Single Parent Rights

⚖️Single parent discrimination doesn't just impact single parents here and now, it impacts us well into the future. 

📑A new report from the pensions commission out this week revealed the pensions gap:

👉Single mums have 22% of the pension wealth of women overall 

👉Single mums have 9% of the pension wealth of divorced women overall (using their definitions - we know divorced mums = single mums too!)

👉Single mums have 4% of the pension wealth of divorced men overall 

Yet as a single pensioner you need more to live off than someone in a couple. Meaning single parents are doubly penalised. 

The report acknowledges that while the state pension for a couple is ABOVE the poverty line, for a single pensioner it is BELOW the poverty line. Inequality baked in from the start! 

Additional pressures are also felt by those single parents who have disabled children who may live with us throughout our lifetime.

Change needs to happen now, so that single parents can be secure in their future.  

Are you saving for your retirement? What can be done to make that possible for single parents? 👇

🔊A new report out this week from and highlights how work isn't working.

🧑‍🧒‍🧒As single parents, many of us know this already.

📈The statistics say it all: of all children growing up in poverty today, 7 in 10 are in a family with at least one parent in work. And we know things are harder for single parents.

While 21% of children in two parent families where at least one parent is in work are in poverty, that rises to 30% for single parent families. And for single parent families, there's no option of a second earner.

This is why we were so pleased to see the recommendations in the report include something we have long been calling for:

👉 Increased UC work allowance for single parents.

This would allow single parents to earn more before the taper rate is applied to UC, and would also increase the earnings at which people are no longer eligible for UC support.

💡So little policy specifically considers single parents needs, but of course if you have only one adult you don't have the same options as a family with two adults. That's why we keep pushing for single parents to be part of every policy design process.

The report includes lots of other great recommendations we've been pushing for too, including:

✅ Introduce a grace period for people who fall below their AET before job coach meetings restart

✅ Move away from a one-size fits all work conditionality system

✅ Increase UC childcare support to 100% of costs (not 85%)

✅ Introduce a grace period for childcare costs for parents who lose their job

✅ Cover upfront childcare costs

👀 What change would you like to see to make sure work, works for single parent families? ⚒️

💬Let us know in the comments below 👇

📑If you want to read the full report, check the link here: https://share.google/U1ov14aY6tKjtjdRe

Do you know when your Cost Of Rent Day is??? 

This is the point of the year when the average renter's salary has ONLY gone on paying their landlord. For the 'average' person that day fell on the 11th May this year.

However, significant geographic differences exist. With some areas seeing their Cost of Rent Day not falling till September! 

What difference does being a single parent make? 

When does your Cost of Rent Day land?

and the Renters Reform Coalition have put together a handy calculator so you can find your own Cost of Rent Day.... Why not check yours out and let us know in the comments 👇

🔗 Link to calculator in our stories, or drop us a DM

Today the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force 🎉

Here's some of the key changes 👇

1. Refusing to rent to someone because they have a child or are in receipt of benefits is illegal. Single parents aren't specifically mentioned however. 

2. The new discrimination laws mean that landlords and agents should take into account benefit income when completing affordability assessments. 

3. Section 21 has been ended: Landlords can no longer issue new “no-fault” eviction notices.

4. Tenancies: All new and existing fixed-term tenancies have automatically converted to rolling tenancies. Renters can give two months’ notice to leave at any time.

5. Rent increase limits: Landlords can only increase rent once per year.

6. Bidding wars are outlawed: Landlords and agents can't invite or accept offers above the advertised price.

7. Deposits: One month rent is now the maximum. 

Have you been impacted by rental discrimination? Do you think these changes will help? Tell us in the comments 👇

If you're happy to speak with us about your experiences drop us a DM.

The Playhouse Tent is an interactive installation exploring neurodivergent children's lives in temporary accommodation. 

The first showing for adults is being hosted at IRMO (near Brixton) on Friday 15 May 2026. With a family session on Saturday 16 May.

✉️ Drop us a DM for ticket link.

