ABSTRACT

This chapter reports on findings from the UK Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey, which show that in comparison with the general population and with two-parent families, lone parents experienced more poverty, housing and area deprivation, time stress, debt and social exclusion, and are more likely than other households to report reducing their own consumption in an effort to make ends meet. They also have poorer mental health. While the relationship between mental health, parenting status and poverty is complex, the study reveals worrying levels of mental distress among lone parents in Britain at a time when austerity policies have hit them particularly hard.