Useful information on the range of benefits and financial help available to single and lone parents including child maintenance and working benefits.Discuss benefits and financial help for single parents on our forums, right now! Or, post a comment below.The cost of bringing up a child can seem quite daunting especially if you are on your own. However, in addition to the baby benefits available to all new parents, there is a support system in place that is specifically designed to provide financial help for single or lone parents.
Income supportIncome support is available to those over the age of 16 who are unable to work full time and as a consequence have insufficient funds to live on. If you are a lone parent, work less than 16 hours a week (an average) and have savings under £16,000 you may be eligible to receive this benefit.
The amount you receive is dependent on your individual circumstances and will be calculated based on factors such as your age, your average earnings and the number of dependent children you have. However, regardless of the amount you are granted, if you are eligible for income support you will also receive free prescriptions and dental care, housing and council tax benefits as well as free school meals for your children.
Child MaintenanceUnder UK law, both parents are equally responsible for providing financial support for their child regardless of whether they actively contribute to the child's upbringing. This means that if you are raising your child alone, you are entitled to claim child maintenance payments from the non-residential parent. The amount that you will receive is means-tested and will be based on a percentage of his or her income.
The child support agency (CSA) can help to calculate and collect child maintenance support from non-residential parents who live in the UK or work abroad for a UK based employer. The CSA will become involved in this process when either parent asks for assistance or when the parent with care claims income support.
There is also help available for lone parents whose ex-partner has moved abroad as Britain has an arrangement with over 100 countries that allows a parent living in one country to claim maintenance from an ex-partner who lives in another
For more information on child maintenance visit
www.csa.gov.uk.
Child Maintenance PremiumYou are likely to be eligible for the child maintenance premium if you have sole care of your child and are in receipt of Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance. This benefit allows you to keep up to £10 per week of any maintenance payments you receive for your children.
Lone Parent Benefits Run-onIf the following statements apply to you, you may be eligible for Lone Parents Benefit Run-on.
- You have been receiving Income Support, Minimum Income Guarantee or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance continually for at least 26 weeks.
- You have you been a lone parent for those 26 weeks.
- You have increased your working hours so that you are now working at least 16 hours a week or you are now working full-time in a job that you expect to last for at least 5 weeks.
If you are going back to work, lone parents benefit run-on provides you with financial help to tide you over until you are paid from your new job.
It is important to be aware that if you are going back to work or increasing your hours at an existing job, you must inform the department from which you receive benefits at once.
Visit the official government website (www.direct.gov.uk) for further information on the benefits available for lone parents.
Author : Lucy MacLauchlan
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hope too hear off someone ... many thanks x
Please could someone let me know if I can claim any benefits apart from child tax credit and working tax credit.I work 20hours a week as bringing up my son who's 13 virtually on my own.I get no CSA SUPPORT from his father who emigrated 9 years ago and stopped paying me.I am finding it increasingly hard to meet the monthly bills and the demands that kids have these days.I barely manage to make ends meet each month.I do not claim any other benefits.I have my own house so pay all the usual bills plus council tax etc.Would I entitled to anything else.
can someone tell me what i am entitled to as a single mother,, i am working full time and my baby is due in march.. what housing benefits do i get or do i get any???
I going to become a single partner, i have two children one just 2 and a 3 month old so i am on matenity at the moment, i dont no how i stand financial and what i can receive. Im self employed and should be going back feb but not sure yet, so need to find out what i can receive if i dont go back to work?? PLease help
I dont know if anyone can help, but I'm trying to find out what my collegue can get to help financially. I do not know if she can claim anything from the government. She has a 16year old daughter - I dont think the dad pays any maintenance and she really does find it a struggle. Do you think she would be able to apply for any benifits as she works but not much. If she is likely to recieve any help, will she get backpay as she has only just realised anything about single parent benefits and has been a single parent for 7 years.
Hope you can help,
Thanks
Sally
Her dad and I both work but have an income of less than 40,000 p.a
i was wondering if anyone could help. i am currently 30weeks preg with twin boys wich is fantastic but me and their father arnt together so im on my own. can anyone help me with what benifits i can claim or were to start i have tried the gouvenment website, rung the cab and jobcentre but still none the wiser. i am on stat mat pay my average monthly income is 1200 month but privately rent my outgoings are far more then my incomings and im currently panicking and worried bout what im going to do. any help or suggestions would be fantastic
just to make things clear am not a 12 year old mom lol
It really annoys me that people tar all single mothers with the same brush. I would love to work to keep my sanity and even be £100 a week better off. However, the benefits system does not allow this when you rely on childcare and private rents as there are council housing lists 10 years long.
Meanwhile, my husband bucks the system through being self employed in his bachelor pad, getting away with giving me £50 a week.
