ABSTRACT
This chapter examines two particular aspects of the labour supply behaviour of lone mothers: first, the possible disincentive effect of social security on lone mothers' employment. Second, the knowledge and perception of social security benefits in the decision-making processes of lone mothers in relation to taking up paid work. Before lone mothers are able to take up paid work outside the family, welfare dependency has become a survival strategy for them. The labour supply behaviour of lone mothers should be understood in relation to their interaction with the two systems: the social security system and the labour market. Benefit claimants receive insufficient knowledge about the entitlement is further supported by the evidence from the interviews of the social security officials. Findings show that more than half the officials said that they would explain the policy to claimants but most of these would do so only in the first meeting with applicants.
