Single mothers '£10,000 a year worse off if they marry'

Single mothers could be about £10,000 a year worse off financially if they marry, according to a Centre for Social Justice report highlighting a “couple penalty” in the benefits system. The analysis examined scenarios including a 30-year-old single mother out of the workforce caring for a one-year-old, estimating she would be roughly £5,700 per year poorer by living with a partner earning £20,000. If the partner earned £30,000, the loss was projected to rise to about £9,600. The report argues the change results because most benefits are based on household income rather than individual income. It also cited findings from the Millennium Cohort Study that, over the first 14 years of parenthood, 26% of couples in the poorest fifth who married split, compared with 46% among the richest fifth who never marry. Researcher Dr Harry Benson said policymakers should support stability rather than discourage commitment.