One Parent Families, Scotland reported that the profile of its client group tends to reflect the national norm for lone parent families. That is that 90% are women and 10% men although, it is expected that there will be increase in the numbers of male lone parents emerging from this year’s Census.
The agency noted that, generally speaking, men’s contact with the agency is for issues other than debt (housing or otherwise) as men tend to remain in employment. However, this is a perception, and one which may require further research. Comments in this section therefore relate to female lone parents.
Type and Causes of Housing Related Debt
The most prevalent nature of contact with specialist information and advice providers for lone parents, related to housing benefit and its impact on private rented and social rented sectors. The issue of mortgage related debt was not seen as a significant because when individuals move onto income support they receive no mortgage interest help for 9 months. Many individuals ‘cannot hold on that long’ and therefore move into the rented sector.
Alongside debt relating to delays in the determination and payment of Housing Benefit, it was noted that a particular cause of debt was connected to student loans.
Where an individual moves from Income Support to a student loan, there appears to be a difficulty in calculating the level of housing benefit that will be made available. In addition, the interviewee reported concerns that there appears to be little or no consistency in the approach to the calculation. However, the delay in calculating the level of contribution and therefore of housing benefit, can mean that loan parent students are suddenly required to make a significant contribution to their housing costs, without having budgeted for it and are then plunged into debt. As has been identified elsewhere in this Study, the delay in the administration of housing benefit creates a variety of difficulties for tenants; in the particular case of lone parents the uncertainty relating to both when payments will be made and the level of benefit creates the most difficulty. We have noted, in this section, that a combination of delay and lack of knowledge and understanding of available benefits and their interaction with each other, particularly when calculations and contributions regarding student loans have to be made, appear to be the most significant cause of housing related debt. These pressures may be exacerbated by particular financial burdens associated with Birthdays, Christmas and school uniforms etc.
Issues Relating to Access of Advice
Access to information and advice appears to depend on how much the individual is prepared to seek that information out. In addition, in the case of lone parents (although, again not exclusively so), this in part will depend on the level of self esteem and confidence an individual may have. The ability or willingness to access services will be more problematic when an individual’s self- esteem is low.
It was reported that there appears to be little if any stigma or discrimination attached to being a lone parent on the part of agencies, both statutory and voluntary. However, there may still be stigma attached to lone parent status in certain parts of the general population, and this may, in turn, affect an individual when seeking information or advice.
Provision of Services
In the particular case of One Parent Families, Scotland, we noted that the agency was able to deal with most presenting difficulties. Indeed, it was noted that the needs of lone parent families would be likely to reflect a continuum of need where individuals may in the first instance merely seek information that they would be able to take forward without substantial, if any, assistance.
While others would require case work and advocacy services. In the case of this particular community of interest, it was suggested that clients preferred access to an ‘holistic’ service with access to specialist resources where necessary (One Parent Families Scotland has an effective working relationship with Shelter).
It was reported that local CABx while generally adept in the provision of advice, may not be familiar with the particular problems relating to lone parents who become students (see comments above regarding the confusion and complications relating to income support, student loans and housing benefit).
The types of provision required is as varied as those using them. Some lone parents have access to the internet, particularly when they go into college. However, some may feel nervous about accessing services or information using electronic media in public places and this will include libraries etc. Others use the telephone, but again some may be nervous of so doing.
One Parent Families Scotland have a range of responses to meet the variety of need including a web site, fact sheets and a facility to respond to email requests as well as face to face contact. What is Required
Government departments can support both agencies working in the field and one parent families themselves, by providing information in a clear and accessible way when it is needed. Simplification or greater clarity in the calculation of housing benefit was requested.
It may also be useful for an information sheet indicating the issues relating to a move from income support to student loans, and the implication on housing benefit, for one parent families, as part of the student loan information pack.
The voluntary sector would hope to be adequately funded, to enable agencies to provide a flexible service, rather than expending time and effort in the search for funds.