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Guidance

Households Below Average Income: release strategy

Updated 26 March 2026

漏 Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at /government/publications/households-below-average-income-statistics-release-strategy/households-below-average-income-release-strategy

1. Introduction听

Households Below Average Income (HBAI)鈥痵tatistics provide 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.听听

This release strategy acts as the formal notice of proposed changed to any future releases of the鈥�HBAI鈥痯耻产濒颈肠补迟颈辞苍.听

The release strategy highlights the听potential release of new statistics within the publication and announces any other developments for future publications.听

The鈥疐amily Resources Survey (FRS)鈥痠s the basis for the HBAI publication and therefore users may also find it useful to consult听the听Family Resources Survey: release strategy - 扒哥吃瓜听for details of changes to the base FRS questionnaire and data.听

The release strategy is not a static document; it will be updated as plans develop, to provide users with details of latest developments.听

The development of these statistics follows the鈥�Department for Work and Pensions鈥� Statistical Work Programme.

2. User engagement听

The HBAI听team听engages听with users in the following ways:听

  • Data and Publication Quality Assurance Groups听

  • Expert Advisory Group consultations听

  • Senior Stakeholder Group engagement

  • The annual Family Finance Survey Users conference, run in association with听the听Office听for National Statistics (ONS) and UK Data Service (UKDS)听

  • HBAI Stat-Xplore user guide听and听dataset documentation available on the UKDS听

  • 听鈥� the online听discussion听forum run by the Office of National Statistics听for users and producers of听Official听Statistics听

  • DWP Statistical Work Programme听which outlines developments to DWP Official Statistics听

  • Responses to Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests听

  • Other government departments听听

  • Team email 鈥撎�team.hbai@dwp.gov.uk鈥痜or general enquiries听

For more details of the听FRS and related publications user consultation groups please see the听Family Resources Survey: release strategy - 扒哥吃瓜.

3. Changes coming to HBAI statistics

Developments for the survey year 2025听to 2026听

For the survey year 2025 to 2026, the base FRS developments which could impact on HBAI statistics are:听

  • FRS sample size

  • population back-series 鈥� bringing FRS (and HBAI) grossing into alignment with Census 2021 (2022 for Scotland)

  • Council Tax Band听鈥� further development

  • questionnaire changes approved in questionnaire consultation听

HBAI statistics which include these developments are expected to be published in March 2027.听听Further detail on these base FRS听developments can be found听in the Developments for the survey year 2025 to 2026听section听of the听Family Resources Survey: release strategy - 扒哥吃瓜.

Developments for the survey year 2026 to 2027

For the survey year 2026 to 2027, the base听FRS听developments which could impact HBAI听statistics are:

  • FRS sample size

  • questionnaire changes approved in questionnaire consultation

4. Other Developments鈥�

Developments to Family Resources Survey

Other developments planned to听the base FRS听data听which could impact on HBAI statistics are:听

  • continued integration of administrative data into the鈥�FRS鈥痑nd related outputs鈥�

Further detail on听these base FRS听developments can be found听in the听Other听Developments section of the听Family Resources Survey: release strategy - 扒哥吃瓜.听

Universal Credit Low Income Estimates development

As noted in the听Statistical work programme听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听DWP鈥檚 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听stats.consultation-2018@dwp.gov.uk.

Below Average Resources

DWP鈥痑re developing a new听additional听poverty measure named听鈥楤elow Average Resources鈥� (BAR)听based on the approach proposed by the鈥� and using鈥�FRS鈥痙ata.听

DWP sought user feedback on developing the new measure through an analytical consultation running from 18 January to 11 April 2024. The听consultation response听was published in January 2025, alongside the latest听Official Statistics in Development publication听in the BAR series. The publication included data for the听financial year听ending 2023 but did not include any substantial changes to the听methodology听for the measure compared to the听initial听publication.听

As noted at Households Below Average Income, improvements introduced in March 2026 will be applied to the back-series in two stages 鈥� in March 2026 and summer 2026. We will review the impact of the full revised HBAI back-series after the summer 2026 update before producing further updates to the Below Average Resources Official Statistics in Development.

5. Feedback听

We welcome feedback.听听听

If you have any comments or questions, please email:听team.hbai@dwp.gov.uk

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