What Can I Claim as a Single Parent?

Benefits

What Can I Claim as a Single Parent?

By Unknown →

Single parenthood, may have resulted from a divorce, death of spouse, legal adoption or bearing a child out of marriage. Whatever the causes are, the responsibilities of a single parent cannot be taken lightly. One can get caught in a maze of limited time and finances, with a parent-child relationship to consider.

A single parent can work vigorously day till night and still not be able to provide enough for the family. With bills to shoulder and children to feed, there is a great tendency for one to feel helpless.

It is therefore important to know one’s rights. What can I claim as a single parent? , this is a question a person must be able to answer. Nowadays, there is available information in the internet. A person can readily check online for websites hosted by government agencies that deal with single parent benefits.

However, it is important to thoroughly check the authenticity of the website and the information being provided. A lone parent can also go directly to welfare agencies to personally ask about entitlement to benefits or allowances. Keeping oneself informed is a great way to start.

Benefits, grants and the amount of allowances differ in various countries and even states. Qualifications and procedures in granting these pensions are also not the same. What is applicable in one area may be entirely different – or not possible – in another area.

P.C:- Purple Sherbet

The key is to check agencies locally to find out what benefit is available. Single parent benefits may include housing, scholarships for parents or children, financial assistance to pay bills, meal allowances, etc. but it will also depend on the financial capacity of the country where one resides.

Furthermore, pensions are not available for all. Governments usually require a particular level of income for a person to qualify.

The Irish government maintains a Citizens Information website to keep people informed about available benefits. In Ireland, for instance, people have what they call One-Parent Family Payment OPF) which is provided to single mothers and fathers under the age of 66.

A person can either be the biological and custodial parent, a step parent or the legal guardian of the child. A sole parent must also have an income of €425 or less weekly. A single parent, who has been married, must also ensure that efforts have been made to seek maintenance or support from the other partner.

If a parent is working for 19 hours a week, he or she can claim Family Income Supplement (FIS) while still claiming One-Parent Family Payment (OPF). A parent may also be entitled to Rent Supplement, if one meets the qualifications.

If one is self-employed, he or she may be entitled to Back to Work Enterprise Allowance or JobBridge – the National Internship Scheme. In Hongkong, a single parent is entitled to a personal allowance amounting to HK$120,000 yearly while a married person is entitled to HK$240,000 based on Hongkong 2012-13 Tax Facts posted on EY Building a Better World website.

Benefits and allowances can be a relief for single parents. For this reason, they must ensure that they have accurate information about what they are entitled to.

They need all the help they can get and getting that help can allow them to enjoy parenthood more. In a way, they will not feel so alone in this journey.

Next Article:- Financial Help for Single Mothers

Abuse of Single Mum Benefits

Benefits

Abuse of Single Mum Benefits

By Unknown →

There is no doubt that single parents need assistance from the government. With all the daily responsibilities that they have to accomplish, single parent benefits are absolutely necessary.

But how certain is the government that all the parents who are availing these benefits (intended for single parents) are ACTUALLY single? Is it possible that some parents may pretend that they are single or separated to avail such benefits?

Believe it or not, single parent benefits package in some places like the US or the UK can be quite attractive.

Though most lone parents, especially mothers, are hurt by other people’s prejudices and allegations that they should immediately join the workforce, there might be some truth in saying that providing high pensions or allowances to single parents somehow discourage them from working.

At the same time, it also encourages even those who are not single to pretend they are single just so they can avail these benefits. What happens then is that there are undeserving people who are dishonestly receiving benefits that deserving single parents should be receiving.

Image Credit: USAG- Humphreys

In an article written by Chris Pleasance, Nurse with Three Children Lies to Benefits Bosses Claiming She Was a Single Parent.., it was discovered only last September that Cheryl Henwood, a 46-year-old nurse and a mother of three had been pretending to be a single parent and had been dishonestly claiming benefits for seven years.

In reality, she was still living with her husband and both parents are actually earning enough for the family. Furthermore, what was even more devastating was that the whole family was living luxuriously using this money to spend on Disney Trips and other expensive things. With all the property she acquired, she was already capable of paying what she stole.

