‘I spend £13,000 more on bills every year with the single tax’
Higher property and food costs leave many short-changed, says Bobby Seagull
In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes. But a large chunk of the population are subject to what is now being dubbed “the single tax” – the cost you bear for not having a partner.
Singletons end up paying all of their housing costs and bills, leaving them often far worse off than if they had another half.
I worked out that I spend £13,000 more on bills a year than I would if I had a partner.
While the “singles tax” is not officially recognised by His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs, it is certainly felt by those who pay it.
Looking at my own bank statements, obvious contributors include the higher cost of my housing (total mortgage and London service charges would be halved to £10,000 per year) and utilities (broadband, gas, electricity and water would be halved to £2,000).
Singles also fork out more for food, travel and subscriptions like Disney+ or Netflix (I could have passed £1,000 on to a partner).
The picture is similarly gloomy at a national level. The cost of being single adds a massive £860 per month to those who don’t have a partner, which racks up at £10,320 annually, according to research from financial services provider Hargreaves Lansdown.
It found that a single person spends about £1,851 a month on household bills compared with £991 for those who are in a couple. According to Sarah Coles, senior personal financial analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, “a single person may need the same number of bedrooms as a couple, but they have to pay for it alone. Even when the bills are reduced for singles, they’re not cut enough”.
Even leisure activities can be impacted. When I go on holiday, I find that single rooms in hotels are very rare. I often enjoy travelling round the country on the trains to visit friends up north. Travelling solo, I miss out on couples who benefit from the Two Together Railcard.
Even National Trust memberships are cheaper for pairs. Some gym chains like David Lloyd offer discounted prices if you are half of a couple.
As I’ve been single for the past 12 years, I’ve also grown accustomed to paying a certain price for this in the pursuit of love. Of course, my friends who are couples still have to spend money on activities together.
But singles may have to pay for a premium to date, whether it’s through dating apps subscriptions or going the extra mile for dates, drinks and dinner.
There is also the soft impact of not having someone to regularly discuss financial decisions with. Having a partner to chat through financial issues can give you a head-start in dealing with them or persuading you not to part with cash for an impulse purchase – like my infrequently used air fryer.
Some of my single friends have found the burden of having to fend for themselves during this economic climate particularly demoralising and exhausting. According to Eurostat, bills for single-person households with no children rose by 30.9 per cent between 2009 to 2022.
Should singletons just cry themselves to sleep eating chocolate on the sofa while watching Bridget Jones’s Diary? No, there are ways to minimise the impact of the singles tax.
A full council tax bill is based on two or more people living together. Singles can apply for a 25 per cent discount. Many discounts are based on pairs, rather than a romantic couple. This means you don’t have to be romantically involved to use the Two Together Railcard (you just have to start and end your journey together for the discount).
As a Londoner, I use public transport rather than have a car. But even car insurance companies might charge more for singletons, as some believe single people are at higher risk of getting into an accident.
If you have an adult friend that can genuinely use your car, adding them as a named driver on the policy could reduce your premium.
For subscriptions like Disney+, most people I know try to share the costs with friends or family. And the likes of Pure Gym offer an “extra” membership which allows you to bring a friend four times a month.
My mum correctly points out that the most obvious way for me to deal with the singles tax is to… drum roll, please… actually couple up.
While I might continue to be single for the foreseeable future (sorry mum), I’m definitely not alone in having to deal with the singles tax.
If you have an adult friend that can use your car, adding them as a named driver could reduce your premium