Resources and Grants Providing Financial Help for Single Parents
Parents in Australia are under tremendous financial pressure from all sides. Raising a child is expensive as it is – let alone during a cost of living crisis or if you’ve got to do it on one income.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there are 1.2 million one-parent families in the country, with 78% of those being single mothers. Worryingly, as the cost of raising a child continues to increase, another study found that 34% of those sole-parent households are in poverty.
With parents having to make their money stretch further, financial assistance for single mothers and fathers has become vital. Let’s take a look at some of the main resources and grants that offer help for single parents in Australia.
Government resources for single parents
If you’re a single parent, there are several support mechanisms from the Australian government which can help you.
Family Tax Benefit
The Family Tax Benefit helps Australian families, up to a certain income level, with the costs of raising children. To qualify for this two-part payment, you will need to:
- have a dependent child or full-time secondary student aged 16 to 19 who isn’t getting a pension, payment or benefit like Youth Allowance.
- care for the child for at least 35% of the time.
- meet an income test.
Read the full conditions for eligibility here.
Child Care Subsidy
The Child Care Subsidy (CSS) offers financial assistance for single mothers and fathers who need help with the cost of childcare. To get CSS you must:
- care for a child 13 or younger who’s not attending secondary school, unless an exemption applies.
- use an approved child care service.
- be responsible for paying the child care fees.
- meet residence and immunisation requirements.
Read the full conditions for eligibility here.
Parenting Payment
The Parenting Payment Single (PPS) is an income support payment available to single parents and other principal carers who have sole or primary responsibility for the care of a young child. To get the payment you must meet the following criteria:
- be under the income and asset test limits.
- meet principal carer rules for a child under 14 if you’re single, or under 6 if you have a partner.
- meet residence rules.
- your partner is not currently getting Parenting Payment.
Read the full conditions for eligibility here.
JobSeeker Payment – Principal Carer
The JobSeeker Payment is available for the main care provider of a dependent child under 16 who needs support finding a job. You need to be responsible for the day-to-day care, welfare and development of the child. To get the payment, there are tasks and activities you must agree to do.
Additional government payments
Depending on your personal situation, you may be eligible for other payments or benefits from the Australian Government. While they’re not necessarily specific to raising children, they could help in other areas of a single-parent’s life to make paying bills easier and day-to-day living more affordable.
- Disability Support Pension: Financial help for someone who has a physical, intellectual or psychiatric condition that is likely to persist for more than two years and stop them from working.
- Carer Payment: Available to those who give constant care to someone with a disability or medical condition, or an adult who’s frail.
- Pharmaceutical Allowance: A regular extra payment to help with medicine costs if you already get certain payments (including PPS).
- Telephone Allowance: A quarterly payment to help with phone and internet costs if you already get certain payments (including PPS).
- Education Entry Payment: A once-a-year payment made when you start studying and already get certain payments (including PPS).
- Pensioner Education Supplement: A regular extra payment to help with study costs if you already get certain payments (including PPS).
- Mobility Allowance: A payment to help with travel costs for work, study or looking for work if you have a disability, illness or injury that means you can’t use public transport.
- Remote Area Allowance: A regular extra payment if you live in a remote area and already get certain payments (including PPS).
Remember, there will always be a strict set of criteria for eligibility, so it’s important to review all of the qualifications and exemptions for each payment to see if you qualify.
For more information, Services Australia provides help for single parents, with guidance about raising kids and all of the payments and services available.
How crowdfunding can provide financial assistance for single mothers and fathers
We know you often face incredible odds and difficult challenges as a single parent – dealing with everything from minor medical emergencies to serious medical bills, financial problems or employment crises.
If it’s tough to find support for these challenges through government support, crowdfunding can reduce those financial pressures and provide much-needed financial relief.
With crowdfunding on GoFundMe, it’s about telling the story of your fundraiser in a way that compels people to support your cause. Plus, it allows donors to help your family in a very clear, specific and positive way.
Why GoFundMe?
We have become a trusted leader in online fundraising since 2010. In Australia, there’s no fee to start or manage your fundraiser on GoFundMe.
With us, you’re also covered by the first and only donor protection guarantee: the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee. Plus, you can begin withdrawing funds as soon as you start receiving donations.
Single parents use GoFundMe every day for financial help – raising money for university fees, extracurricular programs, educational travel, medical bills and more.
We’re here to help. Along with this article, we have many more resources with information about financial assistance for single mothers and fathers on our blog. Start your fundraiser journey today and move one step closer to a financial lifeline for your family.