Official Statistics

Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2022 (experimental)

Published 23 March 2023

The latest release of these statistics can be found in the collection of Separated families statistics.

This is a release of annual statistics on separated families in Great Britain.

These statistics have been developed using guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority and are official statistics undergoing development. They have therefore been designated as experimental statistics.

This publication contains new estimates covering the financial year ending 2022. Further information is available in the background information and methodology note.

The next release is planned for March 2024.

1. Introduction

This publication uses the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data. It provides new statistical estimates relating to separated families and their child maintenance arrangements for the financial year ending 2022. It therefore includes the period of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In summary, several factors affected FRS data collection, response rates and the distribution of characteristics among FRS survey respondents including:

• change in the mode of interviewing
• changes in the methods used to contact survey participants
• changes in people’s behaviour and circumstances during the pandemic

In the financial year ending 2022 government restrictions introduced in response to the pandemic were significantly eased, FRS sample sizes improved compared to 2021 and analysis of the sample as a whole has shown that levels of bias in the data resulting from the mode change are lower than in 2021. Users will still need to be aware of the potential effects of COVID-19 on both the survey and individual circumstances and should interpret results, particularly across the financial years ending 2021 and 2022, with care.

Further detail on these impacts are available below and in the background information and methodology note.

These statistics provide estimates of the following:

• the number of separated families in Great Britain and the number of children in those families
• the proportion of separated families with a child maintenance arrangement 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 households are represented in the income distribution

This release includes no methodology changes.

Further details on the methodology are provided in the background information and methodology note.

It should be noted that there is no requirement for separated families to have a child maintenance arrangement and some families may not want an arrangement. If parents do want an arrangement, they may be able to agree this themselves without the involvement of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). Arrangements made in this way are called non-statutory arrangements or ‘family-based arrangements’. Where parents want an arrangement but need help with this, support is available through the digital service ‘Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance’.

2. Main stories

In the latest financial year ending 2022 it is estimated that:

• there were 2.5 million separated families in Great Britain and 4 million children in those separated families
• 59% of separated families had a child maintenance arrangement

In the three-year period covering the financial years ending 2020 to 2022, it is estimated that:

• Parents with Care in separated families received a total of £2.6 billion annually in child maintenance payments
• 88% of Parents with Care were female and 87% were under the age of 50
• 89% of Non-Resident Parents were male and 79% were under the age of 50
• child maintenance payments reduced the number of children living in low-income households annually. Overall, as a result of these payments, 100,000 children were kept out of absolute low income on a before housing costs basis, and 160,000 children on an after housing costs basis
• child maintenance receipts reduced the percentage of individuals in Parent with Care households who are in the lowest 20% of the after housing costs income distribution by three percentage points
• child maintenance payments reduced the percentage of individuals in Non-Resident Parent households who are in the highest 20% of the after housing costs income distribution by three percentage points

3. What you need to know

Parent with Care

A Parent with Care is the parent who has sole or main day-to-day care of any relevant children and who may potentially be eligible to receive child maintenance.

Non-Resident Parent

A Non-Resident Parent is the parent who does not have sole or main day-to-day care of any relevant children and who may be required to pay child maintenance.

Separated family

A separated family is defined as one Parent with Care, one Non-Resident Parent and any biological or adopted children they have between them who are either under 16 or under 20 and in full-time non-tertiary education.

Child maintenance arrangement

There are two main types of child maintenance arrangement: statutory arrangements and non-statutory arrangements (see below). Separated families may have more than one type of arrangement.

Statutory child maintenance arrangements

Statutory child maintenance arrangements are those which have been arranged with the help of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) or its predecessor, the Child Support Agency (CSA).

Non-statutory arrangements

Non-statutory arrangements include all other arrangements such as:

• voluntary financial arrangements which involve direct monetary payments between parents where the CMS or CSA have not been involved
• voluntary non-financial arrangements involving payments in kind
• other types of arrangements including shared care arrangements
• court orders requiring parents to make financial payments

Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance

Get Help Arranging Child Maintenance is a new digital service for child maintenance applications and information about the choices available to parents to either make their own (non-statutory) arrangement or use the CMS. This service replaced the Child Maintenance Option service from 1 April 2022.

Child Maintenance Service (CMS)

The CMS was introduced in December 2012. It replaced the CSA and is for separated parents who cannot arrange child maintenance between themselves. Parents can ask the CMS to calculate the amount of maintenance to be paid and, if necessary, to help manage and collect payments. Since the end of 2018, all CSA cases with on-going liabilities closed. Parents now have the option of setting up a statutory arrangement with the CMS, a non-statutory, family-based arrangement, or choosing not to have an arrangement at all.

Equivalised household income

If a household’s income is equivalised, it means that it has been adjusted for household size and composition to make it comparable with other household incomes.

