Official Statistics

Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2025

Official statistics on separated families and their child maintenance arrangements.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 26 March 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2025

Ref: ISBN 978-1-78659-962-9

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Data tables: Separated families statistics: April 2014 to March 2025

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Details

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
• the impacts of child maintenance payments on where their households are represented in the income distribution  
• characteristics of parents with care and non-resident parents, by child maintenance arrangement type

This release contains changes to data linking and the absolute low-income reference year.

Integrating survey responses with administrative data

Following changes to the Family Resources Survey (FRS) and Households Below Average Income (HBAI) data on which these statistics are based, income from the major state benefits and tax credits will be based on administrative data rather than survey responses. This change will improve the overall quality of our statistics. The following tables are affected: 

• Tables 5a and 5b: The net impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households
• Tables 6 to 9: The position of separated parent households in the Great Britain income distribution
• Table 10: The percentage of children in parent with care households who remain in low income after child maintenance payments

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. The following tables are affected:

• Tables 5a and 5b: The net impact of child maintenance payments on the number of children in low-income households
• Table 10: The percentage of children in parent with care households who remain in low income after child maintenance payments

Published 26 March 2026