Marriage and civil partnership discrimination

The Equality Act 2010 prohibits discrimination and victimisation relating to the protected characteristic of ‘marriage or civil partnership’.

The individual must be able to show that they have been treated less favourably or subjected to a particular disadvantage because they are married or a civil partner.

This protection does not extend to individuals who are:

• living together as a couple but are not married or civil partners
• engaged to be married or are intending to be married or enter in to a civil partnership
• divorced or have had their civil partnership dissolved
• a widow or widower
• single.