Friday, August 31

Divorces fall but weddings fall as well in the UK

The ONS has released new divorce figures which suggest that English divorces are falling, in part due to the change in divorce settlement cases. Which, given the fact that children are clearly better off in married family households, is good.

Mind you, the corresponding aspect, the weddings are falling is not good. And the number of out of wedlock and single parent households keeps on going up. See my previous post on the Child Support Agency reasons for not knowing who is the father of the child.

Given that economic incentives seem to change behaviour, here's an idea. Give a higher amount of child benefit if the parents are married, a still higher amount if they are living together. I am sure it will change behaviour. You ask how we can fund it? Close down the CSA and use that money. Such a waste of money and increase in bureaucracy.

All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!

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