Single parents in Scotland have been left struggling with “isolation, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts” amidst what a charity boss described as the “rising tide of family hardship”.

Satwat Rehman, the CEO of One Parent Families Scotland (OPFS) spoke out as the charity published a new report, detailing the impact of the cost of living crisis on single parents and their children.

Scotland has about 144,000 single parent families - with 92 per cent of these headed by women.

While OPFS said that almost four out of five (78 per cent) single parents are in work, its Living Without a Lifeline report highlighted the “grinding poverty faced by many”.

A survey of 242 single parents carried out as part of that found almost all (97.9 per cent) were feeling the impact of rising costs either significantly or to some extent.

More than three out of five (61.1 per cent) of those who took part in the research said they were either finding it difficult to afford electricity or they could no longer afford this - with 58.1 per cent in this position for gas.

Over two fifths (43.7 per cent) said they were finding it difficult to pay for food, or could no longer afford to do so.

Meanwhile, more than a fifth (21.1 per cent) said they could no longer afford to buy clothes, while 22.3 per cent can not afford to pay for travel, and 21.1 per cent no longer have the money for childcare.

Almost four out of 10 single parents in the survey (37.4 per cent) said their finances had decreased in the last year.

But even among those whose finances had stayed the same or increased, one in three (34.8 per cent) say they were finding it extremely difficult or can no longer afford food - with about half in this position with regard to paying for electricity (52.2 per cent), gas (52.9 per cent), or travel (49.6 per cent).

Speaking about the report, Ms Rehman said: “Living without a lifeline is exactly what so many single parents who took part in our research and who reach out to our services every day say they are doing, which is why we chose this as the title for our report.”

She added: “Women who are single parents have been particularly hard hit by the economic storm that has engulfed us and, with women’s poverty being inextricably linked to child poverty, we are living amid a rising tide of family hardship.”