In an article written by Helen Barnett and Owen Bennett, Council Told Me I’d be Better Off On Benefits, Says Single Mum recently featured the story of a single mom, Chelsea Press, who had a different experience.

A single mom who loved her work and wanted to set a good example to her child, she worked for 27 hours a week. However, because she was working, the single mum benefits she received were usually not enough.

She sought help from her District Council but instead of helping her and providing moral support, she was advised that she can cope more and have higher benefits if she was not working. But Chelsea believed otherwise.

For her, not working and just waiting for benefits to arrive is a sign of dependence and that is not how she wants to raise her child. She wants to show her child that while it is important to seek additional help when needed, it is also important to stand on one’s feet and work to provide for one’s family and to help other people with one’s services.

The two stories of mothers make a stark contrast in terms of intentions, struggles and experiences. Both have goals of providing the best for their children – but with different means. One displayed how she was raising her children through dishonesty while the other was raising her children with strong values.

It is a harsh reality that there are loopholes in the system, a system that may not need to be perfect, but a system that requires a deeper change. Benefits should be given to those who are in need of them and if that purpose is not served, then this system defeats its purpose.

Next Article:- What Can I Claim as a Single Parent?

Single Parent Pension: Holding on Till the Last Drop

Benefits

Single Parent Pension: Holding on Till the Last Drop

By Unknown →

Time and again, single parents need to answer endless questions about whether they truly deserve to get pensions. They always need to defend themselves from critics, and they do, especially when this concerns not just their welfare but also their children’s.

Why is there a need for single parent pension? For one, single parents’ time have to be literally divided among various responsibilities such as taking care of their children, working part-time (or full-time if it is even possible) and handling household errands.

These are just some of the activities that take chunks of their time. Their responsibilities do not end in merely feeding their children or watching over them.

Once their children start going to school, parents are also required to attend PTCs (Parent-Teacher Conferences) to get feedback about how their children are doing or watch their children perform.

On a regular basis, they need to bring them to the doctor or to the dentist and accompany their children when they go on playdates. They have quite a long list of responsibilities and roles.

Now since they are partly taking care of the children and are getting involved in their children’s school activities, they will most likely not be able to work full-time. Not being able to work full-time has lots of disadvantages in terms of pay, benefits and career growth.

P.C: USAG- Humphreys

But their situation usually leaves them no choice. They also have their relationship with their children to nurture and prioritize and they want to create a balance between work and family as much as possible.

As single parents, the last thing that they would want is not to have time for their children. They need to work but their children also need them. They cannot just work like there is no tomorrow because their children will be waiting for them – and they will not be children forever.

Most of them, then, have to work part-time unless they have grandparents, relatives or caregivers who are willing to keep an eye on them will they work full-time. In other cases, single parents cannot work at all due to a lot of factors.

Not all can afford childcare. Furthermore, education is a key factor, especially for single moms who have not taken a higher degree of education.

Consequently, in as much as they want to find a well-paying job to be good providers, it is difficult for them because they are not qualified in terms of educational background, skills and experience.

Temporarily, government assistance can really help them a great deal to get their degree and eventually land a job with a promising career opportunity.

While they are in the process of getting their education or getting employed, realistically sufficient pensions, among their other single parent benefits can lead them and their children to survive the horrible fate of drowning in poverty.

For instance, in Australia, there has been a devastating reduction of single parent pensions which took effect early this year. Though they are given Newstart allowances, these are not sufficient to support their families.

There is nothing wrong about the government’s intention to encourage single parents to work. But the factors mentioned earlier must be taken into great consideration before arriving at a decision to make a significant cut from the pensions.

The underlying issues are not just about forcing single parents to work, there are more to be studied and analyzed.

It might help if the government will study single parents’ cases extensively, categorize, to determine who among them badly needs assistance, find out the root cause of their difficulty and how they can be helped.

Next Article:- Single Mum Benefits

Government Help for Single Parents: A Reality No More

Benefits

Government Help for Single Parents: A Reality No More

By Unknown →

In the past years, government help for single parents in some countries was very much available. The government recognized the necessity to provide financial support for these parents, which made the situation easier for them.

But recently, more countries are beginning to reduce or withdraw single parent benefits.