I AM IN 9 MONTH PREGNANT NOW AND MY PARTNER JUST LEFT ME.I NEED HELP I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT KIND OF BENEFITS I AM ELIGIBLE AS A SINGLE MOTHER.
PLEASE IF SOMEBODY COULD HELP ME
AGGIE
I have been reading some of these comments and there's a lot of strong opinions on single mum either claiming or working. I can see both ways. One: working mum keeps you independant and interact with others and children can look up to you and see that you need to work to get where you want in life.
On the other hand, I can see why people give up work to spend quality time with their children; able to help them with homework, disapline them, sharing good news, being there for them and able to cook a decent a meal for when they return from school.
I am a single mum and at present working full time with daughter in creche. She will be starting school in September. I am now facing a situation on whether to give up work or not. The reception school start half days and then build it up plus I got to find cover for half terms and finishing at 3pm.
My work is finding it difficult to accommadate my needs plus reducing my hours means I am no better off finanacially working or no working. It worked out more and less equal.
I am 32 and worked since I was 16. To not work is not what I had in mind but at the end of the day, you have to think what is best for your child.
Personally I feel it is important for a child knowing that a parent is waiting for her at her school gates, eager to tell her stories to you, able to spend quality time listen and just be there for them.
Everyone got their own opinion and believes. However, I do not agree that people get themselves preggy just to get themselves on the housing list and I also don't agree that the Goverment tend to accommadate non UK citizen before us. There's no justice and majority of UK citizens feels the same way. But what can you do?????
i've just become a single parent and because of this i've had to leave my job as it ment i would have had to leave my 13year old alone until 2am which was never going to happen.
i've claimed benefits and i've now been offered a job but unfortunatly it is not 16 hours a week so won't qualify me to come of benefits and claim working tax credits.
the job would eventually lead upto 16+ hrs a week but not to start with.
How would it affect my benefits if i took it?
thanks
debs
Thanks
I am now a single parent to my 18 month old daughter and need housing advice.
I am currently staying with family due to my relationship failing for what ever reasons, I returned to work after maternity leave but reduced my hours to 16hours a week which i earn approx £460 month, I also get working&child tax cred.
I cannot stay much longer with family as unfair on them and me! I am looking hoping to get help via housing benefit, does anyone know what kind of help I would get? I dont have any friends in my situation to ask as they either work full time or not at all!
Thank you in advance xx
what a great, honest. unprejudiced post - thank you!
after also reading the snobby miss 'i know it all and i am gods gift to the human race' post - i was compelled to add my 2 pence!
i have worked hard since 16 years of age building up a career in broadcasting and having to fight against the chauvinism of a male dominated field all the way and constantly prove myself over and over. i did this for the love of my jobs and career path and dutifully along the way paid higher and higher taxes as my salary increased over the years. now, i have never been in a 'wealthy' financial position but i have always paid every penny of my own way and that of my ex-partner of 17 years and that of my dad in recent years after ill health rendered him retired.
4 years ago exactly i had a child with my ex partner and i took my standard maternity leave and returned to work mid way between full and part time according to my childs daily needs! all was fine until last year i was diagnosed with cancer, spent week after week in and out of hospital undergoing test after test until such time that the cancer over took my strengths and health and i could no longer continue with work and thus had to give up my job and my career and all that i had strived for in over 23 years. the cancer first appeared in one of my organs which ensued with me having to undergo major surgery and a recovery period of 3 months with 3 of the weeks being in hospital. during those three weeks in hospital - my partner packed his bags, cleared MY house out of everything i owned and up sticks and moved in with another woman. 17 years and on my sick bed after i losing all my financial independence and security - he ran away and left me with zero to my name and a 4 year old child.
now my point is this - i can no longer work and i am now a single parent with bills and costs like everyone else - does this mean i am a drain on society and an insult to working mothers as per the post by that silly person previously - i have to claim benefits which i have never done before in my life and i will have to struggle on something silly like £60 a week between me and my child - does anyone really chose this over financial freedom and self respect - i think not in the most part! life is tough and society can be tougher but i am as deserved of benefits paid for by the taxpayer as the next person. we have the system in place to support persons to be a stay at home parent - whether through choice or circumstance and i for one am grateful.
PS to LB07 specifically - there are many brilliant non-uk born persons in this country who contribute to the uk in different ways. it is foolish and blind sighted to 'box' people/groups. if visitors to this country need help then so be it - we are a 1st world country and we should help.
in fact the amount of money sqanderd this way would proberbly pay for every single parent on social care to live in a rent free 3 bed , with complimentry tickets to the games , and a limo to get there ! , by the way i'm sure they'll give all you hard ,hard working mums a wave as they pass you on your bike!
by the way , i'm a dad , having an easylife at work while my beautifull, patient, wife does the work of three men bringing up our children who i spend all my money on per month , apart from the £1000 amonth in tax i pay to help single parents have a decent standerd of living , wich there more than welcome to!
please comment......
