Single Parent Loans and Benefits
Are you a single parent or carer, living in the UK with a child under the age of 16?
There are a number of government welfare initiatives, benefits, loans, grants and tax credits that you may be qualified to receive. When you are struggling as a single parent, trying to raise children, work part or full time and are under, at or near the poverty line, there are a number of support benefits that you qualify for. Even if you do not qualify for the low income support benefits there are still a number of other grants or tax credits that you may be eligible for. Find all the information you need to get the financial assistance you need right here in this article.
Welfare Benefits
There are multiple loans and benefits that a single parent is entitled to apply for if they have a child under the age of 16, 20 if they are in full time education and lives with the carer parent.
Child Maintenance
The first benefit is not a welfare benefit of the government, but is supported through the legal system after a partnership or marriage ceases to exist. The ex-partner in the marriage or civil union, still bears financial responsibility for their children. As such they are required to pay child maintenance to the primary care giver for the child(ren) from the union.
The child maintenance calculator is maintained by the UK government to give partners that are deciding on the arrangement by themselves an estimate of what the system would prescribe should the matter be taken before the Child Maintenance Service. This statutory amount is only an estimate and may be different in extreme situations. In most circumstances this is only available for ex-partners that live in the UK.
Use the general Benefits calculator to learn about other financial assistance aid you may be entitled to.
Budgeting Loans
These are no-interest loans which are available to help with essential living needs such as white goods, furniture, maternity needs. To be eligible for this loan you must have already been collecting benefits for a 6 month period. Minimal loan amount is £100
Child Benefit
The child benefit is a paid benefit to the primary carer to all parents in the amount of £20.30 a week for the first child and £13.40 for subsequent children per week. This benefit is available for all parents with an income under £50,000. If you or your partner earn over that amount, the benefit will be clawed back.
Also included for all new mums is free dental care and free prescriptions during your pregnancy and until your child reaches 1 year of age. This benefit is available regardless of income.
Statutory Maternity Pay (Paternity)
If you are still pregnant you are also eligible for a statutory payment either from your current employer or directly from the government. You will need to have worked at least the previous 26 weeks before the 15th week before the baby is due, to qualify for the benefit from your employer. If you do not qualify for SMP, you may qualify for Maternity Pay from the government. The base benefit is £136.78 per week or 90% of your weekly wages, whichever is less.
Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
This benefit is specifically if you are trying to find work, but of course is available to single parents. While you are raising a child and are looking for full or part time work you may be eligible for this benefit. However, you need to be active in your job search to be eligible and continue to receive payments.
Income Support
If you have not signed on as unemployed, work less than 16 hours per week, and have a low income than you would also qualify for Income support in addition to the Child Claim and Child Tax Credit. The weekly minimum qualifying amount is £57.90.
Housing Benefit
The housing benefit is specifically for low income earners but will help you pay rent in this situation. As an unemployed primary carer, you would most likely qualify. The benefit depends on income and the housing rates in your location.
There are also heating and housing benefits for cold weather, winter fuel payments and energy saving benefits to improve the efficiency of your home. These are available under certain circumstances at certain times.
Health Benefits
The Healthy Start benefit from the NHS provides weekly vouchers for milk, formula milk, vitamin supplements and even fresh or frozen vegetables for qualifying single parent families. If you are a low income earner, on JSA, IS, or a housing benefit, you most likely qualify.
Learn about other benefit loans and grants here.
Tax Credits
There are also other tax credits that you may be eligible for on top of the above benefits as a single parent.
Child Tax Credit
This tax credit is for parents with children under 16 years of age and depends on your personal situation such as income, disability or childcare expenses. For each child you may be eligible for up to £2,780 and a base amount of £545. Other elements could be added to these amounts depending on your situation as a single parent.
Working Tax Credit
The working tax credit is for those that work at a minimum of 16 hours per week for single parents with at least one child and results in a £2,010 disbursement for the year. This tax credit is paid weekly and you may be eligible for a higher amount if you are also disabled or are paying for childcare.
Childcare Tax Credits
If you are working while raising a child as a single parent you may also be eligible for a childcare tax credit of £122.50 for 1 child or £210 for two children or more, depending on your income. The childcare must also be registered and approved to receive the credit.
Charitable Grants
Most single parents are not even aware of the over 3000 charitable grants available. These grants are often one-time payments to help in a variety of ways for single parent families to get through a particular hardship. It could include bill payments, help through cold weather utility payments, grants for educational courses and other welfare purposes. It’s as easy as searching an online grant search tool to see what fits your criteria.
