HC Deb 14 November 2000 vol 356 cc611-2W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of people living in lone parent families in each year since 1995 were(a) in the bottom 30 per cent., (b) in the bottom 40 per cent. and (c) in the bottom 50 per cent. of the income distribution. [134544]

Angela Eagle

The information is in the table.

Proportion of individuals living in lone parent families below various percentiles of the income distribution
Including self-employed Excluding self-employed
Individuals below percentiles of income distribution (percentage)/year Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs
Bottom 30 per cent.
1995–96 59 67 59 67
1996–97 65 71 63 70
1997–98 63 69 63 69
1998–99 63 69 63 69
Bottom 40 per cent.
1995–96 73 78 73 78
1996–97 78 81 77 81
1997–98 76 79 76 79
1998–99 77 80 77 80
Proportion of individuals living in lone parent families below various percentiles of the income distribution
Including self-employed Excluding self-employed
Individuals below percentiles of income distribution (percentage)/year Before housing costs After housing costs Before housing costs After housing costs
Bottom 50 per cent.
1995–96 83 85 83 86
1996–97 86 87 86 87
1997–98 84 85 84 86
1998–99 86 87 85 87

Notes:

  1. 1. All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data set which is derived from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS does not include Northern Ireland, and 1998–99 is the latest year for which data is available.
  2. 2. The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using multipurpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax band and a number of other demographic variables. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response. All percentages are rounded to the nearest per cent.
  3. 3. The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household). While the proportion of individuals below various income thresholds may be sensitive to the precise way in which incomes are equivalised, changes shown over time generally are not.
  4. 4. The estimates are presented on both a Before Housing Costs (BHC) and an After Housing Costs (AHC) basis in line with HBAI conventions. Figures are also provided including and excluding the self-employed, as research suggests that, for self-employed people, income as reported in surveys is often a poor indicator of living standards.

Source:

Family Resources Survey