Description

This briefing was written to inform the work of the Lone Parents and Welfare Reform sub-group of the Scottish Government’s Welfare Reform and Health Impact Delivery Group (HIDG).

It provides:

  • facts on lone parenthood
  • estimates of the number of lone parents in Scotland and their comparative health
  • trends in the number of lone parents in employment and claiming benefits
  • trends in the health of lone parents and their financial circumstances
  • labour market conditions for lone parents
  • conditionality and benefit sanctions
  • information about the new requirements for lone parents and Universal Credit

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Accessibility disclaimer

The original publisher of this publication became part of Public Health Scotland when it was created on 1 April 2020. This publication may not be fully accessible or meet our current publication standards.

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Last updated: 11 August 2025