The number of households where no one works has fallen by 828,000 since 2010 and is now at its lowest level in more than a decade, according to new independent figures released today.
Over 17.6 million households now have at least one working adult, meaning that around 9 in every 10 children live with a working adult.
Less than 15% of households are classed as workless, with the number having fallen by 72,000 since last year.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Damian Green said:
More parents now have the opportunity to find work and enjoy the dignity and security of having a regular wage.
We will continue to build on this success as we roll-out Universal Credit to all parts of the country – ensuring that it always pays to be in work.
The latest employment figures show that there are 31.84 million people in work, and the unemployment rate (4.8%) is at the lowest in over a decade.
The proportion of lone parents working rose to 67.9% in 2016, an increase of over 10% since 2010.
The government’s welfare reforms are returning fairness to the benefit system and encouraging people who are able to work to do just that. They include:
- the benefit cap, which ensures that families don’t receive more in benefits than the average family earns
- Universal Credit, the biggest change to the welfare system in a generation
- the Claimant Commitment, which spells out what we expect from jobseekers when they search for work
- the New Enterprise Allowance scheme, which helps people on benefits to become their own boss
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