More than a million married couples who are eligible to receive the marriage tax allowance have yet to claim it, according to HM Revenue and Customs.

The marriage allowance is worth up to £238 a year and so far about three million couples have applied.

Supporting families – and marriage in particular – has been a key aspect of CARE’s work for many years, driven by a clear belief in the importance of marriage as the gold standard of commitment.

We have campaigned to ensure the Government recognises this, specifically through the tax system, by introducing transferable allowances for married couples.

After years of campaigning, a small marriage tax break was re-introduced in April 2015, but set at only ten per cent.

CARE’s latest research shows families in the UK now face the highest marginal tax rate in the western world, placing a huge and discriminatory tax burden on families across the UK.

Increasing the marriage tax allowance to make it fully transferable would be a significant step in the right direction.

Such a move also carries public support. ComRes polling for CARE found that nearly six in ten (58 per cent) people support an increase in the marriage allowance, compared to just 20 per cent who are opposed.

CARE’s Chief Executive Nola Leach said:

"CARE urges the Government to put struggling families at the heart of its tax reforms by introducing a fully transferable marriage allowance. This would go a long way towards improving support for families across the UK."

Read Nola’s latest article about the tax system and its links to family breakdown here.

Are you eligible for the marriage tax allowance? Find out and apply here.