Characteristics of Parenting Payment recipients

In June 2001 there were 621,237 Parenting Payment recipients, an increase of 1 per cent over the previous year.  92% are female and  8% are male customers. (FACS administrative data, Quarter 2,  2001).

Parenting Payment single recipients make up 67% (416,661) of all Parenting Payment customers. 92% of sole parents are sole mothers. (FACS administrative data, June 2001)

Men account for 11%of all sole parents with children aged under 16. (ABS 6203, June 2001)

Most Parenting Payment recipients are aged between 30-39 (43%),  4% are over 50 and 2% are under 20. (FACS administrative data, Quarter 2, 2001).  (Parenting Payment for single and partnered families was introduced in March 1998).

83% of all sole parents with children under 16, received Parenting Payment at June 2001. (FACS administrative data, Quarter 2,  2001 and ABS unpublished data).

The average current duration on Parenting Payment single, including time on Sole Parent Pension is 3.6 years. For people who have left Parenting Payment single, the average duration is 2.3 years. Once a person leaves payment, their duration is re-set, even if the intervening spell is for another income support payment, including Parenting Payment partnered. Two third of those who leave Parenting Payment single, return to income support within 12 months. Recent research by Bob Gregory estimates that women may spend around 12 years on income support (Welfare Dependency and The Dynamics of Female Lone Parent Spells commissioned by FACS to Professor Bob Gregory of the Australian National University).

Family Composition

We do not collect information about marital history of income support recipients, but Centrelink collects current marital status which includes separated and divorced. However, some people re-partnering could have been separated/divorced before.)

Over a quarter of sole parents re partnered and moved to Parenting Payment partnered during 1995 � 2000.  (Others could have re partnered and left income support) (Bob Gregory, ANU unpublished data).

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) estimates of the marital status of sole parents with dependent children under 25 show that, in 2001: Around 61% were divorced or separated, 6% were widowed and around 32% were never married. Some of the �never married� group are likely to have been in de facto relationships before they became sole parents and others may have had long-term relationships without cohabiting. (ABS unpublished data, 2001).

In June 2001, 22% of all Australian families with dependent children under the age of 15 are headed by a sole parent (ABS unpublished data). This compares to 27% in USA (1996), 14.9% in Italy (1991) and 17.2% in Australia (1993). (A Caring World, OECD: table 1.3)  (More current International stats unavailable.)

In 2000, 15% of children under five (up from 13% in 1993) and  20% of children aged between 5 and 14 (up from 16 in 1993) were living in one parent family. (ABS 6624, 1993 and 2000)

49% of  single parents on Parenting Payment have 1 dependent child, 33% have 2 kids, 13% have 3 kids and 5% have 4 or more. (FACS administrative data, June 2001).

52% of sole parents have 1 dependent child, 32% have 2 kids, 12% have 3 kids and 4% have 4 or more. (ABS 6224, June 2000) ABS has not yet published data for June 2001.

Workforce Participation

Workforce age women make up 44% of the labour force (employed and looking for work),  with 55% of those employed in part-time work.
(The ABS classifies casual work not by the hours worked but by the leave entitlements. Therefore, much casual work can last up to three years, and is not the same as temporary work).

48% of all sole  mothers were in paid employment, compared with 61% of married mothers.  

45% of sole mothers in employment with dependents under 25 work full time, 55% work part time. (ABS 6203, June 2001).

Married mothers with dependent children under 25 who are in employment- 52% work full time and 48% work part time. (ABS 6203, June 2001).

In June 2000,  37% of sole mothers with youngest child under 5 were 
in the workforce (employed and unemployed) in 2000. (ABS 6224, June 2000).

In June 2001, 11% of Parenting Payment single recipients received the Pensioner Education Supplement (FACS Annual Report, 2000-01). Of these, 42% were in university or equivalent, and 47% attended TAFE (secondary or tertiary education). (Evaluation of the Pensioner Education Supplement, FACS).

Ex nuptial births

The total amount of child support transferred between parents in 2000-2001 was $1.4 billion (FACS Annual Report, 2000-2001)

Ex-nuptial births have increased from 6% in 1963 to 29% in 2000 (ABS 3301, 2000).

Paternity acknowledgments have increased  from 
47% in 1976 to 88% in 2000 (ABS 3301, 2000).

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