Cost of living: Woman who gets turned away from restaurants for trying to dine alone says ‘single tax’ is real

A single woman says the “single tax” is real - and reveals she was once turned away from a restaurant for trying to dine alone. Alison Weyland has been on her own for seven years - and says it has been “awful” at times.

Earning £45,000 as a digital marketing manager, the 44-year-old ives in a one-bed flat in Bristol which costs her £1,500 a month. But Alison said the price of being single is just as much a burden as her rent - as she is footing bills alone.

She says food shopping is also hard, as there can end up being wastage - and going out can be even tougher. Alison said: “I would say the single tax definitely exists - and in a cost of living crisis it can be a huge weight to carry.

“A lot of my friends are married with two incomes and in some cases they have mortgages where they’re paying a lot less than I am - and that stings. That’s a sadness around being single person. It can be limiting.

“Social events can make me feel rubbish unless I’m around friends or a group. Everyone craves that longing and community but it’s not happening at the moment. It’s not practical in any sense for people to be footing so many bills by themselves.

“My salary is 20 per cent less than it was five years ago and I don’t know if I’m going to be able to live alone for much longer. There are benefits to being single with certain amount of freedom and flexibility but financially it’s rough.

“And with the cost-of-living crisis it’s debilitating - it almost neutralises that freedom.” Before moving to Bristol, Alison lived in London.

And despite being able to look at a higher price range, Alison has been restricted in what she can afford and spent 18 months trying to find a place in Bristol. She said: “I was living in studio flats and now it’s one-bedroom flats only which is quite restricting.

“You don’t get much storage space which can be very dehumanising. At my age you’d think you’d have nice lifestyle things but you’re often stuck with one-bedroom flats - it does impact your life a lot.

“The way council tax is run doesn’t help either. In terms of how much waste I produce, it’s clearly half.

“If they told you exactly what you’re paying for it might help understand why the reduction can’t be half. Where I live is an old beautiful building but because of that I’m paying a lot of money for the council tax - it’s nearly £200 a month, even with single occupany reduction.”

Social expenses can also take a toll on Alison, where she’s found herself paying for two seats before. She said: “I walked in to a restaurant in London and there were about four or five single tables and they said they were full.

“Of course from a restaurant perspective if you have two people sitting at a table it’s more profitable. But it’s the only time I’ve been turned away and it really messed with me.

“It’s a rough sight, but it doesn’t happen very often. Everyone is clambering to make money, that’s the way that society is right now.

“A lot of comedy events you have to pay for two tickets for a table minimum so I had to pay twice to go and have a laugh. I think there should always be a certain amount of single opportunities - it’s a really important subject.”

Michelin two-star restaurant Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal, which is on Regent Street in London, defended charging single diners the same price as two customers - its evening tasting menu will be £195 a head from later this month - but single diners will be charged £390.

And when it comes to grocery shopping, Alison says it’s “difficult” to spend less than £200 a month. She said: “It’s not so much what I spend but how I spend it and when.

“You don’t have much storage space in single accommodation so I’m buying fresh food almost every other day. You can end up with massive wastage if you’re not careful.

“The special offers are in bulk and the people that really need the offers are the people who can’t store or eat in bulk.You can’t cook in bulk and save money that way because of lack of freezer space in single accommodation too - where you’re often only given a fridge with a glovebox freezer.”

With single supplements still in use - where single travellers are charged a premium - Alison says it can be hard to find affordable options. She said: “I really want to travel but I can’t even think about it.

“I don’t know what my situation is at the moment and the idea of spending money on a holiday when I don’t know if I’ll be employed in a few months is a fantasy. There are some places that offer single beds but even then it’s still £200 a night to get something - it does become impossible.

“It is a lot more effort and more work to save for it and you don’t have anyone to share it with. It is just constantly on you for everything.”

Alison’s finances

Salary: £45,000

Rent: £1,500

Council tax: £195

Fuel: £120

Broadband: £35

TV licence for one household, plus streaming services: around £65

Grocery shops: average £200 a month

Socially: £100 on average

Gym: £49 a month