Collection

Separated families statistics

Statistics relating to separated families and their child maintenance arrangements.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
17 April 2019
Last updated
26 March 2026 — See all updates

These statistics provide estimates of the following:

  • the total number of separated families in Great Britain and the number of children in those families
  • the proportion of separated families with child maintenance arrangements and whether this arrangement is statutory or non-statutory
  • the total amount of child maintenance received by Parents With Care, by arrangement type
  • the net impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households
  • characteristics of separated parents and the impacts of child maintenance payments on where their household members are represented in the income distribution

From 25 March 2021, the name of this statistical series changed from ‘Separated families population statistics’ to ‘Separated families statistics’.

Next release of the Separated families statistics

The  next release of Separated families statistics  will be published in March 2027.

Changes to the latest release

Integrating survey responses with administrative data

Following changes to the Family Resources Survey and Households Below Average Income data on which these statistics are based, income from the major state benefits and tax credits is based on administrative data rather than survey responses. This change improves the overall quality of our statistics. It affects income-related measures, including estimates of the percentage of children in low-income households, the position of separated parent households within the income distribution and the net impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households.

Updating the absolute low-income reference year

From the March 2026 publication, the absolute low-income reference year will change to financial year ending 2025. It will remain at financial year ending 2011 for previous publications. The absolute low-income threshold is 60% of median income in the reference year, adjusted for inflation. This change is needed because of the improvements to income data resulting from integrating survey responses on major state benefits and tax credits with administrative data.

Revisions

While the use of administrative data will result in updates to previous releases of the Family Resources Survey and Households Below Average Income in 2026, we do not plan to revise Separated families statistics publications for earlier years as affected measures are not published as part of a time series. Instead, we include estimates of the impact of these changes in the latest publication.

Further detail on Family Resources Survey developments can be found on the Family Resources Survey: release strategy.

Further detail on Households Below Average Income developments can be found on the Households Below Average Income statistics: release strategy.

Further information

Find future separated families publication dates in our statistics release calendar and other DWP statistics on the statistics at DWP page.

Email: cm.analysis.research@dwp.gov.uk with feedback and queries.

DWP’s statistical practice is regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR).

OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.

You are welcome to contact us directly with any comments about how we meet these standards.

Alternatively, you can contact OSR by emailing regulation@statistics.gov.uk or via the Office for Statistics Regulation website.

There is contact information and more about DWP statistics on the statistics at DWP page.

Latest release

Previous release

Updates to this page

Published 17 April 2019
Last updated 26 March 2026 show all updates

  1. Link has been added to the announcement  of the next release of Separated families statistics  in March 2027 (Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2026)

  2. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families statistics (data for April 2014 to March 2025). Information added about the next release in March 2027, and updated changes to the latest release.

  3. Information has been added about 'developments to the upcoming release'.

  4. Updated to include latest Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2024.

  5. Added information to the page that the next release of separated families statistics will be published on 27 March 2025.

  6. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families statistics (data for April 2014 to March 2023).

  7. Added information to the page about changes to the next release of the Separated families statistics. The next release will be published on 21 March 2024.

  8. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families statistics (data for April 2014 to March 2022).

  9. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families statistics (data for April 2014 to March 2021).

  10. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families statistics (data for April 2014 to March 2020).

  11. Added a note about the information in the next release of Separated families population statistics, this will be published on 25 March 2021.

  12. Added a link to the latest release of Separated families population statistics, April 2014 to March 2018.

  13. Change made to the note about what's included in the next release of these statistics (due for publication on 26 March 2020).

  14. Added a note that additional information will be included in the next release of these statistics (on 26 March 2020).

  15. First published.

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