Money Grouse: Give and take of income support

RON Huggins is divorced and bringing up three children. Earlier this year he was made redundant after 22 years. Since then, an arthritic condition has worsened and he believes he may not be able to work again.

Mr Huggins is staying afloat with the help of income support. He also receives pounds 13.84 a week in maintenance from his ex-wife. However, this amount is deducted from his income support, even though single parents are allowed to earn up to pounds 15 a week from part-time employment before deductions.

Mr Huggins receives pounds 62.02 from income support, pounds 25.25 in child benefit, pounds 5.85 in one- parent benefit and pounds 13.84 in maintenance, making just under pounds 107 a week. If the Department of Social Security ignored his pounds 13.84 when calculating his entitlement to income support, he would have about pounds 122 a week.

The DSS confirmed in a letter to his MP, Dame Angela Rumbold, that the income support regulations mean that maintenance is deducted in full but only part-time earnings of more than pounds 15 per week are deducted.

The DSS added that recent changes in legislation for family credit meant that single-parent claimants of this benefit could receive pounds 15 in maintenance before losing any benefit.

So why cannot the same system be operated for income support? 'I think it is inhumane to penalise those who, like me, cannot earn, but who have made efforts to obtain financial support from the absent partner,' Mr Huggins said.

The Department of Social Security accepts the argument that lone parents might be more inclined to fight for maintenance settlements if there was no benefit penalty. But it also insists that by disregarding pounds 15 a week of earnings from work, it is encouraging parents to work.

A DSS spokeswoman said it would cost the Government pounds 250m if it changed the rules and allowed single parents receiving maintenance to have this disregarded from their entitlement to income support.

The Child Poverty Action Group agrees that lone parents should be able to receive a certain amount of money from ex-spouses wihout being penalised.

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