The Playhouse Tent is based on a 2-year research project on Temporary Accommodation published earlier this year.

Read the report here:  https://www.sensorylivesproject.org/policy

🗓️The Renters’ Rights Act comes into force on 1st May.

This means new rights for renters and an end to Section 21, no fault evictions 🎉

📖If you want to learn about your rights join a webinar with

🔗Sign up here: https://www.generationrent.org/renters-rights-awareness-week-2026-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-renters-rights-act/

📰If you have faced eviction in the run up to the Act coming into force and want to share your story with us drop us a DM.

📈For far too many children, child maintenance is the only thing keeping them above the poverty line.

Yet for victim-survivors of domestic abuse, the system meant to support them too often fails them and their children.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) should be safe to use — free from fear, control, or re-traumatisation.

🤝We stand with and in calling for urgent reform of the CMS.

Every child deserves the support they’re entitled to.

🔗Read the full briefing on the Gingerbread webstite: https://www.gingerbread.org.uk/our-work/policy-and-campaigns/research-publications/domestic-abuse-and-the-child-maintenance-service/

🗣️We were honoured to be part of a small group of campaigners to join the Chancellor at Number 11 today to celebrate the removal of the two child limit 🎉

📅The policy was officially lifted last week and affected families will start to feel a difference in the coming weeks. 

🔊Here's a quick recap of the impact this will have for single parent families.

📈This year alone, over 320,000 single parent families will benefit from this change, and over 150,000 children in single parent families will be lifted out of poverty. 

📊By the end of this Parliament over 1 million children in single parent families will benefit and over 230,000 children in single parent families will be lifted out of poverty.  

This change isn't just about statistics though. It's about impact. 

✅For some it will mean no longer having to make tough choices as the month end approaches, for others it will mean leaving an abusive relationship just became financially viable. 

💬As one single mum told us: "It's going to be an absolute lifeline for my family just for simple things like swimming lessons, after school activities... things we take for granted that mount up on top of huge bills single parents have"

✉️While we were there we took the opportunity to hand the chancellor a letter (complete with children's drawing) setting out why this change matters for single parent families and how it should reshape the way we think about child poverty in the UK. 

💷Children must no longer be scapegoated by politicians scoring political points. If we want families to thrive, we must invest in them all regardless of the number of children or parents. 

💪This change represents a real difference for so many families, but with single parent poverty rates still exceptionally high it must be just the beginning. The system was designed around two parent families: now it must be redesigned to truly support single parent families too. 

Great to be there along with
and others. Incredible work that they are all doing to help children.

🏋️It's been a busy few weeks at from the celebrations of Single Parents Day to the latest child poverty and benefit cap data from government. 

📈Unfortunately, the stats told us what we already know: single parents are marginalised. 

❌This isn't because single parents are lesser: it's because the systems either ignore us, or discriminate against us. 

📰I wrote all about it, and - more importantly what needs to change - for the Huffington Post. 

🔗You can read the full link in the bio in our stories. 

Change isn't always easy, but we know it can happen - the two child limit was lifted just this week 🎉

✅While it might take time to change an entire Act, there's much more we can all be doing to help ensure single parent inclusion in schools, workplaces, policies and services. 

📚We have resources on our website for schools, employers and businesses to be more single parent inclusive. 

📩If you work for an organisation that might be interested in becoming more single parent inclusive and want to know more, comment before or drop us a DM.

🙏Huge thanks to for helping secure this piece. 

📢Lots of changes coming into force today impacting:

National Living Wage
UC rates
Childcare entitlements
Employment rights

⏩See images for full details.

Also lots isn't changing which must be addressed if this government wants to make things better for families and children.

Are you aware of these changes?

Do you have comments or questions?

Let us know 👇

🏷️And tag a friend who might want to know about the following:
⏩AETs
⏩UC elements
⏩Benefit caps
⏩Working Families offer
⏩Maternity and Adoption leave
⏩ Statutory Sick Pay

And much, much more.