Using narrative research to listen to single mothers in this way gave insights into their experiences and complex emotional terrain at a time when UK culture was stigmatising and unsupportive. Their narratives convey how people respond to and talk about stigmatisation. Findings carry continued relevance in terms of experiences of precariousness, isolation and hardship, likely to resonate in today’s economic and policy climate: Living standards for lone parent families have declined following 10 years of UK austerity, burgeoning child poverty and cuts to tax credits, gender-based violence services and Legal Aid. Being a single parent in Singapore does have benefits that I didn’t even consider. The children are with their father on various weekends and weeknights, so I get to have some quality ‘ guilt-free, child-free‘ time. I have been able to focus more on my own wellbeing and health than I was ever able to as a married parent. I also have more time to focus on my friendships, which are so important to me. Hi Emma! I'm not technically a single mom, but can you please add me to your groups? My husband hardly does anything at all around the house, I manage the finances, run the kid around and work a fulltime job!

Nearly 3 in 10 kids today are growing up in a separated family, and more than 80% of those kids live primarily with their moms — 20 million of us. This does not mean that the other parent / father is MIA, or does not want to be involved, or is not a 50% parent, or has fought through family court to be more involved. You can read more about the gender-equality benefits of equal parenting, as well as the child welfare benefits of equal parenting in my work. So, even if you are divorced, you are a single mom — no matter how much you want to distance yourself from THOSE PEOPLE who never married. If you enjoy a handsome sum of child support and co-parenting from your kid's dad, or have a helpful boyfriend or high-paying job, you are a single mom — even if your family or financial situation does not look like what you associate happens inside the families or bank accounts of THOSE PEOPLE. Single Parent Support Group (SPSG) has been set up on Facebook to help those who need advice and an understanding friend through their single parent journey. It is a community of parents going through similar experiences and a great place to turn for support.All children can automatically get free school meals if they're in reception, year 1 or year 2 of a state school. You can only apply for the Widowed Parents Allowance (WPA) if your partner passed away before 6 April 2017, and the cause of death has just been confirmed. 8. Free childcare It can be difficult to work out what benefits you are entitled to and exactly how much you'll receive – depending on your income, this may even change from month to month if you’re in work.

The Help Family Service Centre is a voluntary welfare organisation, providing help for single parents and their families. It runs a number of services and programs specially designed to meet the needs of single-parent families, including recovery from loss, separation or divorce. Plus, it hosts events and camps just for kids. HELP (which stands for Help Every Lone Parent) also runs a great Big Brother/Big Sister scheme for children between 10 and 16 years. This friendship program provides a caring adult companion on a one-to-one basis to help the child cope with any stresses that may have come up for them in the face of their family breakdowns. If you are doing socioeconomic gymnastics to get around calling yourself a single mom, you are really trying to get around a social stigma that has for centuries been attached to mostly poor, women of color.I am challenging the white women who go out of their way to distance themselves from calling themselves a “single mother.” Not once but THREE TIMES in the past week I have received messages from married moms who want to be part of my single-mom Facebook groups (join Millionaire Single Moms, BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE AN ACTUAL SINGLE MOM!). If you and your husband are technically still married, but have committed to separating, or are even legally separated, but are living together for financial or other practical matters, I say you are a single mom. After all, you have to co-parent with someone you are not romantically involved with, and will be divorced soon (you hope, right?). How much you get will depend on your circumstances and how many children you have – although you can only claim for your first two children, if you have more you will not be able to claim extra for them except in exceptional circumstances. Online support groups for both single and married parents were a lifeline for me during and after my pregnancy. I received so much great advice, and made some fantastic friends. Practicality wise, when preparing for my daughter’s arrival, I bought the majority of my baby items second-hand at garage sales and through classifieds. I still buy lots of fabulous clothes and toys this way!” Why she loves being a single parent

I got into an argument with my daughters father who I as married to for 3 months before we had to flee our home when she was 5 days old. We are separated for 7 months now, Doing counseling but don’t know if we will live together ever again. Moms who receive child support or alimony or otherwise get the financial benefit of a co-parent or partner (but are not married)

You may then receive extra amounts, depending on your circumstances: for example, you can claim money depending on the number of children you have, as follows: Sometimes if were in a group of new people and it's relevant, I'd mentioned that I'm divorced. That's a fact. But I don't want my identity to be “divorced.” Divorce is horrible, even if the net result is positive. I don't want to spend the rest of my life labeled by an atrocious legal process. And I will not let divorce define my family. If you have any questions about exactly what your benefits are, how they could be affected over time and whether you're entitled to more than you're getting, see the resources at the end of the article. What you need to know about Universal Credit and benefits as a single parent For most people, Working Tax Credit has now been replaced with Universal Credit. The only way you can claim it is if you're already claiming Child Tax Credit and aren't already claiming Working Tax Credit, and vice versa.