Lone Parenting on a Low Income: Remaining Resilient

I am a lone parent living in North East England, I have four children, three boys and a baby girl. My strength is that I am always ready to take up new challenges, meet new people and strive for excellence. I believe in myself and that hard work will fulfill everything, however, this belief is becoming more difficult, as the cost of living crisis has caused and increased struggles making it hard to be the parent I want to be.

We all want the best for our kids, but for parents like me living on a low income we don’t have enough to stretch resources to give our children what they need. It is very sad when your kids want something but you know you can’t give it to them, even though you really want to.

It all adds up: baby nappies and daily expenses are harder every day. My baby has stopped breastfeeding. So, I have started buying Formula which is another problem as it is very expensive.

I want people to understand my struggles and know that they are not alone. Being a single mother without work is very hard; I often have to spend over £100 each week on family essentials.

If I could change one thing about the support offered is to give everyone a weekly gift card to parents. This can allow parents to buy what they need and can positively decrease stress at home. I want people to know about my experience and that it is something we can change. For now, I carry on remaining hopeful until change happens.

I have learned that I have to be happy with the little that I have and have to be happy for my kids, if they see me crying they become sad. But life shouldn’t be like this. We need real change.

Some key changes that would make a meaningful difference in my life include more affordable housing and lower utility costs, such as gas and electricity. Increasing the child benefit would also provide my family with greater financial security.

As the Government prepares to publish its Child Poverty strategy, I strongly recommend that they go beyond gift card vouchers. Expanding housing voucher schemes, increasing support amounts, and ensuring accessible, high-quality food assistance would make a real and lasting difference in many families' lives.