Number of single dad families in Portsmouth drops compared to decade ago – but figure rises in Fareham

Ahead of Father’s Day this weekend, Dad's House, a UK charity supporting single fathers, said more support must be extended to lone male parents who often struggle to find flexible work and mental health support.

Data from the recent census shows there were 1,241 single dads in Portsmouth when the survey took place in March 2021. Of them, 527 had dependent children aged under 16.

Overall, men accounted for 12.4% of lone parents in the area while single mums made up the remaining 87.6%.

The proportion of single fathers fell from 12.9% recorded in the 2011 Census.

In Havant, there were 802 single dads in March 2021, 319 with dependents under 16. The proportion of single fathers fell from 14.8 % in 2011 to 14.3 %.

In Gosport, there were 528 single dads in March 2021, 241 with dependents under 16. The proportion of single fathers fell from 16 % in 2011 to 13.3 %.

The highest percentage locally – and only rise – was in Fareham, where there were 592 single dads in 2021 (259 with dependents under 16).

The proportion of single fathers increased from 14.9% in the 2011 Census to 15.2 %.

Dad's House founder Billy McGranaghan said there is often a different attitude towards single dads compared to single mums that can leave many fathers feeling unsupported and isolated.

‘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. And on part-time, people just can't afford childcare,’ he explained.

‘Things have gotten better than they used to be, but there still needs to be more support for dads.’

Across England and Wales there were over 368,000 lone male parents in 2021 – up from 338,000 a decade prior.

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

Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, a charity for single parent families, believes single parents face systematic unfairness in society.

Ms Benson said: ‘Single parents are often overlooked by policy makers and still experience stigma and judgment – as well as struggling financially, many feel isolated and alone and often feel overwhelmed."

She added some dads in the charity's networks say they struggle with feelings of guilt and loneliness which can make it harder to reach out for support from friends or family.

‘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.’