Work and relationships over time in lone-mother families

Most lone mothers are employed and must manage work and family life,often on a low income, for long periods of time. This research providesnew evidence on what this means for these families, with data drawn fromin-depth interviews with lone mothers and with their children four timesover a period of around 14 to 15 years.The report considers:• the experiences of lone mothers in sustaining work over time;• the importance of family relationships in enabling and supporting lone mothers in work;• the experience and contribution of children in helping their mothers to manage;• the challenging nature of transitions away from the parental home and into work for young people;• the importance of state support for the mothers, but the reduced support available to the young people;• the difficulties in embedding security over time.