The number of marriages in England and Wales fell in 2013 by 8.6 per cent according to the latest ONS figures.

In total there were 240,854 marriages in England and Wales in 2013, significantly down on 2012 and the first drop since 2009.

The figures have prompted calls from some for an increased marriage tax allowance to help better incentivise marriage in the tax system.

CARE campaigned for nearly two decades before a small, transferable allowance was finally introduced, which couples started applying for in February 2015.

However, at present the transferable allowance is only 10 per cent, meaning couples can transfer just over £200 and critics argue this is far too small to make a real difference.

Harry Benson of the Marriage Foundation said the latest marriage stats were an ‘indictment’ on the government’s record on marriage.

He said: “It is a damning indictment of a supposedly pro-marriage government. Despite all their rhetoric of wanting to help promote family stability and improve outcomes for children, they have failed to tackle the disincentive to marriage in the tax system.

“So far this government has brought in a token married couples tax allowance, worth a paltry £200 a year. It’s no wonder that that has done nothing to counter the £7,000 tax penalty on couples who move in together”.

CARE’s latest report looked at the tax burden on families in the UK and found one-earner married couples with two children still face a significantly higher tax burden than comparable families in the rest of the OECD.

The Chief Executive of CARE, Nola Leach said: “It is vital the existing marriage tax break is expanded and made fully transferable so more one earner couples with family responsibilities are supported by the tax system”.