Petition · past parliament
Grant single parents with an extra household tax allowance.
Rejected
10 signatures
What the petition asks
Asking parliament to give an extra tax allowance for single working parent families UK wide and irrespective of their tax band. Currently a single parent can have less household income, but enter a higher tax bracket vs a couple that are 'individually' taxed less, but have more household income.
Make the below fair (some examples):
Scotland:
Single parent 1: Salary £25,300 - Household income (HI) £25,300 = Tax band (TB) 21%. Penalised vs:
Double parents 1: Salary £20,000 each - HI £40,000 = TB 20%
Single parent 2: Salary £44,000 - HI £44,000 = TB 41%, Penalised vs:
Double parents 2: Salary £40,000 each - HI £80,000 = TB 21%
England:
Single parent 3: Salary £50,300, HI £50,300 = TB 40% (NO child benefit) Penalised vs:
Double parents 3: Salary £50,000 each = HI £100,000 = TB 20% (CB)
Scotland:
Single parent 1: Salary £25,300 - Household income (HI) £25,300 = Tax band (TB) 21%. Penalised vs:
Double parents 1: Salary £20,000 each - HI £40,000 = TB 20%
Single parent 2: Salary £44,000 - HI £44,000 = TB 41%, Penalised vs:
Double parents 2: Salary £40,000 each - HI £80,000 = TB 21%
England:
Single parent 3: Salary £50,300, HI £50,300 = TB 40% (NO child benefit) Penalised vs:
Double parents 3: Salary £50,000 each = HI £100,000 = TB 20% (CB)
Why it was rejected
It was not clear what the petition asked the UK Government or Parliament to do.
Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action.
We understand that you are concerned about the taxes paid by some single parents, but we're not sure if you want the Government to increase the personal tax allowance, or change when higher rate tax bands apply to single parents.
We also couldn't accept a petition calling for changes to tax band thresholds in Scotland, as this is now a matter for the Scottish Parliament, not the UK Government or House of Commons. The UK Government is still responsible for the personal allowance across the whole of the UK.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
We understand that you are concerned about the taxes paid by some single parents, but we're not sure if you want the Government to increase the personal tax allowance, or change when higher rate tax bands apply to single parents.
We also couldn't accept a petition calling for changes to tax band thresholds in Scotland, as this is now a matter for the Scottish Parliament, not the UK Government or House of Commons. The UK Government is still responsible for the personal allowance across the whole of the UK.
You could start a new petition explaining clearly what you would like the Government or Parliament to do.
Timeline
| 12 May 2021 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 18 May 2021 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
10
Status
Rejected
Rejected
18 May 2021
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.