Sixty-two per cent of all households (or ‘benefit units’) get at least one form of state support, including tax credits, retirement pension and child benefit, according to the latest official survey results for 2010/11. This is broadly similar to the previous year.

The Family Resources Survey, which interviewed 25,000 households in 2010/11, collects information on the incomes and circumstances of private households in the UK.

Key results

• Income from employment forms the highest percentage of total weekly household income – 72 per cent in 2010/11, down from 74 per cent in 2002/03.
• 62 per cent of all benefit units receive at least one form of state support, including tax credits. This apparently high figure is because of the inclusion of pensions (received by 26 per cent of benefit units) and child benefit (23 per cent): in total, 48 per cent of benefit units get one or both of these.
• The most frequently reported income-related support is council tax benefit, followed by child tax credit and housing benefit. 21 per cent of benefit units get at least one income-related benefit, 16 per cent get at least one tax credit and 58 per cent get at least one non-income-related benefit.
• 42 per cent of benefit units get benefits and tax credits of less than £10,000 a year; 15 per cent get £10,000–20,000; and just 2 per cent get more than £20,000.

Source: Simon Clay, David Evans, Ian Herring, Julie Sullivan and Rupesh Vekaria (eds), Family Resources Survey: United Kingdom, 2010/11, Department for Work and Pensions

Link: Report