During the 1990s lone motherhood has become a major political issue - but what is the problem actually about and to what extent is it new? This timely study, by three leading experts in the field, examines the changes that have taken place in the pathways into lone motherhood, in ideas about marriage, divorce and never-married motherhood, and in policies towards lone mothers in housing, social security, and employment. The findings illustrate both the complexity of
the issues and the extent to which policies have reflected the changing way in which the problem has been defined.