Notes:

1. These statistics are based on households below average income, sourced from the Family Resources Survey.

2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response.

3. The reference period for household below average income figures is single financial years.

4. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' (HBAI) series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living.

5. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors.

6. Median household incomes are used as these are less affected by outliers. Incomes are presented in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling.

7. Figures have been presented on a before housing cost and an after housing cost basis. For before housing costs, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for after housing costs they are.

8. Separate council and housing association figures should be treated with caution. This is because a significant number of housing association tenants wrongly report that they are council tenants. The most common reason for this is where their home used to be owned by the council and although ownership has now transferred to a housing association, the tenant still thinks that their landlord is the council (local authority).

Source:

Households Below Average Income, 2003-04-2007-08