Census 2021: Over a thousand ‘unsupported and isolated’ single dads now living in Peterborough

Statistics have revealed there are now more single dads living in Peterborough compared to a decade ago.

Data from the most recent census shows there were 1,277 ‘single father families’ living in Peterborough when the survey took place in March 2021.

Of those, 643 dads had dependent children living with them aged under 16.

Overall, men accounted for 12% of single parents across the city. This illustrates a modest increase on the figure of 11.9% recorded in the 2011 Census.

Dad's House – a UK charity set up by Billy McGranaghan to support single fathers – called for more support to be extended to lone male parents.

‘Still needs to be more support’

He says mental health support is vitally important as the pressure and stigma surrounding single fathers can make them feel unsupported and isolated:

"Things have gotten better than they used to be,” he noted, “but there still needs to be more support for dads.”

Billy believes finding flexible work can be a major cause of anxiety for lone fathers:

"We have a lot of dads who move from full-time jobs to part-time jobs because employers aren't as willing to offer flexible hours,” he said.

“And on part-time [hours], people just can't afford childcare," he added.

The census data shows that, in some respects, the national picture mirrors what’s happening in Peterborough.

Statistics reveal there were more than 368,000 lone male parents across England and Wales in 2021, an increase from the 338,000 recorded in 2011.

However, the proportion of single dads slightly decreased overall, from 13.6% of lone parent families in 2011 to 13.4% in 2021.

‘Thrive and not just survive’

Victoria Benson is the chief executive of Gingerbread, a charity for single parent families. She echoed Billy’s concerns, noting that some dads within the charity's networks say they struggle with feelings of guilt and loneliness which can make it harder for them to reach out for support.

"We know that it can be lonely and hard being a single parent and often single dads are forgotten," she said.

"We need to see better support available for all single parent families so they can thrive and not just survive."