Why should the income threshold be raised?

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Single person households are on the increase. The growth in single occupancy households is a cause for concern as:

• Consumption of housing and other resources tend to increase in proportion to the number of households rather than to the total population
• Living alone is more precarious in that many people living alone will be wholly reliant on themselves for their income and may not have support available when adverse events occur
• At least for those of working age, poverty is much more prevalent among people living alone than for those who are cohabiting

Briefing on the Growth in One Person Households - Trends, Causes and Issues Arising - Guy Palmer, New Policy Instute, Joseph Rowntree Foundation March 2006