The Marriage Foundation has raised an alarm over a significant disparity in marriage rates between affluent and low-income couples, urging the government for immediate policy intervention. Their latest report describes a “calamitous” 51% gap that highlights the socio-economic divide impacting marriage trends.
The decline in marriage among low-income groups is stark, with rates plummeting by 78% for men and 73% for women since 1972. In contrast, marriage remains prevalent among higher-income families, widening the socio-economic schism.
The report emphasizes the overlooked “marriage gap” between the rich and the poor, stating, “What has been almost completely overlooked and ignored in discussion of the trend away from marriage … is the presence of a marriage gap between rich and poor.” It continues, “Quite simply, marriage is still the norm among the richest families [but] is increasingly the exception among the poorest families.”
Data from the think tank’s earlier findings in 2015 reveal a stark contrast: 87% of parents with children under five in the highest income quintile were married, compared to just 24% in the lowest income quintile.
According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the disparity has worsened over the last decade, partly due to economic challenges and disruptions from COVID-19 restrictions. By 2022, 71% of newborns in high-earning families had married parents, while only 35% of newborns in low-earning families were born to married parents.
The report critiques past governments for not adequately supporting young couples aspiring to marry, citing the connection between marriage and improved financial security, enhanced child development, and decreased dependence on welfare.
It highlights welfare system flaws, particularly the “couple penalty,” which is identified as the “biggest barrier to marriage among the poorest, a social justice problem whose existence is barely acknowledged by politicians.”
The Marriage Foundation, founded by High Court judge Sir Paul Coleridge, aims to promote marriage and reduce the number of individuals—approximately 500,000 annually—caught in the family justice system.
Harry Benson, the Foundation’s Research Director, described the marriage gap as “calamitous” for low-income children’s futures and societal stability. “Marriage acts as a buffer to poverty, while children who grow up with both parents in the household, do better at school and generally have better mental health,” he explained.
One key proposal from the report ahead of the Spring Statement is to replace the “paltry” £250 married couples’ allowance with a £3,000 taxable child benefit for married mothers with a first child under three.
The report also calls for a review of tax and benefits policies that deter marriage or cohabitation, arguing these policies undermine family stability among the poorest.
Senior politicians are urged to publicly support marriage, with the report noting the “deafening silence on marriage is strange given how very important marriage is for so many politicians in their own private lives.”
Sir Paul accused political parties of sidestepping the issue to avoid appearing judgmental. “All political parties stand accused of failing to grasp the nettle when it comes to advocating for marriage and its benefits. So far as increasing family stability is concerned, they are well known and uncontroversial,” he remarked.
He added, “If any party wants to be taken seriously when it comes to confronting the scourge of family breakdown and its fall out, they must be unequivocal about publicly supporting marriage and making it easier for the less well-off to tie the knot. It is not easy, but it is essential.”
Benson also noted, “There are some people, who prophesied that marriage as an institution is finished, that it doesn’t matter and wrongly claim that this is evidenced by the UK’s declining marriage rate … The real scandal here is that support for marriage remains consistent among all income groups and the vast majority (nearly 9 in 10) of young people aspire to marry, but just one in five of the very poorest couples will ever tie the knot.
“This has got to change; it’s a question of social justice and why we urge the Chancellor to take immediate and meaningful action to help mitigate the pernicious effects of the couple penalty so that more couples can enjoy the benefits of marriage.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
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