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Single Parent Families and Social Policies in Australia 1974–1982
Author(s) -
Cass Bettina,
O'Loughlin Mary Ann
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
australian journal of social issues
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.417
H-Index - 30
eISSN - 1839-4655
pISSN - 0157-6321
DOI - 10.1002/j.1839-4655.1985.tb00805.x
Subject(s) - earnings , social security , income support , demographic economics , economics , unemployment , scarcity , recession , child support , labour economics , economic shortage , low income , value (mathematics) , child care , treasury , economic growth , political science , government (linguistics) , finance , law , medicine , linguistics , philosophy , machine learning , pediatrics , keynesian economics , computer science , market economy , macroeconomics , microeconomics
Of the two major sources of income support for single parent families, social security transfers and earned income, there has been an increase in the proportion of families dependent on social security in the period 1974–1982, a period of recession and high unemployment. Over this period the value of income support for supporting parents has declined because of the non‐indexation of the child components of pensions and benefits. This article identifies disincentives to the parents' labour force participation: lack of post‐school qualifications, shortage of jobs, scarcity of affordable child care and the low income retention rates imposed upon the extra earnings of pensioners and beneficiaries.