Gingerbread to close its helpline after 22 years supporting single parents
The charity supporting single parents in England and Wales is closing its helpline, which has assisted thousands since 2002.
After more than two decades of offering vital advice to single parents across the UK, Gingerbread, a charity based in England and Wales, has announced it will be closing its free helpline from 1 April 2025.
The decision marks a significant shift for the charity, which has supported tens of thousands of families since launching the service in 2002. Gingerbread says it will now focus on strengthening its digital support, campaigning efforts, and community connections for single parents.
Why the helpline is closing
The closure follows the end of Gingerbread’s contract with Family Lives and the Department for Education. Coupled with ongoing difficulties in finding new income streams, the charity says the helpline is no longer financially sustainable.
A review carried out at the beginning of 2025 concluded that, despite the helpline’s importance, maintaining it was not viable in the current funding climate.
What support is still available for single parents?
While the loss of the helpline is a blow for many, Gingerbread is keen to reassure parents that they are not alone. From April 2025 onwards, the charity will concentrate its efforts on:
- Offering trusted advice through its online information hub
- Connecting single parents via online and in-person community groups
- Campaigning for policy change to address the challenges single parents face
Parents can still access a range of guidance and signposting through the Gingerbread website, which includes support on everything from benefit entitlements and childcare, to co-parenting and employment advice.
What is the future for Gingerbread?
To help secure its long-term future, Gingerbread has also commissioned a full governance review. This is aimed at ensuring the charity is on a strong financial footing and continues to serve single parents for years to come.
Chair of Trustees, Sarah Pinch, who is also a single parent, said the organisation’s commitment remains as strong as ever:
These are challenging times for us and for many other charities, but we are building strong foundations for our future... As a single parent myself, I know how important this charity is, and we have a strong future ahead of us.
Who will the helpline closure affect?
Single parents make up one in four families in the UK, and many rely on tailored, empathetic advice to navigate the complex realities of raising children on their own. The end of the helpline may leave some feeling adrift, particularly during difficult moments such as relationship breakdowns or financial crises.
But Gingerbread says it remains committed to ensuring single parents can still access the support they need—just in different ways. By focusing more heavily on digital tools, peer support and campaigning, the charity hopes to reach even more families and build a strong community of single parents helping each other.
If you're a single parent looking for help or information, visit Gingerbread’s website to explore resources and find out more about local groups and national services that can support you and read our comprehensive guide to child contact arrangements for single parents with more information on where to find support if you have questions about single parenting.
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