In 2010, 33% of lone-parent families received social assistance. That was down slightly from 35% in 2005.

For both 2005 and 2010 the highest rates of lone parents with children under 6 receiving social assistance were in Nunavut and Saskatchewan and the lowest rates were in Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories (2010).

In 2005 and 2010, in all provinces/territories the rates for lone-parents receiving social assistance were higher than for couple families with children under 6.¹

¹Statistics Canada custom data run of Taxfiler variables relating to families with children under 6 for each province and territory, for 2005 and 2010.