MARRIAGE POVERTY: How Welfare Policies Are Keeping Low-Income Couples From Tying the Knot
A shocking new report by The Marriage Foundation reveals a staggering 51% marriage gap between wealthy and low-income couples—a disparity that has been “completely overlooked” in national discussions about declining marriage rates. Research Director Harry Benson warns that the welfare system actively discourages poorer couples from marrying due to a hidden “couple penalty,” where cohabiting or single parents receive greater financial support than married ones. This policy, Benson argues, is the “biggest barrier to marriage among the poorest,” yet politicians continue to ignore it. The charity is urging the government to refocus the existing marriage allowance on low-income mothers with young children, as well as review tax and benefit policies that punish rather than support marriage.
The numbers don’t lie: since 1972, marriage rates have plummeted by 78% among men and 73% among women, with the sharpest decline in low-income households. In 2022, a staggering 71% of high-earning parents were married when their child was born, compared to just 35% of low-income parents—and a dismal 20% among the very poorest. This growing divide isn’t just about tradition; it has real-life consequences. Studies consistently show that marriage provides greater financial stability, better outcomes for children, and reduced reliance on welfare. Yet, as The Marriage Foundation points out, successive governments have failed to incentivize marriage, instead creating a system where staying single or cohabiting is often the more financially viable option.
“Marriage acts as a buffer to poverty,” Benson stresses, adding that children raised by both parents tend to perform better in school and have improved mental health. So why isn’t the government doing more to support it? The report places the blame squarely on policymakers for ignoring the proven benefits of marriage while maintaining a welfare structure that penalizes it. With marriage rates at an all-time low among the working class, the consequences—generational poverty, family instability, and increased welfare dependency—are becoming impossible to ignore. If the Chancellor truly wants to address social inequality, it’s time to stop overlooking the marriage gap and start fixing the system that’s fueling it.
