The Albanese government is considering paying single parents extra welfare until their youngest turns at least 13, and possibly 14, believing a child should be sufficiently independent by high school age for the parent to start re-entering the workforce.

Amid a clamour from welfare and other advocates for the payment to continue until the youngest child turns 16 – as it was before the Howard and Gillard governments cut the age back to eight – the expenditure review committee is not prepared to go that high.