Households Below Average Income (HBAI)
Announcement - Households Below Average Income: delay to publication
The Households Below Average Income 1994/95 - 2006/07 series was due to be published on 2 May 2008. This date of the publication was announced on the National Statistics website, in line with the National Statistics Code of Practice.
In the course of validating the statistics, DWP statisticians identified a small but important inaccuracy in the 2006/07 data which impacts on some of the headline figures. As a result, the DWP Statistics Head of Profession has decided to delay publication of this series, along with the Family Resources Survey and Pensioner Incomes Series reports, which are traditionally published at the same time. The Take up of Income Related Benefits publication may also be delayed.
The Head of Profession's decision has been agreed by Karen Dunnell, the National Statistician, and with the Institute for Fiscal Studies, who provide an independent quality assurance role for the Department in relation to the statistical series concerned.
Publication is now expected to be in June. As before, the date of publication will be announced on the National Statistics website, in line with the National Statistics Code of Practice. Further details can be found in a technical note on the DWP website.
Click here for the technical note (PDF) (14KB) 
Press enquiries: 0203 267 5144
Statistician: Peter Matejic
Tel. No.: 020 7962 8232
Email Address: Peter.Matejic@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
The National Statistics First Release contains a digest of key results taken from the publication HBAI 1994/5-2005/6 (revised) published 22 May 2007
- Households Below Average Income (HBAI) publications, 2000/01 to 2005/06
- Low income dynamics 1991 to 2005
- Key results up to 2003/04 using the Modified-OECD scale and new Companion scales, published 25 July 2005.
- Summary of consultations on equivalence scales and other issues
- Exception report to the National Statistics protocol
- National Statistics Quality Review
- Robustness assessment report
- Time series consultation document
- Comparisons of income data between the Family Expenditure Survery and the Family Resources Survey
Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series
HBAI 1994/5-2005/06
This is the eighteenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2005/06, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.
HBAI 1994/5-2004/05
This is the seventeenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2004/05, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.
HBAI 1994/5-2003/04
This is the sixteenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2003/04, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.
HBAI 1994/5-2002/03
This is the fifteenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2002/03, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.
HBAI 1994/5-2001/02
This is the fourteenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2001/02, changes in income patterns over time and income mobility.
HBAI 1994/5-2000/01
This is the thirteenth edition of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series.This report presents information on potential living standards as determined by disposable income in 2000/01,changes in income patterns over time and also income mobility in the 1990s.
Low income dynamics 1991 to 2005
This statistical paper is based upon results from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) for the period 1991 to 2005. It analyses the movements around the income distribution by individuals between 1991 and 2005 and examines the extent to which individuals persistently experience low income, on both before housing costs (BHC) and after housing costs (AHC) bases. The report also contains tables showing the likelihood for individuals, of making a transition either into or out of low income, and identifies events and characteristics which are associated with the transitions.
Summary of consultations on equivalence scales and other issues
Exception report to the National Statistics protocol on release practices
These reports for the years 2004 and 2005 detail the events for which there was an operational need for early access to Households Below Average Income statistics. They are published here in accordance with DWP's compliance statement on the National Statistics Code of Practice.
National Statistics Quality Review
This review, which was published on the 27th February 2004, covered two annual publications, namely the Households Below Average Income and Pensioners' incomes series. It includes recommendations aimed to improve provision and quality of information provided to users.
Robustness assessment report
This report is intended to identify known or suspected imperfections in micro-data on incomes, which may affect the validity of income distribution results or require particular care in their interpretation; and to report estimates of the impact of these imperfections on results.
Time series consultation document
The use of data from the “Family Resources Survey” as the source for HBAI and the Pensioners' income series instead of data from the “Family Expenditure Survey” raises questions about the most appropriate methodology to use in presenting time series which straddle the period of change. In December 1999 a consultation paper was issued to external analysts seeking views on various methodologies, this paper summarises the comments received and details the resulting actions that will be undertaken in future analysis of time series.
Comparisons of income data between the Family Expenditure Survey and the Family Resources Survey (GSS Methodological Series 18)
After the publication of the 1979 to 1992/93 volume of the “Households Below Average Income” (HBAI), a methodological review “Households Below Average Income: Methodological Review Report of a Working Group, DSS, May 1996” was undertaken. The review recommended a transition from the “Family Expenditure Survey” (FES) to the “Family Resources Survey” (FRS) as the survey base for the HBAI statistics. The reasons for the reported difference between the two surveys in relation to HBAI statistics are investigated in detail in this report, which also provides background information that has influenced the decisions on handling of the transition in HBAI.