How would that work?
I was thinking of the AFDC system in the U.S., being partially dismantled in the U.S. by welfare reform, a system which pays women to have out of wedlock children. Of course, the connection to crime is that children in traditional families are unlikely to become criminals, especially if their neighbors also mostly live in such families. How relevant this is to the UK I do not know fully. However, I do know a British couple that, in my opinion, foolishly won't marry because the woman would lose her widow's pension. This government policy is the kind of disincentive to decency, not always easy to fix, that contributes to the crime rate.
Oh, my. Unlikely? I'm not even
sure I'd buy less likely without seeing
the data.