On January 1, this year, Australia’s federal government made substantial cuts to single parenting payments (when the youngest child turns 8) of around $110 a week which caused a very negative reaction from the concerned parents.

Even the United Nations asked the government to explain the reason for this drastic change.

Last April, a rally was organized by the Single Parent Action Group, along with the help of the National Council of Single Mothers and their Children to express their vexation towards this decision which affected 80,000 families.

It has been reported that a lot of these parents have desperately considered of committing suicide when this took effect. Other single mothers have resorted to prostitution because they cannot see how they and their children can survive.

Image By: USAG- Humphreys

Last August, the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and National Council of Single Mothers and their Children launched the Have a Heart: Say No to Child Poverty campaign to air their recommendations to alleviate poverty and at the same time help low-income single parents in what is considered as one of the richest countries in the world.

Their proposal aims to make a fairer revision of the family payment system, targeting the help mainly for those who are in need.

Recently, in England, changes in government policies involving benefits of single parents illicit feelings of frustration from single parents who are trying their best to make ends meet for their children.

But aside from the reduction of parenting payments, their justification for receiving financial support is being questioned and contested.

In an article written by Rebecca Omonira-Oyekanmi, Government Policy is Forcing Single Parents Into Poverty, a distraught parent shares her difficulty in handling finances and her suffering from prejudices for being a single parent, which is experienced by most women.

This parent feels like she is being punished for being in such a situation. The austerity policies of the government which will be effective until 2015/ 2016, show that single parents will be the most affected among different types of families.

Their income will be reduced by around 15.1%, couples with children by around 9.7% and couples without children by around 4.1%. Factors affected by this loss include housing, higher education or training and tax and spending changes.

The devastating changes in government policies have brought single parents down to poverty. It is a very unfortunate predicament for single parents when such unavoidable changes made by the government occur.

It does not mean that they entirely depend on the government for support but they are hoping for more help since childcare services are expensive. Despite having a job, low-income single parents’ efforts are insufficient in managing the finances for the entire household.

The government’s decisions may be a result of various economic conditions in the country.

But it cannot be disregarded that the high reduction of benefits of single parents as compared to other families may come from painful and prejudiced views that single parents, particularly mothers, do not deserve much help from the government because they brought themselves to such situation.

Next Article:- Single Parent Pension

Parents Without Partners: Thriving on Support

Benefits

Parents Without Partners: Thriving on Support

By Unknown →

Whether they like it or not, single parents need to be doubly strong for their children because their little angels depend on them for almost anything: food, clothes, shelter, love, guidance and a lot more.

Aside from all these, they need to assume plenty of roles in their household: mother or father, financer, audience (for children’s ‘presentations’), a playmate or accomplice for pretend play and so much more.

But what they sometimes forget is that they are also human beings who may indeed be able to take care of their basic necessities – but have other needs that must be addressed as well. They also need to take care of their health for their children.

They also long for a hug when they feel lonely, a shoulder to cry on when there are just too much things to handle, words of praise or a pat on the back for a job well done, a brief time out with friends. With all the demands of their everyday life as single parents, they simply need a break.

Fortunately, there are many organizations that act as support groups for single parents. Aside from single parent benefits that they receive, joining these groups is another beneficial thing that can bring them back on their feet and sustain their energy.

These groups encourage parents to join and participate in activities with their children. There are also activities specifically designed for single parents only.

These activities give them a chance to be involved, to have someone to talk to, to mingle and have fun. Eventually, they feel good about themselves and happy to be a part of something important, something for both their children and them – and something that does not make them feel different.

Parents Without Partners (PWP) is the largest international non-profit organization, dedicated to help and address the needs of single parents and children. This group also has various chapters in the US and Canada and has sponsored plenty of events and meetings.

The members are very active in managing events and often have schedules during weekdays and weekends. The events have become venues for single parents to meet other sole parents who are willing to be in relationships.

As a result, a lot have been engaged and married. This group offers exciting activities for parents and children like picnic, dance events, trips to the museum and amusement park, going to the beach, camping, going to the zoo, etc.

These activities allow both parents and children to gain confidence in socializing with other people. In addition, parents without partners are able to get tips or advice from other parents about how to deal with everyday concerns.

