Households below average income (HBAI) statistics
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-27)

Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households in the UK.

These publications provide statistics and commentary on living standards in UK households, as determined by disposable income. They include the number and percentage of people living in low-income households, and changes in income patterns over time.

Find future households below average income (HBAI) statistics release dates in our statistics release calendar (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements?utf8=%E2%9C%93&keywords=Households&organisations%5B%5D=department-for-work-pensions).

There is more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics#contacts-for-statistics) page.

Email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) with any questions or feedback.

Changes to the latest release

Updated Material Deprivation Measures in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release

Material deprivation estimates in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release are based on updated material deprivation measures. This follows a review of material deprivation by the London School of Economics and Political Science (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/review-of-the-uk-material-deprivation-measures) and the inclusion of updated material deprivation questions in the Family Resources Survey for 2023 to 2024.

A technical report has been published alongside the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release setting out the analysis and decisions underpinning the updated material deprivation measures. This report presents analysis of the 2023 to 2024 estimates based on the old and the updated measures but users should note the old and updated measures are not comparable.

Treatment of cost of living support schemes, Warm Home Discount and Scottish Winter Heating Payment

During 2023 to 2024 the government implemented additional support for families with several cost of living support schemes (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payment), depending on people’s circumstances. There were changes to these schemes in 2023 to 2024 that were first introduced in 2022 to 2023. The Cost of Living Payments reflecting the support in 2023 to 2024 are included in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI estimates of household income.

Additionally, income received in respect of the Warm Home Discount and the Scottish Winter Heating Payment is included in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI estimates of household income.

Correction to level of educational attainment

In the HBAI 2022 to 2023 publication an issue with the FRS variable EDUCQUAL was identified. This variable is used to present estimates of low income for working-age adults by their level of educational attainment. Estimates were withdrawn from the HBAI 2022 to 2023 publication, affecting the following tables: 5.3db BHC, 5.3db AHC, 5.6db and 5.9db. The 2022 to 2023 EDUCQUAL breakdown was also removed from Stat-Xplore.

For 2023 to 2024, data for the FRS variable EDUCQUAL has been corrected and validated and relevant estimates have been re-instated in tables 5.3db BHC,5.3db AHC, 5.6db and 5.9db.

During the investigation of the issues identified with the EDUCQUAL variable it was found that issues were present for several survey years, dating at least to 2019 to 2020. Work will continue to provide revised outputs for historical HBAI datasets and an update will be available in due course.

Correction to cost of living support schemes for 2022 to 2023

In the 2022 to 2023 HBAI release, one element of the low income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment was not included, which impacted on the Family Resources based publications and therefore HBAI income estimates for this year.

Revised 2022 to 2023 data has been included in the time series and trend tables in the 2023 to 2024 HBAI release. Stat-Xplore and the underlying dataset has also been updated to reflect the revised 2022 to 2023 data.

Other developments

Developments to Family Resources Survey for 2024 to 2025

There are several planned developments to the Family Resources Survey data for 2024 to 2025 survey year. This includes: plans to revise the grossing back series and integrate DWP administrative data and linked to this, reviewing the reference date for the absolute low-income measure in HBAI. For more details please see: Family Resources Survey: release strategy - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-resources-survey-release-strategy/family-resources-survey-release-strategy)

Universal Credit Low Income Estimates Development

As noted in the Statistical work programme (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-statistical-work-programme/statistical-work-programme) we are proposing to develop a measure of low income for families in receipt of Universal Credit (UC). The measure would be produced from UC administrative data and cover numbers and percentages of UC families in low income, with guidance on similarities and differences compared with DWP’s other published low income measures such as Households Below Average Income and Children in Low Income Families. The measure would be available for local authorities and potentially local authority wards. It would also be available more frequently than annually (potentially quarterly) and with a short time lag compared with the reference period. For further information about or to comment on this proposed development, please contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Children in Low Income Families (CiLIF) Statistics Development

DWP plan to publish a paper on proposals for developing After Housing Costs measures of local area child poverty statistics and will be seeking users’ views: Children in low income families: local area statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/children-in-low-income-families-local-area-statistics). We are seeking user views by 31st July 2025. Comments and feedback from users are welcome by emailing xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Below Average Resources

DWP are developing a new poverty measure named ‘Below Average Resources’ (BAR) based on the approach proposed by the Social Metrics Commission (SMC) (https://socialmetricscommission.org.uk). The BAR approach provides a more expansive view of available resources (both savings and inescapable costs) than the income measurement adopted under HBAI, and includes some methodological changes proposed by the SMC.

The latest Official Statistics in Development publication (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/below-average-resources-for-financial-year-2022-to-2023/below-average-resources-for-financial-year-2022-to-2023) in the series was published in January 2025.

DWP sought user feedback on the new poverty measure through an analytical consultation. The consultation response (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/below-average-resources-for-financial-year-2022-to-2023/response-to-the-consultation-on-the-below-average-resources-measure) has now been published.

HBAI data on Stat-Xplore

HBAI data is available from financial year ending (FYE) 1995 to FYE 2024 on the Stat-Xplore online tool (https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml). You can use Stat-Xplore to create your own HBAI analysis. Please note that data for FYE 2021 is not available on Stat Xplore and estimates by educational attainment of the individual are not currently available for FYE 2023.

HBAI information is available at an individual level, and uses the net, weekly income of their household. Breakdowns allow analysis of individual, family (benefit unit) and household characteristics of the individual.

Read the user guide to HBAI data on Stat-Xplore (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/households-below-average-income-statistics-on-stat-xplore-user-guide).

We are seeking feedback from users on the HBAI data in Stat-Xplore – email xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) with your comments.