Household income has risen to £473 a week – £800 a year more than in 2013/14.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) report that the average household income has risen to its highest level on record, with the number of people on low income falling by 300,000 since 2010.

The number of children in low income has fallen by 100,000 while people living in workless households fell by 449,000 since 2010.

Further findings:

• Women in work remains at a record high with the claimant count falling by 750,000
• Continued protection of the basic state pension through ‘triple lock’ and disability benefits exempt from the benefit freeze
• Working families benefiting from the new national living wage and rise in personal tax threshold.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Stephen Crabb said:

“There is of course still more to do and that’s why our life chances strategy will look at the root causes of poverty whether that’s worklessness, debt or addiction, family break down or educational attainment.”