23 May 2002
NIGEL DODDS LAUNCHES MAGAZINE FOR LONE PARENTS
The Minister for Social Development, Nigel Dodds MP, MLA, today urged lone parents to improve their employment opportunities and broaden their life choices by participating in the New Deal for Lone Parents.
The Minister was speaking at W5 in the Odyssey complex, Belfast, at the launch of "Choices 2", a magazine aimed at lone parents in Northern Ireland.
The magazine includes information on topics and issues of interest to single parents and provides assistance for those seeking to enter or return to work. It was produced by the Social Security Agency in partnership with Gingerbread Northern Ireland.
The Minister said: " We hope Choices 2 will give lone parents an insight into an another possible lifestyle - a working lifestyle. There are currently 81,000 single parents in the Province, almost half of whom receive support from the Social Security Agency, and we recognise and value the contribution they make to society. We want to help them get the most out of all the opportunities available to them.
"Information equals opportunity. We aim to help single parents get back into employment. Since New Deal for Lone Parents came into operation in April 1998, many have successfully moved into work and are either in full-time or part-time positions. Many others have taken part in education and training courses.
"Lone parents can be assured that they are fully supported by organisations such as the Social Security Agency, Gingerbread Northern Ireland and the New Deal for Lone Parents programme."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
There are approximately 81,000 lone parents in Northern Ireland
One in four families in Northern Ireland are one-parent families, 37,893 rely on Income Support and 18,500 are currently claiming Working Families’ Tax Credit.
93pc of lone parents are women aged between 25 and 40 years, seven per cent are men and three per cent are teenagers.
A single parent can participate in the New Deal for Lone Parents if they are aged 16 or over, have a dependent child under 16, are not working or are working less than 16 hours a week and are not an asylum seeker unless they have exceptional leave stay or have refugee status).
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