Thanks to everyone who inputted ideas for our manifesto for single parents.
We couldn't fit everything in so we have focused on priority areas and where single parents are treated unfairly from other groups.
1. Protection from Discrimination for Single Parent Families: we need an inquiry into single parent discrimination and legal protections.
2. A Social Security System Which Recognises and Supports Single Parents: a priority should be introducing a single parent category of lead carers; introducing a default CMS payment for ALL single parents paid by government when CMS is "uncollectable"; create equality for single parents in child benefit eligibility rules; remove polices increasing single parent poverty, including the 2 child limit, 5 week wait for UC and the benefit cap.
3. Specialised Single Parent Employment Support: including dedicated single parent work coaches; practical job search support and funding for training.
4. Inclusive Childcare for Single Parent Families: remove the lower earnings limit for working parents; expand childcare to single parent carers and disabled single parents and create equality for single parents in income based eligibility rules.
5. Decent and Affordable Housing for Single Parent Families: outlaw discrimination; invest in social housing and introduce a home buyer ISA saver account exempt from UC savings limit.
6. A Reformed Child Maintenance Service: remove the 4% fee and improve collection and calculation of payments.
7. Abolish DWP Overpayment Demands for Official Errors.
8. Access to Services for Single Parent Families - with priority access to Mental Health services and childcare available at services so single parents can use them.
9. Universal Single Parent Family Tickets as Standard.
Read the full manifesto on our website (link in bio).
Please email political leaders, your MPs and local candidates with this manifesto and ask them to remember single parent families when they develop policies in this critical election year.
#Manifesto #SingleParentRights
#SingleParentFamily #SingleMum #SingleDad #SingleParentDiscrimination #SingleParentPenalty #SingleMother #SMBC #SingleFather #GeneralElection
Our podcast episode into single parents and childcare is now available from all good podcast stores 😚
Want to learn about how single parents and childcare has been since the 1970s?
Interested to know what the best solution would be to get us out of the childcare crisis we are now in?
Then take a listen. Link available in our bio.
#Childcare #ChildcareCrisis #ChildcareIsInfrastructure #SingleParent #SingleParentFamilies #SingleParentRights #SingleParentDiscrimination #SingleMum #SingleDad
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.
#Renting #RentersRightsAct #SingleParentRights #SingleParentDiscrimination
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: /policy
#TenporaryAccommodation #SensoryLives
🗓️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 @generationrentuk
🔗To sign up in the link in our stories or drop us a DM.
📰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.
#RentersRightsAct #Renting #SingleParentDiscrimination
📈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 @gingerbreadcharity@survivingeconomicabuse and @womens_aid 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
#FixTheCMS #ChildMaintenance #EconomicAbuse
🗣️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 @endchildpovertyuk@hackneybabybank@littlevillagehq@rosiescornerkidsbank and others. Incredible work that they are all doing to help children.
#TwoChildLimit #SingleParentRights #SingleParentEquality #SingleParentDiscrimination
🏋️It's been a busy few weeks at @SingleParentRights 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 @shoutybear for helping secure this piece.
#SingleParents #SingleParentEquality #SingleParentDiscrimination #EqualityAct
📢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.
#UniversalCredt #EmploymentRights
Today is a good day for children. Over 230,000 children in single parent families will be lifted out of poverty by the end of this Parliament. 🎉
No longer will almost 60 children in single parent families be pulled into poverty daily due to this cruel policy 👶 Single parent families who will benefit from this change will start to see the difference in the coming weeks.
A HUGE thanks and massive congratulations to everyone at @SingleParentRights that played a part in securing this policy win. Whether you shared your story 📚, wrote an article 📰, came to a demonstration 🪧, penned an email to your MP 📧, or signed a petition 📋. Each and every action made today's news possible 🎊
We know there is MUCH more that needs to change for single parent families, but today we want to acknowledge all the hard work that went into making this happen and celebrate the impact that this will have for those families who will benefit from the change.
If you will benefit and want to share your story anonymously then drop us a DM 📩
If you are being benefit capped, or this change results in you being benefit capped, and you would like to share your experiences with us, please drop us a DM 📩
#TwoChildLimit #SingleParentRights #ChildPoverty
😡Here at @SingleParentRights , if there's one thing that makes us mad, it's how the system works against single parent families.
Whether it's unfair childcare eligibility rules, stricter work conditionality under Universal Credit, or unequal child benefit rules, one thing that remains true: single parent families are screwed over. 🤬
Did you know?
⏩Disabled single parents or those caring for a disabled child who aren't in paid work, don't get the 30 hours funded childcare hours, but those with a partner can.
⏩Single parents have to earn twice as much as someone in a couple not to be benefit capped on UC, yet...
⏩they lose their child benefit and funded childcare hours at half the income of couples.
🚫The system isn't built for single parent families, whatever their circumstances.
🧑🧒🧒That's why we're campaigning for single parents to be added to the Equality Act as a protected characteristic.
❌Under current laws, it's not illegal to directly discriminate against single parents because we aren't a protected group. Yet time and again, from landlords to employers, businesses to government systems - we are discriminated against because our families look different to the so called 'traditional nuclear family'.
Agree with us that things should change? Let us know in the comments below 👇
#SingleParentFamily #SingleParent #SingleMum #SingleDad #SingleParentDiscrimination SingleParentEquality
Researchers have finally revealed the secret to single parent success rates.
Formally known as 'Emotional Multitasking Elasticity' syndrome, a new study has shown upto 99.9% of single parents experience this phenomenon which enables them to stretch 24 hours into 30 every.single.day.
Benefits of EME syndrome allow single parents to
⏩Balance 4 hour holiday clubs with a 8 hour working day
⏩Single handedly deal with multiple bedtimes and nighttime wake ups without a tag team partner and still get everyone where they need to be on time
⏩Go from stressful job mode to chef, cleaner, DIY expert and tantrum container with a 5 second transition time
⏩Handle all the social plans, school logistics, multiple apps, shopping and still remember where the lost school tie is
⏩Make significant life decisions while being screamed at by a child without backup or support
Scientists are now studying the phenomenon in the hope that other family structures can learn to adapt and benefit from what single parents have long been benefiting from.
If you'd like to be part of the study please comment below or tag a friend who you think is suffering from EME👇
