Single parent would not be penalised for cohabiting in new bill

By Robert Morgan

A bill to ensure single parent allowance would not stop or change if single parents live with other adults unrelated to the children is due to be discussed in parliament by the end of May, MPs heard on Tuesday.

The proposed changes also mean the income of a single parent’s new partner would not change the amount of money given in the single parent allowance.

The bill seeking to change how “single-parent family” is defined was submitted by Akel MPs Andrea Kavkalia, Christos Christofias and Giorgos Koukoumas of the House labour committee.

The proposal is set to be on the committee agenda by early June with the aim to completing discussions and sending it to the plenum before the end of June, committee chairman Andreas Kavkalias said.

“The existing legislative framework, which provides for the termination of the one-parent family allowance in case of cohabitation, violates the right to privacy, violates the basic human rights of the child and for this reason it must be changed,” Kavkalias said.

“Akel’s law proposal is aimed at removing this anachronistic provision”.