Thousands of single mums are caught in a “poverty trap” - as figures show more than one in five adult women rely on Universal Credit to make ends meet in Nottinghamshire. Data from the Department of Work and Pensions shows 6.4 million people were on Universal Credit in Britain in January.
More women than men claim UC in every council area in Nottinghamshire - and across the UK - but the gap is greatest in Bassetlaw where one in five adult women are on the benefit and only one in seven men . You can see the proportion of women claiming UC - and how it compares to men - using our interactive map.
“Single-parent families have only one household income, so many are forced to rely on UC to make ends meet. As many single mums are the primary carer for their children they are often stuck in jobs below their level of skill or qualification due to the damaging combination of a lack of quality, flexible work and expensive childcare.