Mothers' Pensions/Allowances

The terms pensions and allowances are used in different ways as labels for different forms of income for women with children. The first, at least historically, are the various forms of economic support provided to mothers whose husbands have died, become unfit to work, or deserted their wives and children. Related to this first notion are the economic supports that became known as welfare throughout the later half of the 20th century. Also in this time period, with their increasing participation in paid labor, women became eligible for both public and private retirement pensions. Both of these forms of allowances and/or pensions operate in ways that inadequately account for women's caregiving labor.