole mothers have lower paid work participation rates than partnered mothers, lower superannuation savings and are less likely to own their own home. This article uses data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health to examine the economic well being of sole mothers and to investigate the contribution of paid work participation to economic well being.

Why is lone-motherhood so strongly associated with smoking?
Siahpush, Mohammad
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health v.28 no.1 Feb 2004: 37-42, tables

Lone mothers are among the most disadvantaged groups in many countries. Smoking prevalence among this demographic group is considerably higher than the general population. Previous work has shown that only part of this difference can be explained by age, not having a partner, living alone, and socioeconomic factors. This study examined the contribution of mental health, the social environment, and the lifecourse in explaining the effect of lone motherhood on smoking status. It was found that mental health, proportion of friends who smoke and age of smoking initiation had strong associations with smoking status. However, they accounted for a small part of the association of being a lone mother and a smoker. After controlling for these factors, the odds of being a smoker among lone mothers were still twice those of mothers with partners. Improving the socioeconomic status, mental health and the social environment of lone mothers could help reduce their high smoking prevalence. However, much of the effect of being a lone mother remains even after controlling for these factors. More research is needed to discover why prevalence is so high among this demographic group. (Journal abstract, edited)

Women's satisfaction with life following marital separation: Coping resources and adjustment of lone-parent women.
Stewart, Janice A
Journal of Divorce & Remarriage v.43 no.1-2 2005: 89-106, figures, tables

This study, involving 245 lone parenting women, was designed to identify factors relating to optimum adjustment and higher life satisfaction following marital separation. The study aimed to establish whether intrapsychic mechanisms, such as sense of control and sense of coherence, are more important for women's adjustment to marital separation than other traditionally researched contextual variables, such as social support and adequate finance.

Welfare to work

The baby and the bath water: The impact of American-style activation policies on families.
Considine, Mark
In: Richardson, S. and Prior, M. eds. No time to lose: the well-being of Australia's children. Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 2005, p140-160

Welfare recipients have faced increased pressures since Australia has adopted American style welfare reforms to cut welfare expenditure. Comparisons are made between the American activation regime and the Australian system circa 2002, prior to the introduction of policies to bring single parents back to work. The chapter presents results of a study that interviewed 25 welfare recipients in each country about their experiences of living on welfare. It discusses their experiences in negotiations about the new conditions for receiving support, how they feel about their options and the world they live in, their political engagement, the options for their children, administrative problems, practical difficulties, life management skills, support networks, outlook and expectations. The chapter considers the values relating to the priorities of working parents implied by the activation policies.

The distributional impact of the proposed welfare-to-work reforms upon sole parents (PDF 259 KB).
Harding, Ann; Ngu Vu, Quoc; Percival, Richard; Beer, Gillian
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2005, 20p, (NATSEM paper), Online

In the May 2005 Budget the Federal Government announced a range of proposed welfare to work measures, to take effect from 1 July 2006. Among the numerous measures announced in the Budget were significant changes for sole parents - including that those sole parents claiming income support after 1 July 2006 with a youngest child aged 6 years or more will be placed on Newstart Allowance, rather than Parenting Payment Single. This report to the National Foundation for Australian Women analyses the impact of the proposed changes upon the disposable incomes and effective marginal tax rates of sole parents. It shows that the disposable incomes of sole parents can be up to about $100 a week lower under the proposed new system than under the current system. It also finds that effective marginal tax rates will be sharply increased under the proposed new system, over a reasonably wide range of earned income. (Author abstract)

Effects of Federal budget changes for people with disability and single parents.
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 16p, figures, tables (ACOSS Info no.374), and Online (PDF 77 KB)

The welfare changes proposed in the Federal Budget will result in thousands of social security recipients and children being financially worse off. This paper focuses on the effects on people with disability and single parents. It examines how disadvantaged they will be, covering the following scenarios, where single parents and people with a disability: remain jobless; study; get a part time job.

