The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Single-Parent Families met at Portcullis House on 21 October to discuss the challenges that low-earning working parents on Universal Credit (UC) can face when trying to reclaim contributions they are entitled to towards upfront childcare costs.

Founded in 2017, the APPG is a cross-party group made up of members from both the House of Commons and House of Lords and is chaired by Dr Rupa Huq MP. Gingerbread, the national charity for single parents, provides the secretariat and policy advice for the Chair and Officers.

Dr Rita Griffiths, an Institute for Policy Research (IPR) Fellow, presented the findings of recent IPR research conducted with Dr Marsha Wood and Professor Nick Pearce. Their study explored parents’ experiences of the childcare element of Universal Credit, and of childcare more generally. It highlights the challenges of reclaiming childcare costs faced by low-income parents as well as the need for more information and additional childcare hours among working parents.

The meeting was also attended by Baroness Lister of Burtersett and MPs Stella Creasy, Ben Lake and Michelle Welsh, along with two single parents who shared their own experiences of the childcare element of Universal Credit.

Commenting on the meeting, Dr Griffiths said: "It was a great opportunity to share our research findings with members of the APPG and to discuss a range of policy reforms with people genuinely interested in improving the lives of low-income working parents. Particularly interesting were the accounts of lone parents who had personal experience of navigating childcare help in Universal Credit. The evident difficulties they face, while juggling paid work and caring responsibilities single-handedly, send a powerful message to politicians and policymakers that reforming the system of help on offer with childcare costs should be a key priority in the Government’s review of Universal Credit."

Read the full IPR report and accompanying policy brief.