If you are a single parent struggling to make payments for housing and utilities, and to put food on the table, there are many ways you can probably increase your monthly benefits, tax credit or apply for a charitable grant. Do not live in need, get help today.
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Hello just wondered if I can be eligible for a loan . I am single parent with a child
Budgeting loan from DWP
child tax credit told me to get a loan because they need to sort out my money and it wont be ready for at least 4 weeks please get back in touch with me please
thank you samantha
Hold out Samantha I’ve been waiting 8 weeks for my child tax and it’s still on going.
Hi need help to get the home I need some money if you help me for loans
Just wondering if there is any other financial help I can get. Currently struggling. I have 2 children aged 13 and 7. I haven’t had oil in 2 weeks. The car needed tax and repairs. It’s just so difficult.
Click the one line grant search tool above. It has so many charities & organisations. I just entered my post code & around 30 came up for me.
Hi I am looking for a loan with no interest rate, I am a single parent and my benefits have been messed up this month, I am now overdrawn in my bank, I have no money coming in I need clothes for my child and I need food for the both of us too. If there is any help that can be offered please get back to me as soon as possible I am in desperate need
Thankyou x
Have you tried a budgeting loan. They are changing and possibly stopping the budgeting loan 31st of October 2016 I guess to something like the white goods.
I’m a single mum working part time and can’t make ends meet can anyone help
Please can you help I’m single mum with 2 children but in a difficult situation
Thanks
Hi I’m a single mum of one am struggling financially,etc have no support alone with my son need money to get by this year until at least December can anyone advise or help.
Hello I was on jsa I have been offered a job but will not get no help for my childcare cost deposit and weeks in advance. I am a single mum with 2 children I need a loan really fast. Please advice or help
Please can you help me am a single mum with 2 children am struggling with no job i have applied for several jobs since i left the one i had to travel and look after my dying father. I came back have been applying for so many jobs but no luck. My account is overdrawn i have no food just contemplating suicide as the easy way out am so desparate please help me.
I am a single mother of 3 children and in great difficulty with food and gas and electric im unemployed at the moment and not receiving money for another 2 weeks please can you help
Hi I am looking for a loan with no interest rate, I am a single parent and my benefits have been messed up this month, I have no money coming in I need clothes for my child and I need food for the both of us too. If there is any help that can be offered please get back to me as soon as possible I am in desperate need
Thankyou
Single mum to two young children. One with special needs. Need a loan interest free asap! Having some financial difficulty please help
Would I be accepted for a loan.
I’ve just moved into a property and literally need everything?
Hi! I am a single mum of two children. Need advise on applying for financial support, benefits as I am not employed at the moment, need to rent.
Hi in really bad need of help really struggling single parent with my soon to be 3 year old son got nothing for his bday coming up washer about to brake no food no gas or electric and can’t find help any were. Please help.
I’m single parent could I get help furniture?
Has anyone ever been helped by these charities claiming to help us. All they do is take our details and give excuses or pass on details of other charities. This is not on. All grants I tried on Turn2us have not been helpful. Hope they don’t use our details to clock their numbers, we shouldn’t be quick to give our details to them.They need to be checked.
I am single mum I have two children I have overpment for landlord i don’t have pay rent for him please I want help and I want interpret explain me about role in benefit
Thanks
Hello. I’m a single mum working part time. In 2016 I was overpaid nearly 4.000 pounds by the council.i appealled it 3 times but each time my appeal was refused. I now owe approx 900 pounds. And 314 for council tax. I’m in a ridiculous situation as Im in a labour intensive job part time hours (16) pot washing at busy restaurant, with really really painfull lower back, sometimes to the point of not being able to move. The doctor refuses me stronger painkillers and at the end of Feb signed me off 2 week unfit for work. I’m not entitied to ssp because I hadn’t worked enough hours to qualify due to 4 days off at Xmas and new year. As they don’t count first three days I would’ve got 17 pounds for the last day if I’d have worked over Xmas but I had no childcare so that would’ve been impossible. So it looks like don’t miss work even if I’m in so much pain or I won’t cope without the money. I’m now in constant contact with the council and now have arranged to bring wage slips each month instead of 3 months to eliminate my chances of ever being overpaid again. I was also interviewed under caution for benefit fraud which I did not commit and had to wait 5 weeks for a letter to tell me I didn’t commit it and my case is now closed. So much stress. I’m bascally on top of things now except my £188 pounds water bill. Can I get a no interest loan to pay for this? Our oil ran out before the snow so we coped with a heater which is on loan to us. It’s just the water bill bothering me atm I’ve handled all the other stress couldn’t do it again though! Isn’t life wonderful. Sent from bed as it’s too cold to be up!