Press release: Single parent families struggling as incomes fail to cover essential costs

02/10/2026

News

One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS), Scotland’s national charity supporting single parent families, is seeing families struggle to meet essential costs across its frontline services.

The findings, published in OPFS’s latest Single Parent Impact Report,  draw on evidence from across the charity’s services during July and August 2026.

One parent supported by OPFS was Michelle*, a single mum who was in rent arrears and had been threatened with eviction by her private landlord. Despite agreeing a repayment plan, she was struggling to cover the rent.

A benefit check confirmed Michelle* was receiving everything she was entitled to. However, the Benefit Cap meant the amount of Universal Credit her family could receive was reduced by almost £700 each month. This left her with significantly less income to support her family.

Scott Collatin, OPFS Glasgow & East Renfrewshire Service Manager, said:

“We are increasingly supporting single parent families who are doing everything they can but simply don’t have enough income to meet essential living and housing costs.

“Advice provides an essential lifeline for families navigating the system, but it cannot make an insufficient income adequate.

“When policies such as the Benefit Cap significantly reduce the income a family has to live on, there is a limit to what advice alone can achieve.”

The report highlights the particular financial pressures single parents face as both the sole carer and earner for their families, with no other household income to fall back on.

When incomes are already stretched, one unexpected cost or change in circumstances can quickly lead to unmanageable debt. The pressure of trying to cover essentials can also affect family wellbeing and limit opportunities for children to thrive.

Charis Chittick, OPFS Head of Policy, Strategy and Communications, said:

“In a just and compassionate Scotland, everyone should have enough to live with dignity. But right now, across our services, we are seeing single parent families struggling because the income they have simply isn’t enough.

“Families are being let down by a system that is stacked against them. It doesn’t have to be this way.

“As we head into winter, rising energy costs will put even more pressure on families already struggling to cover essentials.

“We need urgent action from both the UK and Scottish Governments that delivers on the things that matter most and invests in a better future for all of us.”

OPFS is calling for urgent action from both the Scottish and UK Governments to increase family incomes, including through the Scottish Child Payment, progress towards a Minimum Income Guarantee and reforms to Universal Credit including scrapping the Benefit Cap.

*name changed to protect identity