A single mom can work full-time by securing flexible jobs (remote, flexible hours) like virtual assistant, freelance writing, or tech roles, leveraging strong time management (strict routines, planning), finding reliable, often free or subsidized, childcare (family, co-op, government aid), and strategically using support systems (child support, budgeting apps, community resources) to balance career demands with parenting needs.
Securing flexible work arrangements is one of the most effective ways to manage your career as a single mum working full time. Flexibility can come in many forms: working remotely, flexible hours or even compressed working weeks.
Single parents can claim Universal Credit if they are responsible for a child under the age of 16 (or under 20 if they are still in education or training). The amount you can receive will depend on your income and circumstances, and it can include a basic allowance, a child element, and a housing element.
To make $2000 a month as a stay-at-home mom, combine flexible online work like freelance writing, virtual assistance, or social media management with scalable options such as selling digital products on Etsy, starting a blog with affiliate marketing, or dropshipping, leveraging your existing skills in areas like teaching, crafting, or organization to create diverse income streams.
Child Support & Child Care
The child-support scheme can provide financial certainty and strengthen resilience in the children's primary household. Child Support has the potential to assist in more secure housing, provide the basics for children and reduce hardship.
For single mums in Australia, Centrelink's main payment is the Parenting Payment (Single), providing fortnightly support for primary carers of children under 14, with rates varying based on age of youngest child and meeting income/asset tests. Other potential payments include Family Tax Benefit (FTB) and help with childcare costs via the Child Care Subsidy, with claims made through a linked Centrelink online account and myGov.
To prove financial hardship, you generally need documents showing reduced income (payslips, Centrelink statements, termination letters), increased essential expenses (medical bills, eviction notices, funeral costs, overdue utility bills), and a clear link between a life event (illness, job loss, domestic violence) and your financial situation, often supported by a statutory declaration or a financial counsellor's report. Lenders and government bodies assess your income, expenses, debts, and the duration of hardship, requesting specific evidence like bank statements, medical certificates, or official notices.
Types of Side Hustles for Single Moms
Digital/Online: Virtual assistant, online tutoring, social media management. Product-Based: Selling handmade crafts on Etsy or print-on-demand merchandise. Passive Income: Affiliate marketing, investing, or renting out assets like a spare room or car.
Some stay-at-home parents work part-time or freelance jobs to earn money but the role of a stay-at-home parent is a non-paying job in the traditional sense.
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Through the Child Tax Credit, Earned Income Tax Credit, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, single parents can receive tax credits, food assistance, and cash benefits.
It's common for single parents to overcompensate, solving every problem, avoiding disappointment, or doing everything to keep their child happy.
⦁ 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. These parents may be eligible for PPS until their youngest child turns 14 (eligibility depends on income and other circumstances).
"70/30 parenting" refers to a child custody arrangement where one parent has the child for about 70% of the time (the primary parent) and the other parent has them for 30% (often weekends and some mid-week time), creating a stable "home base" while allowing the non-primary parent significant, meaningful involvement, but it also requires strong communication and coordination to manage schedules, school events, and disagreements effectively.
Great jobs for single parents
At your Claimant Commitment Review if you are not able to meet the 30 hours work requirement you can ask for this to be reduced. Work coaches are advised that work requirements should be tailored to an individual claimant's circumstances.
To make $2000 a month as a stay-at-home mom, combine flexible online work like freelance writing, virtual assistance, or social media management with scalable options such as selling digital products on Etsy, starting a blog with affiliate marketing, or dropshipping, leveraging your existing skills in areas like teaching, crafting, or organization to create diverse income streams.
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According to Thriday, some of the most profitable business ideas for mums include freelancing, online retail, and home-based services.
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Yes, you can still get up to $10,000 out of your super under Severe Financial Hardship, provided you meet strict criteria, including receiving specific government income support for 26 continuous weeks and proving you can't meet immediate living costs, with only one withdrawal allowed per 12 months. This differs from the temporary COVID-19 early release, which ended in 2020.
Facing financial hardship
Hardship payments are for people facing severe, unforeseen financial distress due to events like domestic violence, natural disasters (floods, fires), loss of income, or release from confinement, requiring them to be on income support (like Centrelink in Australia) and have limited liquid assets, with specific rules for different situations, often involving an urgent need to leave home or establish a new one. Eligibility hinges on demonstrating extreme financial need, being unable to get other help, and proving the hardship stems from circumstances beyond your control, with specific criteria varying by the type of payment.