Ruth Talbot, campaigner and founder of Single Parent Rights, advocates for equality for single parents in the UK. Here, she tells us that despite it never being her intention to become a campaigner, she felt she had no choice in order to address the inequality that she, and single parents around the UK experience.
I didn’t set out to become a campaigner. I became one because I had to.
Like so many others raising children alone, I’ve watched the systems meant to support families ignore and even actively disadvantage those of us who don’t fit the “traditional” mould. I’ve had rental agents tell me landlords don’t want to rent to single mums. And potential employers dismiss me, not because of my experience or skills, but because they assumed I couldn’t cope.
I’m proud to be a single parent. But that doesn’t mean the system should be designed to ignore and undermine my family set-up, nor the 3 million other single parents across the UK.
The System Hasn’t Caught Up for Single Parent Rights
Despite one in three families experiencing single parenting at some point in the UK, the system doesn’t reflect our reality. We’re left out of policy conversations, or worse still, the rules are designed to (deliberately) exclude us.
Take child benefit, for example. Eligibility is based on individual income rather than household income, which means two-parent households can earn double what a single parent earns before losing entitlement. That’s before even accounting for the fact that single parents often face greater financial pressures overall. How can that be fair?
The impact of the benefit cap is even more extreme. The benefit cap limits the total amount of means-tested support a household can receive if the family is not earning above £846 per month. Almost three-quarters of those impacted are single parents, the vast majority of them mothers with young children. Is it any wonder given that a single parent must meet this threshold alone, while couples can split it between them? Even being on maternity leave doesn’t protect you from the cap. In fact, 11% of those affected have a baby under one.
It’s policies like this that motivated me to set up the group Single Parent Rights to campaign for equality for single parents.
Excluded from Equality
As it stands, directly discriminating against a single parent because they’re a single parent technically isn’t discrimination, because we aren’t protected in the Equality Act 2010. That’s why we’re campaigning to have single parents included in the Act. It’s a simple step that could have a powerful impact, ensuring that single parents are actively considered in policy decisions, not as an afterthought, but as an equal part of society.
But this isn’t just about legislation. It’s about raising awareness, shifting perceptions, and building momentum. It’s about creating a future where being a single parent doesn’t come with added barriers. Where we can focus on raising our kids without navigating extra layers of stigma and discrimination. In our survey of over 1,000 single parents, up to 80% reported experiencing discrimination from Government systems, landlords and workplaces. Surely any group being treated this way deserves to be protected by the law?
Building a Movement
I’m not the only one who thinks so. Across the UK, single parents are speaking up, supporting one another, and pushing for change. I’ve met incredible people through this work – people turning lived experience into action, building support networks, starting campaigns, and changing minds.
We know the system can be better. We know it needs to be better. And we’re not waiting around for permission to demand that change.
The Single Parent Rights campaign I’ve started is just one part of a bigger movement for greater inclusion and equality for single parents. And I hope it helps create the kind of momentum that lifts us all up. Not because single parents need to be “rescued” (we’ve often already done that ourselves), but because we deserve to be treated fairly.
Take Action for Single Parent Rights
If you’re a single parent and would like to get involved, check out our website here. Or contact us on singleparentrights@gmail.com You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook on @SingleParentRights to keep up to date with our campaign actions.
If you’ve been a private renter as a single parent, then please also consider sparing five minutes to complete our current survey here. The stories captured will be used to influence policy makers to ensure landlords and agents don’t discriminate against single parents.
Not a single parent? You can still get involved, following our campaigns and sharing our calls to action.
Single parent discrimination isn’t just about a few bad policies – it’s baked into how our systems are designed. By coming together, we can overcome the stigma that allows this discrimination to continue. This isn’t just about single parents. It’s about children. It’s about families. And it’s about fairness.
Isn’t it also about time?
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