HILDA study finds a ‘concerning trend’ is facing single parents
There has been a sharp fall in the number of single parents using childcare and experts worry it could be pointing to a more concerning trend.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Single parents are facing a “concerning trend” in economic security.
As Aussies’ median household income continues to grow, a new report reveals a “substantial decline” for that of single parents, dropping $4,000 to $34,000 in two years.
The latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey shows Aussies are becoming more prosperous, with a median household income of $81,310 in 2018.
While this was an increase of almost $20,000 to when the survey began in 2001, the rate of growth was strongest in the early 2000s, as income only rose slightly in the past decade.
But single parents faced declining income, were less likely to use childcare and had an increasing rate of their kids falling under the poverty line, according to the longitudinal household study from Melbourne Institute.
The report noted a sharp fall in the number of single parents using childcare, dropping 17 per cent in just two years to 2018.
Half of single parents used childcare in 2016 — plummeting to little over a third in 2018.
They are now less likely to use paid childcare than couples.
The results came despite the introduction of the Child Care Subsidy in 2018, which reduced the hourly costs.
Melbourne mum Lemmy Levelle sends her son Hunter to sessional kinder and childcare three days a week, but said she wouldn’t be able to if it weren’t for free programs and the subsidy.
“If I didn’t get that there is no chance in hell I could afford to send him at all,” she said.
“The daily rate is $134.00 or $536.00 for the four days or parts there of that he does.
“It’s a crazy amount of money.”
Report co-author Professor Roger Wilkins said the “evidence on the economic fortunes of single parent families in recent years is a concerning trend”.
“It is not clear why their economic wellbeing would have deteriorated, but clearly this needs to be closely watched if this trend is borne out by evidence from other sources,” he said.
Single parents were the most likely group to deprive themselves of material things, but Aussies have a declining belief in what they feel they need.
Over four years, people felt it was less important to have a car, home contents insurance, a meal out once a month and new school clothes each year.
Meanwhile, the rate of home ownership was declining over a 12 year period.
Approximately two-thirds of households were homeowners, with an average home debt that more than doubled between 2002 and 2018 — reaching $124,030 in 2018.
Australians were also retiring later in life and with more money.
The average income of a retiree in 2018 was $43,377 — compared with $31,199 in 2002.
DOGGONE, THEY MAKE US HAPPY
DOG owners are happier and have a higher wellbeing than cat owners, a new report has found.
More than 60 per cent of Australians own a pet, with the majority — 72 per cent — owning a dog.
Those who have a furry friend are more likely to be young and live outside of major cities.
They also have higher incomes compared to those who don’t own a pet.
The findings, from the latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, also revealed older people were more likely to own a cat and that cat owners have lower wellbeing.
But surprisingly, pet owners overall were almost 3 per cent more likely to report being of poorer mental health than those without an animal.
Swim teacher Claire Maher, 22, said coming home to dog Ace after a hectic day at work was a big relief.
She said the energetic border collie, who has been part of the family since Ms Maher was about 12 years old, was a “really good support.”
“He’s the first at the door when I come home — he’s a very fun and happy site to come home to, especially after a stressful day at work,” she said.
“He loves walks and needs walking and he is the reason we got out of the house during lockdown.”
Ms Maher said Ace had made the coronavirus pandemic easier on her family and kept their spirits high.
BREAKUPS COMMON AMONG YOUNG AND OLD
Younger and senior Australians are more likely to break up with their intimate partner than they were almost two decades ago.
And middle aged couples were staying together more often in 2018 than they were in 2002.
About a quarter of partners aged 35 to 54 split at the dawn of the century — but that fell to just one in six two years ago.
While breakups continue to be most common between the ages of 25 and 44 — with more than a third going their separate ways — lovers’ tiffs were rising for those aged under 34 and over 65.
Seniors — despite being the least likely to split — had doubled their rate of separation, with more than one in 20 couples going their own way.
And young lovers under 24 doubled their chances of break up too, as about 16 per cent of pairs said goodbye.
Aussie couples more likely to call it quits suffered financial stress, were renters, were the recipients of income support, lived in social housing, were parents with a mortgage or were those with higher incomes.
The report suggested that wealthier people were more likely to “afford” a break-up because they were financially independent.
When both parties had a job they’re less likely to break up, but unemployment of one person in the pair didn’t seem to increase the risk of ending a relationship.
However, smoking did, particularly for those without kids.
And while drinking alcohol regularly — five or more days a week — didn’t seem to effect relationships of parentless couples generally, booze was actually linked to a slightly reduced chance of breaking up for partners with kids.
SUCCESS IS NOT GIVING HAPPINESS
Aussies are more successful but less satisfied with their lives than they were almost two decades ago.
They’re also turning away from religion, with young people today the most likely to have no beliefs.
The latest Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey has revealed those aged 65 and above had the highest levels of life joy in 2018, followed by teens and young adults.
They reported greater feelings of safety, housing and job security — all of which contributed on average to leading happier lives.
Middle-aged Australians were the least happy, with leisure and finances some of the biggest stressors.
Meanwhile about 50 per cent of people aged 15 to 44 now identify as having no religion.
Men were found to have shunned worship slightly more than women, while those born between 1990 and 1999 showed the biggest drop in faith — a decline of about 15 per cent in the ten years after 2007.
The birth of a child and a relationship ending were two of the biggest factors in a person’s decision to cease religious affiliation.
Similarly, being the victim of violence, serious injury or illness and receiving a promotion were all reasons associated with the beginning of a religious following.
Christianity remains the most popular religion, with about half the population identifying as of Christian faith.
The figures, taken between 2004 and 2018, showed an overall decrease in the number of Australians taking up religious practises.
MORE NEWS:
WHAT COVID NORMAL WILL LOOK LIKE
Victoria’s worst serial rapist to launch ‘sleeping beauty syndrome’ appeal
Xiaodong Frank Hu is serving Victoria’s longest prison term for sexual offending after drugging and raping seven women in his Collins St office. He is now preparing a legal appeal, claiming a sexual disorder made him want to sleep with unconscious people.
Proposed bulk-billing shake-up to help more Aussies see GP for free
The Royal Australian College of GPs is pushing for the bulk-billing incentive to be expanded to include a specific age group that was considered the most likely to delay care.