4 out of 10 single-parent families in Luxembourg are at risk of falling into poverty

Arlon, 1 June 2022 - On the occasion of the UN World Parents' Day, IKEA Arlon and Caritas Luxembourg want to highlight the difficulties experienced by single parents in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In addition to the donations and volunteering of its employees, IKEA Arlon will raise awareness of the issue of single parent families in its showroom from 1 June.

Access to decent housing: an obstacle course for single-parent families

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg currently has 12,720 single-parent families (4.8% of all households) of which more than 40% are particularly exposed to the risk of poverty. 80% of single parents are, in fact, mothers who often find themselves at risk of falling into poverty following a separation.

Amongst single parents, there are single parents who work, but who cannot make ends meet. This is far from an isolated phenomenon, given that 18.7% of Luxembourg residents are classified as 'working poor'. A real paradox for a country with one of the highest minimum social wages in Europe.

In addition to the daily financial difficulties, access to decent, comfortable and affordable housing is a major challenge for single parents. Almost 1 in 5 (19.4%) single parents in Luxembourg live in substandard housing.  Single parent families are 5 times more likely to face severe housing deprivation (5.9% of single parent households compared to 1.3% of all households) and 3 times more likely to face housing cost overload (32.8% of single parent households compared to 11.3% of all households) than the average Luxembourg household.

Unfortunately, the situation has worsened in recent years, as confirmed by Caritas Luxembourg. The organisation set up a "coronavirus hotline" in 2020 to help people in need with living and housing costs. People who previously did not face poverty suddenly felt the need to turn to Caritas for help. 39% of the calls came from single parents. This shows that single parents are clearly over-represented among households in need.

An exhibition area to raise awareness

On the occasion of the United Nations World Parents' Day, IKEA Arlon wants to inform its employees and customers about the difficulties experienced by these families by dedicating an area of its retail showroom to them from 1 June 2022. With the help of figures, facts and the testimony of a single mother, the customer will lift the veil on the situation of the most vulnerable single-parent families in Belgium and Luxembourg. An original way of informing customers and bringing this too often hidden issue to the forefront.

Finding decent housing is far from easy for single-parent families, even for those who work full time. With this project, in collaboration with IKEA, we want to draw attention to this often hidden problem," says Faruk Licina, Head of the Social Inclusion Department of Caritas Luxembourg.

The most vulnerable single-parent families at the heart of IKEA Belgium's "Welcome Home" community engagement programme

With the launch of the multi-year "Welcome Home" project in 2021, IKEA Belgium and its employees are committed to helping the most vulnerable single-parent families gain access to decent housing to improve their well-being. IKEA's support includes financial donations for basic home furnishing kits, temporary accommodation for single parents, and IKEA employees volunteering during their working hours. By 2021, more than 434 families, 932 individuals and 31 single parent centres have been supported by IKEA. In addition, more than 220 IKEA employees will have signed up for the volunteer programme.

To carry out this mission, IKEA Arlon has worked with organisations that are close to the beneficiaries, such as the Federation of Shelters and Services for the Homeless (AMA) in southern Belgium and Caritas in Luxembourg.  

In Luxembourg, Caritas Luxembourg has already been able to help some 20 families through donations of €12,000 for basic furnishing kits. Volunteer activities in Luxembourg by IKEA Arlon employees will start in autumn 2022. In the meantime, the IKEA Arlon team has helped renovate the Maison du Pain in Virton, Belgium.

About Caritas Luxembourg :

Caritas Luxembourg works for the well-being of men and women, and in particular of excluded, helpless or destitute people, whatever their origin, age, nationality or philosophical or religious opinion.

Support for vulnerable people is a central concern.

Single-parent families, children and young people, migrants and refugees, disadvantaged people, homeless people, people with precarious housing or income situations, people temporarily unable to manage their lives, are the main targets of our aid.

At the international level, Caritas Luxembourg stands by the victims of natural disasters and violent conflicts, supports reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts and partners with its sister organisations in the South on development projects. Caritas Luxembourg is one of the 165 members of Caritas Internationalis.