Source: European Parliament
In the EU, 43.1% of persons in a household with one adult and dependent children are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (against 21% of the total population) in 2024. The Commission acknowledges the importance of the challenge.
To tackle child poverty, the Commission Recommendation ‘Investing in children: breaking the cycle of disadvantage[1]’ calls for multi-dimensional strategies, with a focus on households at risk of poverty, such as single parent families.
It stresses the need to ensure adequate resources, through support to parents’ participation in the labour market and benefits, and access to quality services.
The Council Recommendation establishing a European Child Guarantee[2] asks Member States to guarantee access of children in need, including children living in a single-earner household, to a set of key quality services.
The Council Recommendation on adequate minimum income ensuring active inclusion[3] recognises the specificity of single-parent households, and encourages Member States to facilitate take-up of adequate minimum income schemes.
EU funding (e.g. the European Social Fund +) is available to support Member States in these efforts. The Commission expects to adopt in 2026 the first ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy announced in the 2024-2029 Political Guidelines[4].
The strategy will address the systemic, different drivers of poverty. It will look into what works through a lifecycle approach to addressing poverty risks. Preparation is ongoing and public consultation planned.
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reco/2013/112/oj/eng.
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32021H1004.
- [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=oj:JOC_2023_041_R_0001.
- [4] https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/e6cd4328-673c-4e7a-8683-f63ffb2cf648_en?filename=Political%20Guidelines%202024-2029_EN.pdf.