The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised the impact of raising the income threshold for people bringing dependents to the UK, especially those in social care.

Justin Welby spoke out after the home secretary raised the minimum income needed to bring family members to the UK to £38,700.

The Archbishop told peers many would be prevented from living together with their spouse, children or elderly parents due to the “big increase” in the minimum income requirement.

Mr Welby said the government was “rightly concerned” with bringing down legal migration figures, but there was a “cost to be paid” in terms of the impact on marriage and family relationships.