Our thanks to Nigel for this. He writes:

“This a classic of how women are “married to the state”. From knowing people working for the DWP the cases that go to court are the tip of a very large iceberg indeed. This article gives the figures illustrating the huge perverse incentive for couples to pretend they aren’t. “Prosecutor Katy Appleton outlined that the total sum reached £75,000, comprising more than £42,420 in Universal Credit, £9,500 in income support, £8,097 in housing benefit, £12,850 in tax credits, and a £2,207 council tax reduction.” There is every reason for the partner to collude with this given he’s unlikely to earn this sort of money ! So tax payers are funding 10,000s (probably much more)of families where the man/father may well be in a glass cellar job or with contracts rather than steady employment. There are huge incentives that drive the ballooning “single parent” numbers and the fragile families where to be frank the husband/father/partner may be a financial liability compared to the money handed out if he is or appears to be absent. We are literally paying people not to be married and form stable families.”

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