Child maintenance and child poverty: a comparative analysis

Abstract

This paper uses the Luxembourg Income Study datasets from 2004 and 2005 to analyse the contribution that child maintenance makes to the reduction of child poverty. The countries compared are Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), representing countries with different child maintenance schemes. Results show that the contribution that child maintenance makes in reducing overall child poverty is modest. However, it has a relatively large impact in reducing child poverty for those who do receive it. Child maintenance reduces the income poverty gap to the greatest extent in the UK and lifts most poor children out of poverty in Denmark and Sweden.