To correctly answer this question, one shouldto begin to understand what this status means from a legal point of view. In other words, who exactly from the representatives of the weaker sex, independently raising a child (children), has all the legal grounds to be called a single mother. After all, often so speak about themselves widows and those divorced women who do not receive from the official fathers either voluntary assistance in the upbringing of children, nor according to the law alimony. So, a single mother is considered:
- a woman who produced a child out of official marital relations, and the fact of paternity is not established either voluntarily or in judicial instances;
- a woman who gave birth to a baby after 10 months (or more) after her official marriage was terminated;
- a woman who gave birth to a baby in a marriage or within 10 months after its termination, but the fact of paternity was contested, to which there is a corresponding decision of the courts;
- a woman who does not have legal marital relations, but who adopted or adopted a child.
Here's how the status of a single mother is treated in allnormative and legal documents. In other words, these are women whose children do not have an official father. In their birth certificate in this column there is either a dash or data written from the mother's words. Therefore neither divorced women nor widows can call themselves that way. The same applies to those moments when the child's father is deprived of the legal rights to raise a child. In each of these cases, there are mechanisms of state aid, for example, compulsory recovery of alimony, benefits for the loss of the breadwinner, and so on. But these women can not claim the payments made to single mothers. Now we will consider in more detail the question of how much a representative of this category of citizens receives in the Russian Federation. First of all, it must be emphasized that a single mother has the same rights as a woman who is legally married, so she has all the mandatory cash benefits associated with pregnancy and the birth of a baby. However, their amounts may be slightly different. This applies primarily to additional payments from local budgets, which often vary depending on the region. 
Government payments for mothers, including single mothers
To begin with, it should be noted that all benefitsfederal level, related to pregnancy and childbirth, in 2016, a coefficient of 1.055 was applied. Therefore, their amounts increased by 5.5%. However, only women who have become mothers this year or are going to become such payments can count on such amounts of payments. There are no recalculations for the previous period. So, let's go directly to the federal payments themselves and how much they now make up. One-time allowance. Women, students or employees who work or are fired in connection with the liquidation of an enterprise have the right to have it. They have applied to a medical institution in advance to register for pregnancy for up to 3 months (12 weeks). This type of benefit is paid simultaneously with the one that is due to pregnancy and childbirth, if the future mother submits a certificate from the women's consultation together with other documents granting the right to maternity leave. Or ten days later, if this is done later. Such payment is given to women in the place of work, study or service. As to how much it makes in monetary terms, then since January this year the amount of this benefit is 490 rubles to 79 kopecks. Pregnancy and childbirth allowance This type of benefit is also only for employees, employees or students of women and is paid by the total for the entire period of maternity leave, which is:
- 140 calendar days for uncomplicated births;
- 156 calendar days for delivery with caesarean section or other nuances;
- 194 calendar days in case of the birth of twins or more children.
The scheme of its accrual in 2016 changed. For the calculation, the final earnings are taken for two calendar years before the one in which the term of the decree has come. This amount is divided by the total number of days for these years. But now they should exclude periods of temporary disability and additional days off for caring for a disabled child. Thus, the maximum allowable amount of payments related to pregnancy and childbirth, if they were not complicated and resulted in the birth of one baby, will be 186,986 rubles 80 kopecks. To students this type of benefit is assigned, based on the size of their scholarship. Women who lost their jobs in connection with the liquidation of enterprises and who are registered with the Employment Center can also expect a maternity payment of 2,290 rubles 35 kopecks. Allowance for the care of a child who has not reached the age of one and a half With regard to payments for child care, the maximum monthly size for women who are before pregnancy in labor relations is 16,241 rubles 14 kopecks. Housewives can count on 2 453 rubles 93 copecks if it is a question of the first kid, and for the second and subsequent children totals 4 907 rubles 85 copecks. Women, including single mothers, who lost their jobs in connection with the liquidation of the enterprise, are paid about 9,815 rubles 71 kopecks. One-off allowance related to the birth of a child All women who have become mothers can count on this type of benefit, regardless of whether they worked or not. Its size since January 2016 is 13,087 rubles. If a single mother is employed, she gets paid at the place of work. Otherwise, she should contact the social protection authority and submit all the necessary documents for this. Maternity capital This type of benefit is granted only once and only in case of birth of a woman, including a lonely, second and subsequent children. Maternity capital is not given in cash. They can be disposed of only when the child is three years old. These funds can be directed to:
- improvement of housing conditions, for example, to repay a loan for an apartment or a house;
- children's education;
- pension accumulation for mother;
- payment of kindergarten and school.
If a single mother, like any other marrieda woman who wishes to receive maternity capital, then she should apply to the local body of the Pension Fund for the relevant state certificate and provide all the necessary documents for this. The amount of the parent capital in the current year will be 408,960 rubles 51 kopecks. Tax deduction A working single mother is eligible for a double tax deduction until the child is eighteen years of age, and in the case of continuing education, this privilege will last up to twenty-four years. Its size is 2 800 rubles. For a disabled child who is dependent on a single mother, a deduction is required in the amount of 6,000 rubles. Benefits for payment of sick leave sheets If the sick child of a working single mother needs her care in a hospital, the benefit depends on the length of the woman's continuous work. With regard to outpatient treatment, it is paid for the first ten calendar days, depending on the length of service, and from the eleventh day is charged at a rate of 50% of her earnings and does not depend on length of service. If the child of a single mother does not reach the age of seven, she is paid for the entire period of treatment, and then up to fourteen years, inclusive, she is entitled to compensation for fifteen days of sick leave (in the absence of a medical certificate on the need to extend care). 
Payments for single mothers provided for by city and regional budgets
Each entity that is part of an integralpart of the Russian Federation, independently determines additional payments for mothers, including for lonely ones. There is no way to talk about all such benefits in each region. Therefore, we will dwell in more detail on the central part of our country, namely, on its capital. The Moscow government has provided the following benefits for this category of citizens.
In our country there are a number of other benefits,provided for women who themselves raise their children and have the status of single mothers. For example, a newborn child from an incomplete family should be provided with free sets of clothes, if the child is not yet a year and a half, then his mother does not pay for the cleaning and removal of food waste at the place of residence. She also has the right to preferential treatment in the dairy kitchen according to the pediatrician's prescriptions, she is required to provide a discount of up to 50% on certain medicines. Children of a single mother can eat free in the school cafeteria. And this is not the whole list. In most regions, as in the case with the capital, there are payments, for example, at the level of local councils or mayors. In order to clearly understand how much and which exactly benefits single mothers are required to pay by law, they must apply to the local body for social protection of the population. It is there that authorized experts will acquaint them with the rights and give exhaustive answers to all questions that concern them. We advise you to read:
