Term ‘single-parent family’ needs redefining says ombudswoman

Authorities should implement a strict timeframe to evaluate applications for the single-parent benefit, and should not penalise beneficiaries if they are found to cohabit with another adult, the ombudswoman has said in a just-released report.

Maria Stylianou-Lottides had conducted an investigation into the single-parent benefit after having received several complaints from people claiming their application took too long to get approved, and from beneficiaries who said the benefit was withdrawn unfairly.

A number of people complained that the processing of their application took too long – a claim Lottides said holds up. She also found the deputy ministry for social welfare did not adequately communicate with applicants, and in many instances it failed to update applicants on the status of their application.

Elsewhere in her report, Lottides referred to the case of a woman whose single-parent benefit was terminated in 2020. The decision to cut off the benefit had been based on information given to the ministry by the woman’s former partner, who told authorities that she was now living with another adult.

The ministry proceeded to stop the benefit, relying on this hearsay rather than checking.

After the ombudswoman intervened, the benefits department “realised its mistake, paid the complainant what she was owed retroactively, and re-initiated the payment of the benefit.”

Lottides also said that this case highlights the need to redefine the term ‘single-parent family’, which currently provides that a beneficiary does not cohabit with another person.

She argued that the initial intent of the law was to provide support to single parents for the benefit of the child, “something which a cohabitor has no legal obligation to do, unlike a spouse.”

Lottides noted that “deterring a beneficiary from cohabiting, for fear of losing the benefit, may impact the beneficiary’s private life and freedom, and which to a large extent affects women.”

The ombudswoman also found some cases where single parents received the benefit despite not living with the child under the same roof, as required by law. Again, the ministry was found wanting for not checking beneficiaries’ living situation.

In addition, Lottides advised that adjustments be made to how authorities calculate the deadline by which an applicant’s appeal is rejected. The deadline of 30 days should count from the day the applicant demonstrably receives knowledge of the rejection, rather than from the date of the letter of notification sent to the applicant. To ensure these two coincide, applicants should be notified by registered post.