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Number of children living in workless households at highest level for 10 years

ended 27. August 2025

The number of children living in workless households is at its highest level for 10 years, new Office of National Statistics (ONS) data shows.

In April to June 2025, there were 1,471,957 children, or 11.2%, living in workless households, up from 1,445,960, or 11%, in the last set of figures in January to March 2025.

The latest figures are the highest level since July to September 2015, when it was 1,478,277.

The research also showed there were an estimated 26.8% of households with at least one working and one workless adult, and an estimated 13.9% of households where no member of the household was in employment.

Experts fear the effect this could be having on the next generation.

Keith Budden, Managing Director at Liss-based Ensurety, said: "The number of children in workless households increasing is concerning in that it points to future issues - we as children and young people learn patterns of behaviour from our parents and from our peers. 

"If the experience there is one of not going to work, then the child's expectation is not going to be to seek employment/self-employment. I've seen this in action, one of my friends has been long term unemployed, when he said to his 16 year old son ‘you need to find a job', the response was ‘why do I want to do that? doing nothing has worked fine for you!’ 

"Maybe we should introduce a programme where those who are able to work, but unemployed, have to perform 20 hours unpaid work in the community/with charities, in order to receive their benefit. That way society gains, the community/charities gain, and hopefully the next generation gain too."

Carol Vickers, Owner at Created by Carol, said we need to be careful about talking about those who can't work and those who choose not to work. 

She said: "Given the Government's ableist rhetoric and the increasing online hate about people on PIP, I think it's important to ensure we don't conflate ‘jobless’ with ‘disabled’. There's a world of difference between people who can't work and people who won't work; a lot of PIP and UC recipients are employed either full or part-time. 

"Perhaps we need to spend more time helping those who won't work to understand the benefits of employment for both them and their children. This could be funded instead of the unnecessary (and very well paid) Covert Surveillance Officers the DWP employs to follow disabled people who have already provided substantial medical evidence of their disabilities. 

"Should we be suspending the human rights of people who work in spite of ill health, or those who choose not to contribute?"
 


 

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Tony RedondoVerified
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
These dreadful ONS figures, showing the highest in a decade number of children in workless households, represent real families facing economic hardship and structural labour market challenges. Rising living costs, particularly housing and childcare, make work financially unviable for some parents in lower-wage positions. When childcare costs exceed potential earnings, staying home becomes an economic necessity. Rapid technological change has left some workers lacking relevant skills. Solutions include expanding affordable, flexible childcare, reducing employer taxes to encourage economic growth and hiring, and ensuring work pays better than benefits through improved wage policies and tax credits.
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Kundan BhaduriVerified
Entrepreneur, Investor and Landlord at The Kushman Group
Britain has perfected the art of turning welfare into a hereditary profession passed down through generations like family heirlooms. Nearly 1.5 million children now live in households where nobody works, not because opportunities are scarce but because benefits have become a cultural inheritance. This is a peculiarly English phenomenon where third generation unemployment families view joblessness as their birthright.

The entitlement culture runs so deep that entire postcodes now regard employment as an eccentric lifestyle choice rather than economic necessity. Working families subsidise this voluntary inactivity through taxes that fund housing benefit, child credits, and universal credit for people whose main skill is navigating the welfare labyrinth. Meanwhile, recent arrivals open corner shops, drive minicabs, and clean offices because they understand something that multigenerational benefit families have forgotten. Work creates wealth and dignity, while welfare creates dependency.
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Carol VickersVerified
Owner at Created by Carol
Given the Government's ableist rhetoric and the increasing online hate about people on PIP, I think it's important to ensure we don't conflate "jobless" with "disabled". There's a world of difference between people who can't work and people who won't work; a lot of PIP and UC recipients are employed either full or part-time. Perhaps we need to spend more time helping those who won't work to understand the benefits of employment for both them and their children. This could be funded instead of the unnecessary (and very well paid) Covert Surveillance Officers the DWP employs to follow disabled people who have already provided substantial medical evidence of their disabilities. Should we be suspending the human rights of people who work in spite of ill health, or those who choose not to contribute?
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Keith BuddenVerified
Managing Director at Ensurety
The number of children in workless households increasing is concerning in that it points to future issues - we as children and young people learn patterns of behaviour from our parents and from our peers. If the experience there is one of not going to work, then the child's expectation is not going to be to seek employment/self-employment.

I've seen this in action, one of my friends has been long term unemployed, when he said to his 16 year old son "you need to find a job", the response was "why do I want to do that? doing nothing has worked fine for you!"

Maybe we should introduce a programme where those who are able to work, but unemployed, have to perform 20 hours unpaid work in the community/with charities, in order to receive their benefit. That way society gains, the community/charities gain, and hopefully the next generation gain too.