Figures from the Department for Work and Pension (DWP) show there has been a rise in the number of working households, with around nine in ten children living with at least one working adult.
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 the new independent figures.
More than 17.6 million households now have at least one working adult, meaning that around nine in every ten children live with a working adult.
Less than 15% of households are classed as workless – with the number having fallen by 72,000 since 2016.
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 31.84m people in work, and the unemployment rate (4.8%) is now at its lowest in more than a decade.
The proportion of lone parents working rose to 67.9% in 2016, an increase of more than 10% since 2010.
The government’s welfare reforms encourage people who are able to work to do so, said the DWP. Reforms include the benefit cap, which ensures that families do not receive more in benefits than the average family earns.
Universal Credit is also the biggest change to the welfare system in a generation – and the Claimant Commitment sets out what is expected from jobseekers when they search for work.
The New Enterprise Allowance scheme is also designed to help people on benefits to start their own businesses.
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