Currently lone parents can claim income support until their youngestchild is 16. But, speaking to Children Now, David Laws, the party's workand pensions spokesman, called for the age to be brought down in stages'starting when the youngest child starts secondary school (see Interview,p13).
Hilary Fisher, director of End Child Poverty said most parents witholder children who stayed at home had good reason and should not beforced back to work. However, she welcomed Laws' suggestion to increasechild benefit so younger children get the same rate as the oldest child.She said: "It's not significantly cheaper to feed, clothe and transportthe second, third and fourth child than it is for the first."
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