Single parents face tougher times ahead
According to parent charity Gingerbread, single parents are fighting a hardening of attitudes towards themselves as well as harsher living conditions.
The charity recently relaunched after a merger with the One Parent Families Council, with a stronger, campaigning voice to make sure that single parents and their children get the fair treatment they deserve.
In November and December 2008, Gingerbread conducted a nationwide survey of more than 755 single mums and dads.
A single parent now heads one in four families. Findings showed that 84 per cent unsurprising thought that the media presented them in a negative light, 79 per cent turned the heating down to help manage finances, and only one in three received child maintenance from their child’s other parent.
The situation is set to get even grimmer as the Government may soon make single parents with children aged three and upwards prepare for work.
Chief Executive Fiona Weir said: “Single parents tell us they are sick of being treated as second rate families. Most do a good job of bringing up children mainly on their own and want respect not blame. They are struggling to stay afloat as the recession takes hold, with half the children in single parent families already growing up in poverty. Relaunched as Gingerbread we are determined to give single parents the support they need, and a stronger campaigning voice against the poverty and prejudice they face.”