All in the Same Boat? Episode 5 – Parenting on a low income

It almost goes without saying, but raising children when you don’t have much money is tough. Most parents want the best for their children, but the pressures of raising children when you can’t afford the basics creates enormous stress.  And, as all parents know, when they are worried their children worry too.

All of this is even more difficult if you are doing it on your own. There are two million single parents with the majority care for their children in Britain today. That’s one in four families with children. Children in single-parent families are twice as likely to live in poverty as children in couple families.

The majority of single parents are working, but two-thirds of them say finances are still a constant struggle. And while there’s no such thing as a typical single parent, nearly three quarters have experienced stereotyping or prejudice. Single parents do a brilliant job, and being a child to a single parent can be a wonderful experience, but paying the bills and juggling both work and family life is undoubtedly a huge challenge.

Join Peta Todd – writer, presenter, model and busy mum of 4 children – as she looks at what it means to be parent on a low income.  And, in particular, the challenges, stigma and struggles around being a single parent.  Peta is joined by Victoria Benson, CEO of Gingerbread, the leading national charity working with single-parent families and Buttle UK’s Joe Howes.

Listen to the episode on Spotify.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts.