95% of single parents have been worried about the rising cost of essentials over the last 12 months, compared with 57% of UK adults.
The cost of living crisis, caused by soaring energy bills, inflation and tax hikes, has already seen over a quarter of single parent families go without food, new data has revealed.
The data, which shows just how much of a devastating impact the cost of living crisis is having, was based on research carried out by Savanta ComRes for Gingerbread, a charity which supports single parent families.
The findings also showed that 95% of single parents have been worried about the rising cost of essentials over the last 12 months, compared with 57% of UK adults.
Single parents are also twice as likely to have felt depressed because of money worries than UK adults.
The figures show that 29% of single parents have had to cut back or go without food and meals for themselves, compared with 15% of UK adults and that more than a third of single parents (36%) have had to cut back or go without heating, compared with 1 in 5 (21%) of UK adults.
62% of single parents also say that they either won’t be able to afford, or aren’t confident they will be able to afford, further cost of living hikes due in April.
Victoria Benson, Chief Executive of Gingerbread, said: “This research shows there is a stark and marked difference between the experience of single parents and the rest of the UK population. People come to be single parents for lots of reasons – some because of bereavement, some because of domestic abuse or relationship breakdown, others have decided to ‘go it alone’ from the start. Single parents are resourceful and resilient but they have a breaking point and the cost-of-living crisis is pushing many beyond it.
“I’ve heard heartbreaking stories of single parents not eating so they can afford food for their children, families living in single rooms, as that’s all they can afford to heat and parents at breaking point because of the mental load they carry.
“Children shouldn’t be forced into poverty just because of the shape of their family, parents shouldn’t experience depression because they can’t see a way out of the desperate financial situation they’re in.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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