Low income

A household is said to be in relative low income if their equivalised income is below 60% of median household income, while they are said to be in absolute low income if their equivalised income is below 60% of the median household income adjusted for inflation for the financial year ending 2011. For comparative purposes, both relative and absolute low income are estimated before and after taking housing costs into account.

Income deciles and quintiles

In this publication deciles divide the population, when ranked by equivalised household income, into ten equal sized groups, and are indicated by 1 to 10, while quintiles divide the population into five groups.

Income distribution

This shows how equivalised household income is shared through a population. Comparisons to the equivalised household income percentiles of a reference population allow the income distributions of different groups to be compared. In this publication we show the distribution of equivalised household incomes of individuals in Parent with Care and Non-Resident Parent households relative to the equivalised household income quintiles of all individuals in Great Britain.

4. Separated families and their child maintenance arrangements

It is estimated that for the financial year ending 2022, there were approximately 2.5 million separated families in Great Britain, including 4.0 million children in those separated families. These estimates represent an increase of 0.2 million in the number of separated families and 0.4 million in the number of children in separated families since the financial year ending 2020. The increase since the financial years ending 2020 and 2021 in the number of separated families reflects increases in lone parent estimates seen in the Labour Force Survey (LFS)^{[footnote 1]} along with increases in estimates of parents with care who have formed new partnerships. The increase in the number of children in separated families reflects both the higher estimate of separated families and a higher estimated number of children in each separated family.

The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on survey data collection for both the FRS and LFS may also be influencing these statistics^{[footnote 2]}. As such, caution should be exercised when interpreting changes over the financial years ending 2021 and 2022.

In the financial year ending 2022, 59% of separated families had a child maintenance arrangement.

Separated families by child maintenance arrangement type, for the financial years ending 2020 to 2022

Sources: FRS and CMS administrative database (see the accompanying tables for full data).

Notes about these statistics:

1. Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding. Percentages are calculated using figures prior to rounding and are rounded to the nearest integer.
2. Figures relating to the financial year ending 2022 are new and shown for the first time in this publication. All other figures in the accompanying tables remain unchanged from previous publications.
3. For simplicity, parents who have both statutory and non-statutory arrangements are included in the statutory arrangement group. (See the accompanying tables for full data).

4. Measures of uncertainty to assess statistical significance of year on year changes are currently unavailable, but are being explored for future publications. As a result of COVID-19, sample sizes are smaller and estimates are expected to be more uncertain than usual in the financial years ending 2021 and 2022. Users should interpret results with care, particularly across these years.

5. The impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households.

On average, it is estimated that £2.6 billion in child maintenance payments was received each year by Parents with Care in separated families in the financial years ending 2020 to 2022. Around 70% of these payments related to non-statutory child maintenance arrangements, with around 30% relating to statutory arrangements.

The total amount of child maintenance received by Parents with Care, by arrangement type for the financial years ending 2020 to 2022

Sources: FRS; CMS administrative data. See the accompanying tables for full data.

Child maintenance payments reduced the net number of children living in low income households. Overall, 160,000 children were kept out of low income on the absolute low income after housing cost measure. Most of this impact related to single parent families.

Table 1: The annual impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households, for the financial years ending 2020 to 2022

Definition of low income	Net impact on the number of children in low-income households (thousands)
Relative low income (before housing costs) – below 60% of contemporary median household income	-140
Relative low income (after housing costs) – below 60% of contemporary median household income	-140
Absolute low income (before housing costs) – below 60% of median household income in the financial year ending 2011 held in constant real terms	-100
Absolute low income (after housing costs) – below 60% of median household income in the financial year ending 2011 held in constant real terms	-160

Source: FRS; HBAI data. See the accompanying tables for full data.

Notes about Table 1

1. Estimates are rounded to the nearest 20,000.

Relatively large numbers of children kept out of low income following child maintenance payments in the financial year ending 2021 contribute to the three-year average statistics. This arose, at least partly, from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The pandemic and the government response to its impact had a significant effect on the UK labour market and household incomes. Many businesses ceased operating or had to change their working practices, while government interventions allowed for the furloughing of workers. In addition, the requirement for social distancing changed the way individuals worked or their ability to look for and find employment and there were large increases in claims for social security benefits. From April 2020, both new and existing Universal Credit claimants and existing Working Tax Credit claimants received a temporary additional £20 per week on top of annual uprating, also known as the ‘UC Uplift’. All of these factors will have affected separated families and their incomes. These effects will continue to influence these three-year average statistics next year.

During the financial year ending 2022, the UK economy and labour market were recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and the restrictions introduced in response to it and there was a gradual reversal of COVID-19 effects that will have influenced the incomes of separated families. Support from the Government in the form of Furlough and the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) decreased during the second quarter of the survey year, and both schemes ended on 30 September 2021. In October 2021, the ‘UC Uplift’ was also ended, while in December 2021, the UC work allowance increased and the UC taper rate reduced from 63% to 55%, meaning those receiving UC while in employment would see their UC award reduced by less for every pound of earnings. Further information on drivers of income changes in the financial year ending 2022 can be found in the Households Below Average Income report.

