Major changes are planned to benefits for low income families which could impact on scores of lone parents.

Changes to Employed Person’s Allowance will mean lone parents with children over 13 will have to work almost twice the hours - rising from the current 16 hours to 30 - before they are eligible to apply.

The minimum for lone parents with children under 13 will stay at 16 hours.

Other amendments to EPA regulations, due to go before this month’s Tynwald, will see couples being able to add together the hours they work to meet the minimum requirement to qualify for EPA.

That limit for couples irrespective of the age of their youngest child, is currently 30 hours which must be worked by either or both partners.

But under the proposals, couples will have to work a total of 35 hours between them if their youngest child is under six, 48 hours if aged between six and 13 and 60 hours if 13 or over.

Couples where one partner is severely disabled or those with disabled children will see the minimum requirement increase from 30 to 35 hours.

There will no change to the current 16 hour minimum for carers or disabled workers.

If approved, the changes will come into operation in April 2020.

But other planned changes to benefits for lone parents will come in this October and will mean they will no longer be able to claim income support if their youngest child is six or over. They can currently claim if they have children under 12.

Treasury believes that lone parents whose youngest child are now in school should be taking steps to get a job.

Up to 90 lone parents and 35 couples could be impacted by the changes to EPA and about a third of the 300 lone parents on income support could lose benefits.

Treasury Minister Alfred Cannan insisted: ‘I’m confident we have made appropriate exemptions for carers and disabled workers and where family members are disabled.

‘We are taking steps to make sure that the benefits system is appropriate for those who receive benefits and those who are paying for them.’

There are between 1,150 and 1,200 EPA claimants, two thirds of whom are lone parents and one third couples.The EPA bill is about £10m.