Talk to me about single parents, maintenance and benefits payments

[Sherlockio]

I'm about to become a single Mum.
I have two friends who don't have children, but are married to men that have children from previous relationships. They believe that fathers have a rough deal and that single mothers are "very lucky" to be able to claim universal credit/child benefit and receive maintenance payments from fathers. That they are majorly financially better off than the fathers are.
There have already been a couple of remarks from these 'friends' when I've said that I want to remain in the family home and that I'm hoping that with my work, a little universal credit and maintenance payments, I may be able to manage this.
What do most people think? Is it true, that fathers end up with the rougher deal? That fathers have a rough deal if they have to pay maintenance? Do they end up worse off than single mothers who have most custody?
We will have shared custody of around 4.5/2.5.

Beg to differ.

I know sever blokes who would happily have their kids live with them half or all of the time, but the mum and the court have smdetermined thats not to be.

A very close friend is going through this right now. He is self employed and can be completely flexible. His ex wife barely let's him see the kids and palm them off on her friends and fa.ikg when he would happily have them. This week being half term is a good example. She works and won't see the kids. He is off and she won't let him have them.

Then she complains to anyone that will listen how tough her life is wtrying to juggle work, finances and childcare.

He could fix all that tomorrow but it doesn't match the woe betide me act that she likes to play.

Not all obviously. But there are plenty of dads who want to help but it doesn't fit mum's.agenda.

I'm a single parent and have worked full time since my son was 8 months old and paid for full time childcare as no family around. The government will help with your childcare fees depending on your salary.

I would say that after the CMS caught up with him I came out of it better off than he did! His own fault though for being a selfish dick and refusing to contribute towards his kids for a year after he left!

My ex would be considerably better off than me but he chose a bad profession then gave that up so I get nothing from him anyway.

His choice, he'd be annoyed if he knew how comfortably well off we are now through careful budgeting and hard work in my career but he never bothers with his kids so he's unaware.

If you want to stay in the family home does that mean you are buying him out? Or taking over all mortgage payments?