100 signatures reached
To: Single parents
parents who hold parental responsibility should both provide equally for the upbringing of a child
Legislation needs to be put in place to ensure that both parents who hold parental responsibility over children must equally share the cost of upbringing them. To understand the struggles that single parents face and the constant financial battle the main care giver has when trying to bring up children alone.
Change the child maintenance system and ease the constant daily struggles that single parents face bringing up children alone.
Why is this important?
With the benefits cap having a detrimental impact on families especially those bringing children up alone, action needs to be taken on those parents who ignore the importance of their role of holding parental responsibility and pay the minimum child maintenance, which impacts on the main care giver meeting the needs of each individual child in their care.
Action needs to be taken, and consideration should be made into the
costs single parents face such as health, education and daily activities to promote social skills. These costs should be met equally by both parents who hold Parental responsibilities. The new child maintenance system is failing so many families and leaving them facing severe financial hardship.
Child maintenance doesn't take into account the £350 each year spent on buying new school uniform or school resources. Nor do they take into account the rise in child care costs or the weekly recreational activities that children undertake. The main caregiver is the one struggling to make ends meet ''robbing Peter to pay Paul'' to pay bills as tax credits and child benefit don't take into consideration the additional costs that these parents make to meet their Child's everyday needs. Both parents should equally pay for these everyday needs
