Marriage remains the best indicator of family stability, regardless of other factors, a new report has reiterated.
In ‘The Stability Advantage: Marriage, Family Breakdown and Poverty in the UK’, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) found that poor spouses are significantly more likely to stay together than richer couples who never marry.
The think-tank found that despite several factors, including education and employment status, there was only a 26 per cent probability of married parents in the lowest income quintile of splitting up, in contrast to 46 per cent for cohabitees in the highest income quintile.
The research analysed data on 3,286 couples from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), which followed first-time parents of children born between 2000 and 2002 over 14 years.
Family stability
The CSJ also reported that those who stayed together for 14 years after becoming parents were twice as likely to improve their income as those who separated, while those who split up were twice as likely to fall to a lower quintile.
Reflecting on the findings, the think-tank emphasised “that family stability is not simply a reflection of economic advantage but is strongly associated with marriage itself”.
“If this is correct, then policies that are neutral on marriage are not neutral in effect. A strategy to reduce poverty that overlooks family stability will remain incomplete.
“The Government should therefore act to remove barriers to marriage, integrate family stability into its poverty strategy, and strengthen support for couples in the early years of parenthood. These reforms are not only socially important but fiscally prudent, addressing the root causes of disadvantage rather than its symptoms.”
Dignity of marriage
Under Government plans to revamp “outdated” wedding requirements in England and Wales, the current building-based system would move to an officiant-based model where couples can marry in locations such as beaches, tethered hot-air balloons and private homes.
The Christian Institute’s Dave Greatorex observed: “Cheaper weddings and other initiatives to encourage people to get married are good, if the seriousness and dignity of marriage is genuinely upheld – and that’s a big ‘if’. Any changes must not undermine marriage.
“The proposals include several troubling suggestions, such as abolishing the use of ‘prescribed words’ and scrapping the requirement for open doors. These provisions go to the very nature of marriage as a public exchange of solemn promises, so it would be very concerning if these ideas were written into law.
“To pull down perceived ‘barriers’, the Government is ditching important safeguards and introducing a multiplicity of permutations when it comes to officiants, ceremonies and venues. The Government runs the risk of tying itself in knots.”
‘Marriage is a challenge, but the best thing I’ve ever done’