Mother and children to pay the real cost of separation

A report, published last week by the University of Essex, shows how mothers and children end up paying the real price of separation.

One of the most shocking findings is that 19% of children end up falling into relative poverty following separation. Professor Mike Brewer, who authored the study with Dr. Alita Nandi, said "Women continue to see living standards fall by more after separation than men, especially when children are involved, but even for couples with no children. Mothers and children from high-income families see especially large drops in living standards, because the loss of the man's earnings is in no way compensated for by higher income from alimony, child maintenance, benefits and tax credits and having fewer mouths to feed."

The study also found that 'the difference in post-separation living standards of men and women from couples whose children are no longer dependent: these women, who are mostly aged over 50 and tend to have been married, see living standards fall by far more, on average, after separation, than their former partners and 30 percent of them fall into relative poverty after separation.'

The full study is available from the Institute for Social and Economic Research at the University of Essex.