Children: Poverty

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of children living in families with incomes below 60 per cent. of median earnings were living in lone parent households in each year since 1997. (143585)

Specific information regarding low income for the United Kingdom is available in “Households Below Average Income 1994/95-2005/06 (Revised)”. The report uses 60 per cent. of median income (rather than earnings) as the low income threshold. This threshold is the internationally recognised measure of poverty.

The available information is in the following table.

*Number and percentage of children living in households below 60 per cent. of median income that were living in lone parent households: Before housing costs*
Year	Number (millions)	Percentage
1996-97	1.3	39
1997-98	1.4	40
1998-99	1.3	40
1999-2000	1.4	43
2000-01	1.3	43
2001-02	1.3	43
2002-03	1.3	43
2003-04	1.2	42
2004-05	1.2	43
2005-06	1.1	40
Notes: 1. The information shown is for Great Britain up to 2001-02 and for the United Kingdom for 2002-03 onwards. 2. The information is based on OECD equivalisation factors and will therefore not be the same as any figures previously published that were based on McClements equivalisation factors. Source: Family Resources Survey

Volume 461: debated on Wednesday 20 June 2007