A THIRD of children with a working single parent live in poverty, according to a new report published today.

This proportion is set to almost double to nearly two-thirds of children in single-parent families by 2021, the Gingerbread charity warned.

Secure jobs with decent pay and flexibility are “few and far between” for single parents, the report noted.

Chief executive Rosie Ferguson said: “The government must work with job centres, employers and childcare providers to ensure that work genuinely provides a route out of poverty.”

The charity urged ministers to expand childcare support to single parents who are in education or training and to offer help with upfront childcare costs.

Single-parent employment rates are at a record high, but the numbers on zero-hours contracts have increased tenfold in the past decade, the report added.

Shadow work and pensions secretary Debbie Abrahams said: “It is utterly unacceptable that single-parent families are paying the price for Conservative failure.

“The increase in child poverty is a direct result of this government’s cuts to social security, changes to universal credit and their complete failure to tackle the scourge of low-paid, insecure work.”