Under government proposals, a £500 a week cap on benefits will be introduced for each household.
This has led to fears that couples expecting a child but living apart may decide not to co-habit because their benefits could drop markedly.
In February, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith outlined plans to give couples a £500 a year cash windfall as an incentive to live together in an attempt to promote stable families, but policy adviser at The Children's Society Sam Royston said a significant "couple penalty" will still exist.
"Ninety five per cent of households affected by the cap will have children living in them," he said. "Benefit payments could be reduced by couples living together. It seems so strange because the whole perspective of government policy seems to aim to provide incentives to keep families together."
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