Budget 2023 Must Emphasise Housing, Food & Energy Security for Lone Parents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Monday 19th of September 2022

“The government risks dramatically increasing child poverty if they do not prioritise the housing and cost of living crises in Budget 2023,” Damien Peelo, CEO of Treoir has stated.  

Even before the pandemic and Ukrainian crisis, one-parent families were already more likely to be living in poverty, and this has only worsened in 2022. The budget needs to mitigate the uneven impact of the rise in the cost of living for lone parents and target support for vulnerable groups. 

Lone-Parent families are more likely to live in insecure accommodation and to be discriminated against in the housing market. “As a matter of urgency, HAP needs to be reviewed to increase the rates so that they affect real market values. A ban on evictions and rent increases also must be implemented in response to the cost-of-living crisis”.  

Treoir is also calling on the extension of the Living Alone Allowance, Household Benefits package, and Telephone Allowance to lone parents wo are in receipt of fuel allowance.  

“Given the cost of childcare in Ireland, lone parents are regularly forced to work low-paid, part-time in precarious employment and therefore face higher rates of consistent poverty.” Mr. Peelo stated. 

The eligibility for the Fuel Allowance payment must include those receiving the Working Family Payment and should be extended to 32 weeks, given that this is one of the hardest hit areas of the inflation crisis.”  

“To be proactive about reducing poverty in Ireland in the long term, the living wage and social welfare payments need to be benchmarked to the Minimum Essential Standard of Living. Core Social Welfare Payments should be benchmarked to 27.5% of average earnings.” Mr Peelo stated.  

Read our full submission here: Pre-budget-Submission-2022.pdf (treoir.ie) 

ENDS 

Notes 

Damien Peelo, CEO of Treoir is available for interview.  

damien@treoir.ie  087 971 4890 

Read our full Pre-Budget Submission here: Pre-budget-Submission-2022.pdf (treoir.ie).