| Abstract: | The increasing incidence of sole parenthood is justifiably a major concern for policy makers in Australia as elsewhere, not least because it represents an increasing drain on welfare funds. The overwhelming majority of female sole parents, who dominate the sole parent population, and an increasing proportion of male sole parents are in receipt of some form of income support. This article discusses, from an economic perspective, the extent to which the level and availability of income support is an important determinant of sole parenthood and in particular, welfare dependence among sole parents. The Australian sole parent pension program is also discussed and some observations made about the likely outcomes of some of the more recent developments in this program. |