They are drawn towards the realization that they are not alone in this world.  Knowing and understanding how others cope with similar situations can help them view parenting with a more positive outlook in life.

The dawning of new friendships, not just for their children but also for themselves rewards them with feelings of relief, happiness and gratitude.

Next Article:- Government Help for Single Parents

Single Parent Advice

Benefits

Single Parent Advice

By Unknown →

Coping is one of the most challenging things that single parents need to go through as they take the sole responsibility of raising their children. Financial burden can be lightened by single parent benefits provided by the government and non-profit organizations.

But dealing with unavoidable questions that parents must respond to is something more difficult. Children are keen observers by nature and are curious about the world around them, the people around them.  They compare themselves with other people and with other families.

It is but natural that they wonder why they only have one parent. While older children may be more aware of the situation, younger children may not easily comprehend why, despite explanations.

Even while older children may have witnessed what happened, such as their parents going through a divorce, the custodial parent will have to take the time to assess their young emotions. What can be going on in their innocent minds that may not seem so obvious?

Because of this, it is important for a parent to get an appropriate single parent advice from experts in the field and from people who have been in the same shoes. When talking to children, being honest is necessary.

However, this does not mean that one has to discuss this lengthily and in detail. Parents must prepare the explanation beforehand so that they do not get caught off guard when children suddenly begin to ask questions. Explanations must be brief and simple enough for children to understand.

While it is true that parents may have argued and fought prior to a divorce or separation, this kind of fact or any negative detail about the other partner is not something that should be related to young children.

A parent must choose his or her words carefully, to ensure that these words do the purpose of clarifying rather than confusing. Furthermore, their minds are not yet capable of processing such very complicated adult information.

If the children still have ongoing communication with the non-custodial parent, then it is best to allow them to maintain their positive father-and-children relationship despite living arrangements.

This will help the children adjust to the changes in the family situation, knowing some things have changed and some things have not. But if the father has not communicated with the children and does not show any signs of interest for doing so, then it is better not to give children false hopes or ideas.

Dr. Phil McGraw, a well-known mental health professional shares similar sound advice for single moms.  According to him, mothers should not force an unwilling father to be involved.

In the same way, it is not advisable to force the child’s father to talk or to have a relationship with the child when the father refuses to because this will have negative effects on the child. This may lead the child towards feelings of confusion and rejection – and these are not healthy for them.

At the same time, Dr. Phil acknowledges the importance of having a father figure for the child but a good single mother is also more than capable of providing her child a good family – even without a father.

Like married couples, single parents also need to cope and to adjust. Life may not be easy for them, but given the help and advice that they need, then they will be able to gather enough strength to deal with struggles in a more positive and productive way.

Next Article:- Parents Without Partners

Loans for Single Parents: Are These a Necessity?

Benefits

Loans for Single Parents: Are These a Necessity?

By Unknown →

Finances are being handled solely by single parents and most of these parents, whose income are low enough to qualify, can actually be given a whole lot of assistance ranging from pensions to scholarship grants not only for themselves but also for their children.

But not all single parents qualify for such single parent benefits. Those people whose income is too high to qualify might also be too low to provide all the things needed in raising children on their own. On top of this, unexpected things that are beyond one’s means happen.

Emergency situations call for immediate actions or solutions. It is during these instances that lone parents must apply for loans. Some opt to apply at the bank, private financing companies and government.

There are different types of loans for single parents. There are several loan programs that people can actually choose from provided that they meet the prerequisites. One type of loan available is the bad credit.  People can apply for bank loans but have high interest rates.

Another kind of loan is the secured loan where one has to present collateral in order to qualify for loan application. Collaterals may include house and lot, home appliances, cars, etc. Once a person is unable to pay then the collateral will have to be taken by the loan company in exchange for the unpaid loan.

Collaterals are usually required for bigger loan amounts. Business loans, on the other hand are for those who are planning to put up a small business. Housing Loans also require collaterals because of the high loan amount.

Usually, the required collateral is the land title of the house and lot that the borrower will purchase. In cases when the borrower fails to pay for the house or becomes a delinquent payer, then the creditor will have to keep the land title for good and acquire this property.

