Single parent survey - interesting findings

Nearly everyone knows someone who is a single parent, or someone who was brought up by one. In fact, a quarter of families in the UK today are headed by a single parent. The average age is 36 and 56% are in work.

While single parents do a fantastic job of parenting on their own, a recent survey reveals that it’s getting harder in this current economic climate.

Single parent charity Gingerbread ran a nationwide survey of 770 single mums and dads between November and December 2008, and found:

Single parents come from all walks of life, but too many face poverty:

• 78% said it was harder to make ends meet this year than last.
• 79% had turned down the heating to manage their finances.
• 39% had to borrow money.

Times are tough for single parents:

• 70% of those surveyed had to go without something for themselves.
• 33% had to go without something for their children.

The environment for single parents is getting harder:

• Only 1 in 3 single parents receives child maintenance from the child’s other parent.
• Single parents risk benefit cuts if they fall foul of new welfare reforms changes. The government may soon make single parents with children aged three and upwards prepare for work.

Media

• 87% said the media presents single parents in a negative light.
• 16% said they thought the media gave a balanced view.
• 0.6% said they thought the media presented a positive view of single parents.

You can read the full survey by Gingerbread here (PDF).

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