World Single Parent Day: Every benefit you can claim as a single parent

With the cost of living set to rise, UK families are facing the biggest fall in real income in nearly 50 years, and single parents are likely to be among the worst affected.

To mark World Single Parent Day on March 21, the experts at money.co.uk have put together a useful guide to explain what benefits you could be entitled to as a single parent.

James Andrews, Senior Personal Finance Adviser at money.co.uk, said: “Single parents don’t always have access to the income or childcare support that co-parents have, so if you’re struggling financially, it’s worth knowing exactly what support you might be entitled to.

“While there can be a social stigma around claiming benefits, it’s important to remember that they are available for a reason.

“Your first line of financial support is Universal Credit. In the past you may have been able to claim working tax credit and child tax credit, the government has now consolidated all benefits under Universal Credit.

“Universal Credit is a monthly allowance from the government, to help you cover basic necessities like food, rent and bills. If you are over the age of 18, unemployed or on low income, you can apply for Universal Credit via the government website.

“You can also claim an additional allowance if you have children. Most people can receive support for their first two children, although there are some circumstances where you can claim for three or more. It’s worth checking your eligibility on the government website.

“If you earn too much to claim Universal Credit, the next most common scheme of financial support is Child Benefit. This usually works as a monthly allowance, equaling around £21.42 a week for your first child, and an additional £14 a week for each child after.

“Only one person can claim this benefit, so make sure that any other care-givers are aware if you want to apply, as you cannot both make a claim.

“It goes without saying that losing your partner is an incredibly difficult event to deal with. So, if your husband, wife or civil partner has passed away and you’re struggling financially, you may be eligible for a bereavement support payment.

“Your loss must have taken place in the past 21 months, however in special circumstances, you may still be able to receive this benefit after that. It’s worth checking the government website to see if you can apply.

“If you already claim child benefit you will receive the higher rate of pay: this consists of one payment of £3,500, and 18 monthly payments of £350. If you do not claim child benefit then you will receive the lower rate: consisting of one £2,500 payment and 18 monthly payments of £100.

“Another huge financial difficulty for many single parents is coping with childcare payments. The government has multiple schemes in place to ease the burden.

“For anyone who has children aged 3 or 4 you’re entitled to 15 hours free childcare, regardless of your employment status. If you’re currently employed, this increases to 30 free hours a week.

“You can also apply for 15 hours free childcare if you have a 2-year-old, however, you will only be eligible if you’re already receiving another government benefit like Universal Credit. You can check your eligibility for all free childcare on the government website here.

“Another way you can get childcare support is by setting up a tax-free childcare account via the government website. You can use this account to pay for your childcare, provided you are earning less than £100,000, and are not receiving Universal Credit or tax credits.

“By using this account, you can pay 80% of your childcare costs, per eligible child, into the account, and the government will pay the other 20%. The scheme is capped at £10,000, meaning you could get a max of £2,000 towards your childcare each year.

“Another thing it’s worth being aware of is free school meals. In England, all children in state school are entitled to free school meals in reception and Years 1 and 2. If you live in Scotland, all children are entitled to free school meals up to year 5 in state schools.

“Beyond this, if you’re receiving Universal Credit, or another benefit including Income Support and Child Tax credit, you can claim free school meals for your child from year 3 up, right until they finish school.

“If you’re expecting a child, you can use our free calculator to work out how much parental leave you’re entitled to: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/parental-leave-calculator”