A survey carried out by the Flemish Centre for General Welfare Work (CAW) and its Francophone counterpart AMA around a quarter of one parent families in Belgium have financial difficulties. This is double the percentage of households that have financial problems in the population as a whole. Around one in ten households in Belgium are one parent families. Meanwhile, one parent families find it more difficult to find suitable accommodation.
The majority (62%) of one parent families are headed by a woman. However, the number of male one parent family heads is on the increase. Most one parent families are the result of the breakdown of a relationship. However, in around 10% of cases it was the mother or father’s conscious decision to bring their child/children up on their own.
The study by CAW and AMA was carried out in collaboration with the furniture retailer IKEA. 991 one parent families took part in the survey.
The survey reveals that on average single parents appear to have a harder time financially than other families. 61% of single parent families have a household income of less than 2,800 euro per month. Among the population as a whole this figure in 35%. A third of one parent households are at risk of falling into poverty. This risk increases the greater the number of children there are.
Most single parents (71%) do work per cent with just over half doing so full-time.
Housing
The study also reveals that access to suitable housing is a major issue for single parent families. Just 30% of single parent families with 3 or more children have a house or flat where each family member has their own bedroom.
The cost of rent in the private sector, long waiting lists for social housing, discrimination by landlords and irregular income are the most import factors contributing to this.