Couples who stay together enjoy degree-equivalent boost to income

Marriage Foundation 1 March 2015
Staying together can have the same positive impact on subsequent income as having a degree, a new study by Marriage Foundation has found. Staying together can boost income by up to 35 per cent.

The negative effect on income of paying for two households, additional transport and increased care costs following the breakup of a family all contribute to the substantial difference in income between intact and separated couple families.

The Marriage Foundation used data from the first wave of Understanding Society, a survey of 40,000 households recording their social and economic circumstances, attitudes, behaviours and health.

The statistics analysed are from 2009-2010 and look at mothers with children aged 14 or 15. For the first time, it is revealed that the source of family stability and breakdown affecting children, in terms of who marries, who does not and who stays together from the birth of a child until they become teenagers.

The impact of having a degree is thought to increase income by 38 per cent or an average of £9,000 a year depending on the qualification and university, only marginally more than the effect of maintaining a two-parent family.
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