More people in the UK are living with their exes than ever before

The idea of living with your ex after a messy break-up may not sound ideal but according to a new study, separated-couple households have become a significant yet overlooked statistic in the UK.

Researchers have discovered that, despite public sentiment towards couples living together being generally negative, some people find it a practical arrangement, especially when it comes to childcare and the cost of living.

The study, conducted by Dr Jenny van Hooff, Manchester Metropolitan University, Professor Simon Duncan, University of Bradford, and Dr Julia Carter, University of the West of England, has been published in the Sociological Research Online journal.

Dr van Hooff said: “There’s an assumption that couples break up and move on and that’s it. Actually, it’s usually a lot messier than that.

“We need to start recognising the reality of households in the 21st century, particularly in the context of the housing crisis. People aren’t always either single or married. We are living in all kinds of different situations, and I think it’s a good thing that we’re more diverse, but we really need to catch up in terms the census and how we record data.

“When a type of household isn’t officially recognised, it really delegitimises it as a way of living and for many people it really works for them, or they don’t have a choice about it.”

Researchers took data from the property website, Zoopla. and scoured Mumsnet forums to find that the issue of separated couples living together was a widely discussed and controversial topic.

Dr van Hooff said: “I think part of the problem is that it’s seen as strange and problematic. But how can we make it better? How can we make it easier? How can we support people who are in that situation, not just piling on and telling them they shouldn’t do it. They’ve got responsibilities and they’ve got financial constraints. So how do we support people in that situation?”

According to the study, causes for the increase in co-habiting ex-partners may include austerity, the cost of living and the COVID-19 pandemic, the latter being a period where many people broke up with their partners while the UK was under lockdown.

Dr van Hooff added: “There’s also the housing crisis. Most people can’t just go out and find a house without thinking of cost and availability. So although this situation may have been common before and has always been out there, it’s going to become increasingly common as we go forward.”

Dr van Hooff is currently studying mid-life couples. She has researched topics from toxic friendships to infidelity and her work has been reported widely in the media including features in The Guardian, The Independent and The Times.