Labour's 'deeply concerning' plans to extend new rights to unmarried couples will lead to more family breakdowns, pro-marriage campaigners warn

By SAM MERRIMAN, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Published: 22:21, 5 June 2026 | Updated: 22:24, 5 June 2026 Labour's plans to extend new rights to unmarried couples are 'deeply concerning' and will lead to more family breakdowns, campaigners have warned. More than 3.5 million cohabiting couples would gain automatic rights to a share of their partner's home and finances if one of them dies under new Government proposals. On Friday, Labour launched a consultation on plans to give cohabiting couples - who live together but are not married - similar inheritance rights to those who are. Bereaved unmarried partners will have automatic rights to inheritance if a partner dies without a will under the proposals. Unmarried couples who separate could also gain access to a portion of a house sale for the first time. Couples who share a child or have lived together for at least three years would be eligible for the new rights if they are able to satisfy a court they are in an 'enduring family relationship'. But pro-marriage campaigners have said they are 'deeply concerned' by the proposals, which they warn will 'downgrade the importance of marriage' while the Government 'fails to do anything to promote its benefits'. Dr Harry Benson, research director of the Marriage Foundation think tank, said Labour's plans are 'both foolish and fundamentally flawed'. Labour's plans to extend new rights to unmarried couples are 'deeply concerning' and will lead to more family breakdowns, campaigners have warned (stock image) He said: 'We already have record levels of family breakdown in the UK, where nearly one in two teenagers are not living with both natural parents. These proposals will make things worse. 'Further diluting any differences between those who marry, and those who do not, dooms a further generation of couples to yet more avoidable breakdown, children to negative outcomes that they do not deserve and leaves taxpayers picking up an estimated £64billion bill - the cost of family breakdown.' Previous research by the Marriage Foundation found that in 2025 family breakdowns were at the highest level since records began, with almost half of teenagers not living with both natural parents by the age of 14. The study found that the level of family breakdown in Britain has increased fivefold since the 1970s - with the key driver being the collapse of unmarried families with children rather than divorce. Dr Benson added: 'We urge the Government to heed the evidence provided by our previous studies. These new Government proposals will discourage commitment, increase family breakdown and its after-effects, and should be politely consigned to the long grass of oblivion.' However the Ministry of Justice has insisted that the proposed changes are needed because they would 'better reflect modern society'. It added that the new rights conferred on unmarried couples are intended to be 'distinct and different' from those of married people, to help 'preserve the sanctity of marriage'. Justice Secretary David Lammy said: 'These reforms strike an important balance between tradition and modernity. I'm determined that our justice system should work for everyone who needs it.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.