Separated families statistics
Statistics relating to separated families and their child maintenance arrangements.
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.