Zarina Md Nor^a, Intan Shafina Abu Hasan^a, Bahiyah Omar^b, Suresh Kumar N Vellymalay^a and Azizah Omar^c
aSchool of Distance Education, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
^bSchool of Communication, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia
^cSchool of Management, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Financial hardship has been documented as one of the most common issue faced by single mothers in many parts of the world. Therefore, studies on the financial well-being of a single mother are important to undertake as it determines the living standard of their households. This study explores the financial wellbeing of divorced single mothers in the state of Penang and its impact on the livelihood of single mothers and their families. This study employs a simple qualitative method via interviews. The respondents were chosen based on their willingness to participate in the study and that they fulfill specific criteria. Interviews were carried out with fifteen working aged divorced single mothers to identify the available sources of income including salary, wages, child support and other possible financial assistance. The findings indicate that most of the single mothers encounter financial hardships in their lives. This is probably due to their low level of education which is the common enabler for well-paid jobs and also based on the number of dependents in their households. Moreover, we find that only four of the respondents receive child support from the father. During increasing living costs, the financial wellbeing of these single mothers is in question and, their ability to save for the future needs to be addressed.

Keywords: Single mother, financial wellbeing, financial hardship