The issue with single parenthood: Is it a political choice?

A report by Sumi Rabindra Kumar, in her role as policy officer at the leading national charity working with single-parent families, Gingerbread, and the University of Sheffield researchers, found that... Yes, It's a stark reality.

Nearly half of children in single-parent families are living in poverty, a figure that doubles the rate for children in two-parent families. This disparity is not a natural consequence, but a direct result of political choices. (I think) The current administration's decision to tighten benefit conditions, decrease social security payments in relation to inflation, and increase the use of zero-hour contracts has exacerbated this issue.

Despite the hurdles they face, single parents are not just surviving but thriving. Their children, Renowned personalities such as Marcus Rashford and Lewis Hamilton, are living proof of this. Research even suggests that children from single-parent households often demonstrate higher levels of well-being than their counterparts from two-parent families. (Don’t shoot me)

Is the system rigged against single parents?

When the Government announced last spring that it would expand the funded childcare hours to younger children, parents breathed a sigh of relief. But it turns out that single parents and low-income families will benefit the least.

To gain the funded childcare hours, an individual must earn a minimum of £8,668. That’s the equivalent of 16 hours a week on the National Living Wage; single parents who cannot work and those who earn below this level don't qualify for the support. Yet single parents receiving Universal Credit are constantly told they must work. The irony isn’t lost on single parents; you need childcare to work, but you must work to get childcare. Conundrum or political?

The current rules for couples state that if one parent is disabled or a carer and the other parent works, they can access free hours of childcare. This includes 30 hours for children aged three and 15 hours for 2-year-olds, which began on April 1st. I think this policy is a positive step towards ensuring all families can benefit from childcare support, enabling two-parent families to access work, and providing support in challenging circumstances. However, single parents who are unable to work for the same reasons do not receive this support.

Single parents of children with additional needs and disabilities already face a very challenging act, then adding paid work into the mix isn't always possible. So, being excluded from childcare support greatly strains these families and limits children's access to early years education. Those who do manage to work are left with the constant worry of meeting the earnings threshold or covering large nursery bills.

The childcare support available through the Universal Credit (UC) system needs to be fixed, and I mean now! Not when things get worse. In practice, this means a family receiving the childcare element through UC, where one parent is at work, and the other is disabled or a carer, has a risk of losing that support if the parent in work dies or the relationship breaks down, which happens more often than you think.

A universal childcare guarantee.

The exclusion of single parents from the government-funded childcare scheme is just the beginning of more significant issues. Parents who are enrolled in education and still in training also cannot access the support available to working parents, even though many are studying to improve their career prospects, as there are still mothers out there who want a better career and a better life for their kids. While the exclusion of single parents needs immediate attention, families need Childcare Guarantee UC, which provides affordable childcare for all families from the end of parental leave to the end of primary school, as every other family does.

Single parents work so much harder than other parent couples. If not even more complex, are being hit with a UC that either doesn’t suit their needs or aren’t eligible can be detrimental to their kids and their small family unit.

Despite being excluded from government help, social exclusions, and all the problems single parents face, in 2024, they are doing a brilliant job despite the inequalities they face. Just imagine what they could achieve if they were treated fairly!!

According to a Children’s charity in 2022, it outlined a plan to implement this, which would provide the average parent with an annual income boost of £1,200. Additionally, it would generate annual returns to the exchequer of £5.9 billion, increase GDP by £13 billion, narrow the gender pay gap, and create 130,000 jobs in the childcare sector. Is this true, or is it just another idea plan failed by a political choice?