The Ombudsman’s Office suggested to the Secretary of State for Social Security that it reassess the qualification as a “single-parent household” within the scope of the attribution of family benefit.
Num statement published on its official websitethe Ombudsman’s Office says that it is concluded “that the terms of this qualification are leading to inappropriate decisions given the reality of the families that this benefit intends to protect”.
“The problem was detected through the analysis of a specific case of a family made up of a mother with three children. When the eldest daughter reached the age limit to continue receiving the family allowance, the household was no longer considered single-parent, which resulted in a reduction in the value of the family allowances for the two younger siblings. This is because, given the legal definition, the household no longer had a single adult. The young adult is, however, severely disabled and unable to exercise basic rights, remaining completely dependent on his mother”, explains the note.
In the wake of this case, “in which the household continues to be based on the exclusive responsibility of a single adult”, the Ombudsman’s Office suggested to the Secretary of State a reflection on the current regime, “in order to ensure that the objectives of the increase for single parenthood are met”.
Family allowance is a benefit intended only for low-income families, “the value of which is increased in cases of single parenthood, a factor that worsens the risk of poverty”.
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