The main aim of this report was to research the cut to the TIA, the potential impact it would have on sole parent beneficiaries and their children, and the solutions that could be implemented to address those impacts. In undertaking a social impact assessment, which identified the potential impact of the government’s decision to cut eligibility to the TIA for sole parent beneficiaries intending to access higher education, I found that this decision will likely have negative impacts on women and children, and negative outcomes in the four key domains: Knowledge and Skills, Paid work, Health and Economic Standard of Living. As a result, the government should reinstate the TIA for sole parent beneficiaries intending to access higher education, which has been proven to be successful in the past, and has allowed thousands of sole parent beneficiaries to access higher education, and gain qualifications and jobs.
In conducting this research I found that the government made the decision to cut the eligibility to the Training Incentive Allowance (TIA) for sole parent beneficiaries intending to access higher education, without undertaking a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts on sole parent beneficiaries and their children. This is problematic as this barrier to higher levels of education for sole parent beneficiaries can further trap them into poverty, lead to welfare dependency, and can be detrimental to their children’s health, education, and may result in criminal behaviour. I have attempted to undertake an assessment of the potential impact of the policy decision in my research, but I think that even more research is needed to comprehensively assess the potential impact of the cuts to the TIA on sole parent beneficiaries and their children.