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'Single parents favoured'

The Government's tax credit and benefits strategy 'brutally discriminates' against two-parent families, according to a new report by independent think- tank Reform.

In the report, Labour MP Frank Field argues that a two-parent familyearning the minimum wage would have to work 116 hours a week to gain thesame income as a single mother working 16 hours a week, who, after taxcredits, would have a total income of 487.

However, Kate Green, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group,said in response to the report, 'There is no discrimination. Children inlone parent families face a 50 per cent risk of being in poverty,compared to a 23 per cent risk for children in two-parent families.Resources must be targeted to need.'

She added, 'Where we agree with Frank Field is that more must be done tomake work pay, both for one-parent and two-parent families. It reflectsbadly on British employers that poor pay and conditions mean more thanhalf of children in poverty are in a working family.'

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