Not everyone starts off as a single parent! I've been married for 4 years (spit up a week ago) and have two kids (2 years old and 4 month old). I worked through both of my pregnancies. Only reason I havent gone back this time is that I would have spent more money on childcare than what I would have earned!
Stop being so bitter!
Hear Hear!!!!!
In reference to Becky555 - yes being a parent is important but so is contributing to the community and trying to pay your own way in life!! Its not majorly hard work thats just an excuse to sit around doing nothing all day! Simple answer is don't have a child if you are not ready to work hard to support it!!! People who sponge should not be allowed to have children in the first place - its unfair to this country that is so in debt!!!!
People at college or in re-training - fantastic - and should be supported - they are bettering themselves and their future life for their kids!!!!!!
I find it hard to sympathise with people that moan about not recieving enough money to sit on their ass! Get out and work - meet other people - stand up for yourself and build a better life!
Also I do not believe this country should be supporting others from abroad - it is wrong they have not been paying taxes in UK and we should not be a charity. They get housed before British people for fear of being racism - what is this country coming to - support your own before others!!!! I went to my local council for affordable housing - i would pay rent, council tax, water, gas, electric etc and all they told me to do was sell my car!!! Hmmm that way I would not have a job I would be able to get to - funny that!! Even though at my work place a foreigner got housed within 2 weeks!!! Lovely, what a fine example!!!
Men are generally ****** but hey thats life - choose more carefully next time - CSA are just useless and take most of the money for themselves (not that I have ever gone down that route) so don't even bother - take the ex-partner to court and get it down on legal binding contract that cannot be broken!!!
Lissie - Why are you pregnant again when you cannot afford it? And yes it is fraud as you are together but not living together - claiming 2 sets of money each for being single parents when clearly you are not single!!!
You may think I am rude but I am mearly stating the obvious - I am in favour of the single parent but only when they are willing to help themselves!!! Good Luck ladies and gents - any feedback on my comments, would love to hear from you!!!
LB07
hmmmm why is it i have been paying tax and nic since i left college????
I don't understand how anyone would want to bring children into this world and pay someone else to bring them up. Your children are so prescious and you should be proud to bring them up not to farm them off so you can have an easy life. Bringing up children is so hard to do, especially on your own.
I neary died having my first child i have been ill ever since, I'm not registered disabled because I'm working hard to bring up my own children. What would be the point of going through all of this to work to pay someone else, who doesn't care about your children, to look after them. They won't progress without the right amount of stimulation.
I also have standards, those are for my children to be brought up properly. My 2 year old goes to play school, in term, which I pay for so he can learn more communication and interacting skills and to give me one to one time with my 1 year old but I would never dream of dumping him there all day so I could have an easy life working!
Some poeple do sponge of the government, for instance those people who get pregnant to get a council house or people who have be "seeking jobs" for several years. I hope you can realise the difference between the people who claim benefits for the reasons the government has set aside the money and the people who do sponge.
I would love to know where these people get their ideas from that having children is going to be an easy ride, leaving someone else with the responsibility of caring for them. Don't forget that if you're going to pay peanuts you will get monkeys looking after you children.
OUR GOVERMENT IS SO SO MESSED UP!!!
I recently applied for income support and was advised to do so as a lone parent. I've waited and have been messed around by them for 3 long months; only for them to turn around and say that I am not entitled to income support as I have a partner. They said, even though we don't live together it's seen as an income coming in for myself. I explained to them that my partner is only supporting 'his' child and I cannot expect him to support my other two and that I don't work and don't have an income coming in. I also explained that he supports the child by providing clothes etc, not by giving money to me.
I intend to appeal against this decision but I need advice.
this bit is to samhamer, can your partner not claim through the inland revenue for your maternity pay, usually thats where employers can claim through, you can still get working tax credits maybe & you will will get child benefit & child tax credits. its not as much money as you get while working but it gets you through, i would look into things more even phone to see what help yous can get when your on maternity pay there is always a few options, phone your local job centre & ask them about it, they are really good for infromation.
this is to Tami30, if you dont want to move in with your partner the now then thats fine, am the same situation as you but i have a 8month baby the now, i get my housing & council tax paid for me. also i get my child benefit & child tax & working tax which you will be entitled to everyone who has a baby is entitled to it, if your working more than 16 hours you will get working tax but if not you can be entitled to income support & the childs father will help with you so dont worry , you will get help with things. so go to your local council & ask for about gettin ghousing & tax benefit the now get it done asap cause its a pain at times, you need to send like what income you get every month & so so & go to your local job centre to see about gettin you r child tax forms & everything they are good with helping you with things, hope this helps.