Lone mothers as workers: Restructuring welfare states?
Millar, Jane
In: Grimshaw, Patricia, Murphy, John and Probert, Belinda eds. Double shift: working mothers and social change in Australia. Beaconsfield, Vic: Circa, 2005, p184-200

Single mothers are increasingly being expected to participate in paid work. This chapter examines the factors driving policy changes that focus on increasing employment levels among single mothers in Australia, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. The chapter discusses two types of policy change: imposing or tightening work requirements for single parents, and measures intending to offer positive support to employment. It examines the effects of these policies and discusses some issues relating to single mothers, employment and welfare.

Options for reducing the adverse impact of the proposed welfare-to-work reforms upon people with disabilities and sole parents (PDF 432 KB).
Harding, Ann; Ngu Vu, Quoc; Percival, Richard
Canberra, ACT: National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, 2005, 26p, figures, (NATSEM Conference paper CP0519), Online only

In the May 2005 Budget the Federal Government announced a range of proposed welfare to work measures, to take effect from 1 July 2006. Among the numerous measures announced in the Budget were significant changes for sole parents and people with disabilities. Earlier NATSEM reports showed that the disposable incomes of affected sole parents will be up to about $100 a week lower under the proposed new system than under the current system and that the losses for people with disabilities will be as high as $120. They also showed that effective marginal tax rates will be sharply increased under the proposed new system over a reasonably wide range of earned income for these two groups of people. This report canvasses some options for reducing the losses in disposable income and reducing the higher effective tax rates created under the new system. (Author abstract, edited)

Payment levels and employment outcomes for single parents and people with disabilities.
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 12p, figures, table (ACOSS info no.382)

The Australian welfare to work legislation contains provisions for reducing welfare payments to unemployed single parents and people with disabilities. This paper examines evidence from European countries and the United States on the effects of policies to move people from welfare to work, including reductions in benefit payments. It discusses the relevance of this evidence to Australia, and the likely effects of the welfare to work legislation on labour market participation.

Submission to the Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into the Employment and Workplace Relations (Welfare to Work) Bill 2005 (PDF 185 KB).
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 35p, figures, tables, and Online (PDF 185 KB)

The Employment and Workplace Relations (Welfare to Work) Bill disadvantages many single parents and people with disabilities, this paper argues. The paper also addresses concerns about the adverse implications of the interaction between the Bill and the proposed industrial relations reform. The paper discusses the following concerns: reductions in future income support payments; inadequate funding of employment assistance; and activity requirements and penalties. It makes several recommendations that will improve fairness and effectiveness of the proposed legislation.

Using tax and social security to reconstruct the part-time labour market: A note on 'welfare to work'.
Rider, Cameron
Australian Journal of Labour Law v.18 no.3 Nov 2005: 302-312

The Federal Government's welfare to work policy package has been criticised for being inconsistent: the package aims to increase labour force participation among single parents and those with a disability, but is likely to decrease labour force participation among secondary earners in two parent families. This article argues that the policy contradiction is irrelevant if the aim of the changes is to reduce social security outlays. The article discusses tax, social security and labour market participation, and the McClure Report and the Intergenerational Report. It looks at the following changes under welfare to work: new part time work obligations of single parents and disabled workers; benefit reductions for single parents and disabled pensioners; changes to income tests for benefit withdrawal for single parents; new benefit suspension measures; and income tax changes for two parent families.

Welfare reform package: Helps some, hurts many, abandons most.
Raper, Michael
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal no.13 Winter 2005: 5-7

The Government's new welfare to work package will cut the payment rates of hundreds of thousands of sole parents and people currently on the Disability Support Pension, this article says. The article identifies the key elements of the welfare to work package, what the package will cost and who it will affect. It argues that the package has critical weaknesses and that it will harm or abandon huge numbers of people in need.

