The period since 1971 has witnessed radical changes in family demographics, some of which, such as later childbirth and falling fertility, are continuations of long established trends. Others, for example increased divorce and the rapid growth in the number of lone parent households, are more recent phenomena. The net result of these changes is that Britain in 1998 was characterised by fewer first marriages, higher rates of divorce, more cohabitation, more lone parents and smaller families than was the case in 1971. The decline in family size will have exerted a downward pressure on claimant caseloads, but it is the increased instability of relationships and the consequent upward trend in lone parenthood that has most influenced the level of benefit receipt. Not only have the numbers of lone parents receiving benefit increased but, so too, has the proportion reliant on means-tested support. In 1971 there were only about 570,000 lone parents, of whom 37% were receiving means-tested Supplementary Benefit. By 1998 the number had grown to 1.7 million and of these, 972,000, 58%, claimed the corresponding benefit, Income Support.

This chapter is divided into four parts. The first part describes the decline of marriage and the growth in cohabitation, the second charts the consequent rise of lone parenthood and the third documents the fall in family size.