TRADITIONAL two-parent families where one parent works and the other stays at home are the biggest group of households with children in poverty, according to new research by the York-based Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Figures show 31 per cent of families with children in poverty are traditional “breadwinner” families.
The data comes from two reports published by IPPR and NatCen, which show 1.3 million families in the UK were living with children in poverty in 2011/12.
Katie Schmuecker, policy and research manager at JRF, said: “The traditional family model where one parent – usually dad – goes out to work and supports his family does not offer a guaranteed route out of poverty in Britain today. Our low-pay jobs market means many families that are reliant on a single breadwinner find it hard to make ends meet.
“Measures like the living wage, supporting people to progress into better jobs and ensuring it always pays to work more will all help increase household incomes. So too will helping more families to become dual-earning households.”
The reports have called for better affordable childcare and paid family leave to help families share childcare between parents.
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