Welfare reform: What it means for sole parents and their children.
Radich, Judy
Every Child v.11 no.3 Winter 2005: 9

Measures announced in the 2005 federal budget include workforce participation requirements for recipients of parenting payments, changes to payment rates and changes to compliance requirements. This article discusses the likely impact on single parents of these changes. It argues that single parents will be worse off financially, and their children are likely to receive less parental care and experience more family stress as a result of the compliance rules.

Welfare to work in practice: Social security and participation in economic and social life.
Saunders, Peter, ed.
Aldershot, UK: Ashgate Publishing, 2005, 261p, tables, figures (International studies on social security v.10)

This book contains contributions discussing a range of topics from social security and labour market issues to the needs of special groups such as lone parents, the long term unemployed and those with a disability, in relation to the new social security policy agenda. The contributors address the arguments and ideas that underlie the new policy agenda and explain how it is being implemented in an international context. In doing so the authors help bridge the gap between academic and policy debates as a way of understanding these issues and how policy can respond to the challenges it faces. The following is a list of the contributors to this publication and the topics on which they wrote: Welfare to work in practice by Peter Saunders; Protection to activation: the apotheosis of work by Neil Gilbert; Bridging the welfare to work divide by Peter Saunders; The role of workfare in the Scandinavian model of social security by Lisbeth Pedersen and Jorgen Sondergaard; In-work benefits: curing unemployment among the low-skilled in Germany by Martin Werding; Financial incentives and mothers' employment by Jonathan Bradshaw, Naomi Finch and Emese Mayhew; Reforming the passive welfare state: Belgium's new income arrangement to make work pay in international perspective by Lieve de Lathouwer; Dilemmas in disability activation and how Scandinavians try to live with them by Einar Overbye; Personalised employment services for disability benefits recipients by Patricia Thornton and Anne Corden; Who becomes a disability benefit recipient in Sweden? by Sisko Bergendorff, Marcela Cohen-Birman, Kristian Nyberg, Peter Skogman Thoursie, Annika Sunden and Ingemar Svensson; Returning the long-term sick-listed to work: the effects of educational measures and employer separations in Denmark by Jan Hogelund and Anders Holm; and Disability benefits and unemployment patterns in Estonia by Orsolya Szirko.

Welfare to work: 'Money and mummy cuts' for single parent families.
McInnes, Elspeth
Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal no.13 Winter 2005: 8-12, tables

The welfare to work changes will mean cuts to wage income for part time employed parents and cuts to income support. This article details the effects of the changes on single parents and their children. It argues that the flexibility that parents need in order to decide the best balance between work and family needs will be damaged by the mutual obligation demands of the welfare to work program. The article further argues that the changes devalue young children's interests in favour of economic growth.

Welfare-to-work reforms: Impact on sole parents.
Harding, Ann; Vu, Quoc Ngu; Percival, Richard; Beer, Gillian
Agenda: a Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform v.12 no.3 2005: 195-210, tables, figures

The effects of welfare to work changes on single parents, which will begin in 2006 - 2007, are explained. The article discusses the impact on parents who will be transferred from Parenting Payment Single to Newstart Allowance; the impact of proposed changes on disposable incomes; the impact of proposed changes on effective marginal tax rates; and labour market issues.

Who is worse off? The regional distribution of people affected by the welfare to work policy.
Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Council of Social Service, 2005, 29p, figures, tables (ACOSS Info no.381), and Online (PDF 188 KB)

The two main groups who will be worse off under the Welfare to Work policy are people with a disability who are assessed as able to work 15 hours a week or more and single parents of children aged over five years. This paper examines the distribution of these groups across states and federal electorates. It investigates how much worse off people will be and responds to the Government's argument that recipients will be better off. The paper discusses three problems with the Government's argument: it does not compare the circumstances of people on pensions and people on unemployment payments; it assumes that all or at least the vast majority of those affected by the policy will actually find employment; and it ignores the very high effective tax rates that would be imposed on those who get a job.

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