Your Voice Your Vote: 'Single parents are forgotten'

Jane Bailey says she doesn't trust the political parties to tackle the rising cost of living

A single mother has said she feels “forgotten” by political parties in the UK as she struggles to make ends meet.

Jane Bailey, 54, from Walsall, works to put her 18-year-old son through university as well as keep a roof over her head and now dreads her looming retirement as she is unable to build her savings.

She is among the many people who got in touch with the BBC via Your Voice, Your Vote to tell us that financial support for single parents is the most important issue for them in this election.

“You can’t get any benefits if you’re in the middle, working as much as you can but there’s no assistance,” she said.

Ms Bailey said she was unsure of who to vote for as she does not trust candidates have prioritised a fix for the rising cost of living.

The retail customer service assistant works 24 hours a week but says company budget constraints means she cannot often pick up extra shifts to boost her earnings.

With her son living away in his first year of his journalism studies at Nottingham Trent University, she has felt the pinch of contributing to his day-to-day expenses.

She told BBC Radio WM: “I feel very disengaged with what is going on. I think there are forgotten people that neither of the big sides are tackling.

“These are individuals who work as many hours as they possibly can but because of the cost of living they are scraping to survive.

“We are the forgotten people, mostly those who are single parents - both mums and dads.

Poll tracker: How do the parties compare?

Voting: Who can I vote for in the general election?

General election 2024: All BBC stories and analysis

Your Voice, Your Vote: Tell us the issues that matter to you

Set to retire in 11 years, she expressed concerns about whether or not she will receive a pension that she can live on.

“When you’re single and on your own, you’re really on your own and it has a major impact on mental health, you can’t go out or do anything because you can’t afford it. They aren’t tackling these issues at all.”

Gingerbread, a charity that advocates for single parents, is urging politicians to consider the challenges facing families, including enabling them to find work that matches their skills and have access to a fair and adequate welfare system.

“Children in single-parent households shouldn’t have to go without essentials, due to systemic injustice and inequality. That’s why we’re working hard to ensure that single parents are not forgotten but are a priority for political parties,” the charity said.

The main political parties have promised measures to help people manage their finances through the cost of living crisis, from those needing support with childcare right through to pension reforms.

BBC News approached the parties for specific details of their policies to benefit single parents. They are yet to respond, but their manifestos include various economic policies aimed at families and individuals:

• The Conservatives say they will cut taxes to help individuals, including reducing National Insurance and making sure income tax is not payable on pensions. They also plan to continue the roll out of 30 hours free childcare for children over nine months old.

• The Green Party says it will tackle the climate crisis to ease the cost of living for families - it also wants to provide free home insulation and invest in renewable energy technologies.

• Labour says it would create a "genuine living wage" and aims to save families hundreds of pounds a year on bills by creating a publicly-owned clean energy company. It also pledges 30 hours free childcare for children over nine months old.

• The Liberal Democrats want to reduce waits for universal credit. They also pledge to ensure pensions will increase by 2.5% a year.

• Reform UK says it will lift the income tax threshold to £20k and scrap energy levies and Net Zero to slash householders' bills.

What really matters to you in this general election? What is the one issue that will influence your vote? Click the button below to submit your idea, and it could be featured on the BBC.