Housing loans from the government usually have lower interest rates and have more considerations.  There are also personal cash loans and emergency loans which are usually in small amounts. There are such things as same payday loans, wherein, from the word itself, one can apply for loan in cash and get it on the same day, sometimes within an hour.

P.C: USAG- Humphreys

In Western Australia, the government has initialized the Keystart Home Loan. This loan is particularly designed for parents, married or single, who have low-income.

Once they apply for home loan, the Department of Housing shall buy 20 to 30% of the property (based on certain criteria and qualifications) and the rest shall be paid by the borrower.

In the UK, there are non-government financing companies such as the UK Business Funding Centre, which can offer a variety of loans such as no-interest or low-interest loans ranging from £1,500 – £10 million.

The important thing that a person must remember is to check his or her own capacity to pay for a particular loan prior to application. Furthermore, it is necessary to match one’s own requirements with the criteria provided to qualify for loan application.

Most of the time, single parents apply for loans because they are not aware of the grants available.  With grants, they do not need to pay back and do not have to suffer from interest rates. Grants, however, may take longer than usual.

In cases when grants or pensions are not sufficient, loans can assist single parents to address their immediate needs.

Next Article:- Single Parent Advice

Help for Single Mothers: Is it a Must or a Burden?

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Help for Single Mothers: Is it a Must or a Burden?

By Unknown →

While it is already widely accepted that single motherhood is something not out of the ordinary, there are still some speculations about its long-term effects on children’s physical, social and emotional development.

It is true that help for single mothers are indeed accessible but a very recent research cited by Angela Bruns in her article, Can Marriage Promotion Help Children Growing Up with Single Mothers? suggests that by being unwed, single moms are becoming too dependent not only in terms of finances but also in other things.

Still, it was contradicted, because marriage is not that easy for everyone. Getting married or staying single can be a result of underlying cultural factors and differences and promoting marriage is not enough to encourage single women to get married.

In Bruns' article, it was mentioned that Hispanic women are twice more likely to become single women than white women while black women are thrice more likely to become single women than white women.

Furthermore, black women are less likely to get married especially for those who are educationally disadvantaged. Surprisingly, culture and race have roles in the occurrence of single motherhood.

Image By: USAG- Humphreys

Are single mothers becoming a burden to the government and the community? Not all single mothers are unemployed and not all of them are single mothers by choice (adopting single parents). Some of them become sole parents because their situation has forced them to.

Divorce and death are just among the reasons.  But who wants to be in such a situation? The last thing that they want is for their marriage to end. More so, no one will definitely want their partner to die. There are also single people who simply cannot find the ‘right’ partner and just end up adopting and being single.

Universally speaking, humanity dictates that single mothers or parents deserve to be helped. It is perhaps the reason why they are given single parent benefits, pensions or whatever assistance that can make their lives at least easier to handle while raising their children.

And contrary to what has been earlier stated, while it is better to have both parents rearing their children, marriage does not necessarily guarantee that children will grow up well in a wonderful and loving family. To a great extent, other factors must be taken into consideration.

Mary Parke’s research, Are Married Parents Really Better for Children? discusses that it is not just the idea of having both parents and a complete family. It also relies on the kind of people these parents are and perhaps, the quality of time they spend with each other and with their children, among other factors.

In fact, there are also researches that reveal the positive experiences of children raised in a single-parent family. Most children from single-parent families actually grow up without any significant problems.

Although the primary goal is for children to have a happy and complete family, it is a reality that this shall not always be the case. In such circumstances when having both parents together with their children is just not possible, then it is but right to assist parents in bringing up their children in happy single-parent families.

In each country, there are different forms of aid given to single mothers. Germany, UK and USA are among those that provide good benefits to single mothers. Other countries – and states – may not provide similar kind of benefits, allowances or grants but one can take advantage of all the help that is available and possible.

After all, it is not right to judge single mothers for being in such situations. There are just numerous factors causing and affecting the circumstances that they are in, as mentioned earlier in this article, such as race and culture and these are, to a large extent, beyond people’s understanding, beyond a complete and fast change.

Next Article:- Loans for Single Parents