05 March 2009 – Making decisions about work in one-earner couple households

Findings are published today from research to understand the attitudes and behaviours of non-working partnered parents living in low-income households where neither partner is in receipt of out-of-work benefits. It explores the factors that might influence decisions about work within their household. In-depth interviews were conducted with 50 non-working partnered parents in three regions of the country.

Findings from the research show that:

• As well as carrying out domestic chores, participants dedicated a considerable amount of time to activities with their children, including structured activities like homework supervision and unstructured play.
• It was not unusual for working partners to have jobs with early starts and long hours or shift work, which made it difficult for them to share school runs, childcare responsibilities or domestic chores.
• For the most part, participants were able to keep up with household bills and credit commitments by careful money management, but reported that it was a struggle. Only a few participants reported any arrears.
• Almost all the non-working participants had worked in the past, although in some cases not for 10 years or more.  The reasons why they were not working at the time of the interview included redundancy, health issues, a desire to look after their children, and lack of suitable childcare.
• Most participants said they planned to return to work at some point, with financial reasons and personal benefit being the main drivers.  Decisions about when they would move back into work were often linked to their children’s key educational milestones.
• Most participants (mainly women) who planned to move into work wanted a job with part-time hours which involved minimal travel, to fit around family and childcare responsibilities.  They generally talked about looking for jobs that would be relatively low paid. 
• There was considerable interest in support services targeted at parents seeking work and tailored to their needs, including: help to increase employability and confidence (e.g. CV writing, interview skills, basic computer training); help to find appropriate work (e.g. identifying family-friendly employers, careers advice); help to work out the financial implications of moving into work; and help to arrange childcare.

Notes to Editors

1. ‘Making decisions about work in one-earner couple households’ (DWP Research Report number 560) by Sharon Collard and Adele Atkinson is published today as part of the DWP Research Report series. A copy of the report (and summary of the research) can be downloaded from the Department’s website at http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp
2. The research was carried out by the Personal Finance Research Centre at the University of Bristol.