According to a study carried out by the charity Gingerbread, almost half of all single parents have had to borrow money in the last two years in order to cover the cost of childcare.
The research found that even after lone-parent subsidies are paid out, on top of the parent’s wage, it is still not enough to cover childcare fees, with 47% of subjects having to borrow money from family, friends or banks to afford the service.
Commenting on the concerning statistics, Gingerbread’s chief executive, Fiona Weir, said: “Childcare costs are putting single parent families under severe financial strain. Childcare just isn’t affordable for many and it is very worrying that single parents are having to turn to friends and family, banks and credit cards to try and cover costs.”
Ms Weir took the opportunity to call on the Government to provide more support to parents in need, and to do so sooner rather than later.
“We welcome government plans to increase the amount of support available – but the cap on costs means too many single parents will see little benefit. The government must honour its commitment to make work pay and swiftly bring in extra financial support – parents can’t afford to wait any longer” she added.