6. Estimates of the position of separated parent household members in the Great Britain income distribution (and where they would be had they not paid or received child maintenance)

Considering an After Housing Costs basis, the equivalised incomes of Non-Resident Parent household members are more evenly spread across the equivalised income distribution for Great Britain compared with Parent with Care households. The equivalised income distribution of Parent with Care household members is more skewed towards the lowest income quintiles. This situation remains largely unchanged even after child maintenance has been paid from the Non-Resident Parent to the Parent with Care.

Position of Parent with Care and Non-Resident Parent household members in the Great Britain income distributions before and after child maintenance, After Housing Costs, for the financial years ending 2020 to 2022

After child maintenance has been paid, we estimate that the percentage of Parent With Care household members in the bottom quintile is three percentage points lower and the proportion of Non-Resident Parent household members in the top quintile is three percentage points lower. While child maintenance payments result in a rise in the proportion of Non-Resident Parent household members in the lowest quintile to 23%, over a third (37%) of Parent with Care household members remain in the lowest quintile, even after child maintenance is received.

7. About these statistics

These statistics have been developed using guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority and are official statistics undergoing development. They have therefore been designated as experimental statistics. We publish these statistics on an annual basis and will continue to expand their scope to help to meet user needs where reliable estimates can be obtained.

These Great Britain (GB)-level statistics are estimates based primarily on data from the Family Resources Survey (FRS). The FRS is based on a representative sample usually comprising around 20,000 United Kingdom (UK) households. The sample for the financial year ending 2022 is a little smaller at around 16,000 private households due to impacts of COVID-19, though higher than the sample of 10,000 achieved for 2021. In addition to the sample size reductions, the composition of the FRS achieved sample changed between the financial year ending 2020 and the financial years ending 2021 and 2022. The grossing regime was adjusted to improve the representativeness of the sample and address differential levels of response through the year but some unknown biases remain. While the levels of bias in the FRS data overall are assessed as being lower in 2022 than in 2021, the adjusted grossing regime was retained and users will need to be aware of the potential effects of COVID-19 on both the survey and individual circumstances and should interpret results with care.

More information can be found in the Separated Families Statistics background information and methodology note and the FRS Background Information and Methodology.

The FRS is a continuous survey which collects information on the income, characteristics and circumstances of individuals living in a representative sample of private households in the UK. FRS respondents are asked about the relationships within their household and any child maintenance arrangements they may have. Their responses are used to determine whether they are members of a separated family, how many children are in that family, the types of child maintenance arrangements they have (if any) and the amount of maintenance they receive.

Where feasible and appropriate, FRS responses regarding child maintenance arrangements are checked for accuracy against the DWP’s CMS, and historically against CSA, administrative databases and amended in line with the administrative data.

Estimates of the total amount of child maintenance payments received by Parents with Care are based on a combination of administrative data and adjusted FRS data.

The HBAI methodology and data, together with FRS information on child maintenance payments, are used to obtain estimates of:

• the impact of child maintenance payments on the net number of children in low-income households
• the position of members of separated parent households in the GB income distribution

More information about the methodology used to produce these statistics and its limitations can be found in the accompanying background information and methodology note.

Rounding

Figures are rounded to the nearest 100,000, except those relating to the impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households which are rounded to the nearest 20,000. Monetary amounts are rounded to the nearest hundred million pounds. Percentages are calculated using figures prior to rounding and are rounded to the nearest integer. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

Changes made to this publication

This release includes no methodology changes.

Planned changes

These statistics are estimates derived using an experimental methodology which will continue to be reviewed and, where feasible, improved. Any future revisions will be notified via the Separated Families Collection Pages and also in the DWP Statistical Work Programme and clearly indicated and explained in the relevant publication.

8. Where to find out more

More information about these statistics can be found in the accompanying Background information and methodology note and accompanying tables.

Statistics on the child maintenance arrangements made by parents who contacted Child Maintenance Options.

Experimental statistics on the statutory child maintenance arrangements administered by the Child Maintenance Service.

Experimental statistics on the Child Support Agency’s 1993 and 2003 statutory child maintenance schemes and on Child Support Agency case closure.

More information about the Child Maintenance Service and Child Support Agency.

More information about the Family Resources Survey.

More information about the Households Below Average Income.

Feedback

Users are invited to comment on the development and relevance of these statistics at this stage and can send feedback to: cm.analysis.research@dwp.gov.uk

ISBN number: 978-1-78659-510-2

1. LFS estimates of lone parent numbers are used as control totals in the process of applying weights to FRS sample data so that they yield estimates for the overall population. Further details on the methodology are provided in the FRS background information and methodology note. ↩

2. Further details on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the FRS and LFS are available here: FRS background information and methodology note and Coronavirus and its impact on the Labour Force Survey - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk). ↩