To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children, (b) disabled children and (c) children from single parent families lived in poverty in each year since 1992, broken down by local authority area.
Provided in the following tablesare estimates of children living in absolute and relative low income for Scotland, basedon the Department for Work and Pensions’ Family Resources Survey. 1994-95 is thefirst year that estimates are available. Local authority estimates are not available.All estimates are based on equivalised net disposable household income before andafter housing costs. Identification of trendsmust be based on data for several years.
Part a:
Tables 1 and 2 contain estimatesof children living in absolute and relative low income households.
Table 1: Children in AbsoluteLow Income (Below 60% of GB Median) in Scottish Households
| Children |
Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs |
% | (000) | % | (000) |
1994-95 | 28 | 310 | 31 | 340 |
1995-96 | 29 | 320 | 34 | 370 |
1996-97 | 29 | 320 | 33 | 370 |
1997-98 | 27 | 300 | 30 | 330 |
1998-99 | 25 | 270 | 29 | 310 |
1999-2000 | 22 | 230 | 26 | 280 |
2000-01 | 18 | 190 | 21 | 220 |
2001-02 | 14 | 150 | 17 | 170 |
2002-03 | 13 | 130 | 16 | 170 |
2003-04 | 11 | 110 | 15 | 160 |
2004-05 | 10 | 100 | 13 | 130 |
Source: Households Below AverageIncome, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Table 2: Children inRelative Low Income (Below 60% of the GB Median) in Scottish Households
| Children |
Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs |
% | (000) | % | (000) |
1994-95 | 26 | 280 | 28 | 300 |
1995-96 | 26 | 290 | 32 | 350 |
1996-97 | 29 | 320 | 33 | 370 |
1997-98 | 29 | 310 | 30 | 330 |
1998-99 | 27 | 290 | 30 | 320 |
1999-00 | 26 | 280 | 30 | 330 |
2000-01 | 24 | 250 | 29 | 310 |
2001-02 | 25 | 260 | 30 | 320 |
2002-03 | 23 | 240 | 26 | 280 |
2003-04 | 22 | 220 | 25 | 260 |
2004-05 | 19 | 190 | 23 | 240 |
Source: Households Below AverageIncome, DWP.
Part b:
Estimates for disabled childrenliving in low income are not available due to small sample sizes.
Part c:
Tables 3 and 4 contain estimateson the number of children living in lone parent families who are living in absoluteand relative low income households.
Table 3: Children in LoneParent Families Living in Absolute Low Income (Below 60% of the GB median) Households
Year | Children in Lone Parent Families | Children in Lone Parent Families |
Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs |
% | Number | % | Number |
(000) | (000s |
1994-95 | 53 | 110 | 60 | 130 |
1995-96 | 51 | 130 | 61 | 160 |
1996-97 | 47 | 100 | 60 | 130 |
1997-98 | 52 | 130 | 59 | 150 |
1998-99 | 49 | 120 | 56 | 140 |
1999-00 | 43 | 120 | 50 | 140 |
2000-01 | 28 | 70 | 41 | 100 |
2001-02 | 24 | 70 | 29 | 90 |
2002-03 | 17 | 50 | 28 | 80 |
2003-04 | 16 | 50 | 27 | 80 |
2004-05 | 14 | 40 | 20 | 50 |
Source: Households Below AverageIncome, DWP.
Table 4: Children in LoneParent Families Living in Relative Low Income (Below 60% of the GB Median)Households
Year | Children in Lone Parent Families | Children in Lone Parent Families |
Before Housing Costs | After Housing Costs |
% | Number | % | Number |
| (000) | | (000) |
1994-95 | 44 | 90 | 56 | 120 |
1995-96 | 44 | 110 | 58 | 150 |
1996-97 | 47 | 100 | 60 | 130 |
1997-98 | 52 | 130 | 59 | 150 |
1998-99 | 51 | 130 | 58 | 140 |
1999-00 | 48 | 130 | 59 | 160 |
2000-01 | 46 | 120 | 59 | 150 |
2001-02 | 41 | 130 | 51 | 160 |
2002-03 | 38 | 110 | 47 | 130 |
2003-04 | 40 | 120 | 47 | 140 |
2004-05 | 31 | 80 | 40 | 110 |
Source: Households Below AverageIncome, DWP.
Notes:
The income used in the low incomeestimates is called equivalised net disposable household income. This equivalisedincome allows the comparison of living standards between households that vary insize and composition.
Net disposable household income:Total income from all sources (including Tax Credits) after deductions for incometax, National Insurance contributions, council tax, pension contributions and maintenancepayments.
Housing costs: Rent/mortgagepayments, water charges, structural insurance premiums, ground rent and servicecharges.
Absolute low income: Individualsliving in households whose equivalised income is below 60% of inflation adjustedGB median income in 1996-97. This is a measure of whether those in the lowest incomehouseholds are seeing their incomes rise in real terms.
Relative low income: Individualsliving in households whose equivalised income is below 60% of the GB median incomein the same year. This is a measure of whether those in the lowest income householdsare keeping pace with the growth of incomes in the economy as a whole.