Food banks – charitable projects providing free parcels of food for people in need to take away, prepare and eat - have existed in high-income countries for decades, but their spread in the UK is generally linked to the establishment and growth of The Trussell Trust’s member-based food bank network. Since 2011, The Trussell Trust has been publishing data on the volume of food bank use across their network, made available from their standardised data collection system. These data have almost exclusively been the source of information on food bank use for the UK and, in the absence of national food insecurity monitoring before 2016, have typically been used as a barometer for food insecurity. The Trussell Trust’s model for food banks is also well-established, involving establishing relationships with third-party local social and health service agencies who provide referrals; requiring that people in need of assistance have a referral for use; collecting data through the referral system; and guiding their member food banks to follow-up with referral agencies if they provide more than three referrals to a single client in a 6-month period. There is, however, increasing recognition of a much larger landscape of food parcel distribution through independent food banks not affiliated with The Trussell Trust. Research conducted by various researchers over 2014 to 2016 in England, Wales and Scotland found that in some places where no Trussell Trust food banks existed, there were well-established independent food banks operating. In other places, both Trussell Trust and independent food banks were operating. In 2017, Sabine Goodwin on behalf of the Independent Food Aid Network, identified over 500 food parcel distribution projects or food banks (for ease, referred to as food banks going forward) operating outside of The Trussell Trust’s food bank network. Although it has been evident that there are a large number of independent organisations and charities distributing food parcels, little has been known about when or why they were established, how they operate, and whom they serve. This lack of insight stands in contrast with research produced about, and from, The Trussell Trust, which includes numerous studies on the characteristics of people using their food banks and ways of operating, and qualitative studies of the user experience. To begin to fill these gaps, this survey of independent food banks was undertaken to build understanding of independent food parcel distribution projects operating outside of The Trussell Trust in England over 2018 to 2019. The aim of this research was to understand the role independent food banks have in responding to hunger and food poverty in the UK. The specific topics explored in this survey were: • Independent food banks' aims, services offered, and other activities engaged in both locally and nationally related to food poverty; • The operational characteristics of independent food banks including when they opened, how they are staffed, opening times, how data is collected, and how food parcels are made up. The potential factors that influence these, including funding, space availability, and influence of other organisations, were also explored. • Groups independent food banks serve and how people access their services; and • How independent food banks experience and respond to changes in demand, and opinions about how food bank usage could be reduced.

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP.

The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.

The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.

Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage.

The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage.

Secure Access FRS data
In addition to the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, Secure Access datasets, containing unrounded data and additional variables, are also available for FRS from 2005/06 onwards - see SN 9256. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the FRS will need to fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets. Full details of the application requirements are available from http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/media/178323/secure_frs_application_guidance.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Guidance on applying for the Family Resources Survey: Secure Access.

FRS, HBAI and PI
The FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503, respectively. The Secure Access versions are held under SN 7196 and 9257 (see above).

FRS 2023-24

Alongside the usual topics covered, the 2023-2024 FRS includes new variables on veterans (ex-armed forces, former regulars and reserves); care leavers (where young adults were previously living in care, during their teenage years); and, for the self-employed, length of time in that occupation. For doctors, we add clarifying variables for NHS vs private earnings streams. There are new variables on food support from friends/relatives, which complement the existing food bank and household food security set. 2023-2024 also includes Cost of Living Payment variables, including those on certain state benefits and the Warm Homes Discount scheme.

The achieved sample was over 16,500 households (28,500+ adults). A large majority of interviews were face-to-face with a minority being by telephone.

The BENUNIT table contains a raft of variables on the new material deprivation question set; see GOV.UK for background.

This version of the dataset (End User Licence) adds the DEBT table for the first time this year. The table contains responses on credit card debt, loan debt, hire purchase debt and store card debt.

Please send any feedback directly to the FRS Team Inbox: team.frs@dwp.gov.uk

Documentation

Many variables in the data files are fully labelled, but additional details can be found in the frs2324_variable_listing_eul.xlsx document.

Foodbank Support and face-to-face Debt Advice locations. Upon accessing this Licensed Data you will be deemed to have accepted the terms of the Public Sector End User Licence - INSPIRE.

This dataset provides information on 826 in United Kingdom as of June, 2025. It includes details such as email addresses (where publicly available), phone numbers (where publicly available), and geocoded addresses. Explore market trends, identify potential business partners, and gain valuable insights into the industry. Download a complimentary sample of 10 records to see what's included.

This data provides information on the profile of clients that Cambridge & District CAB referred to Cambridge City Foodbank from 1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015 for food and/or fuel vouchers. Information is provided on age, ethnicity, household type, number of adults fed by food voucher, number of children fed by food voucher, housing type and homelessness, mental health or physical health issues and employment status. Information is also provided around benefits the clients receive (earning replacement benefits include Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Income Support and State Pension; income-related benefits include Tax Credits, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction, Pension Credits and Child Benefit; disability-related benefits include Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payments). We also note instances of benefit sanctions. Note that none of the details provided here can be traced to individual households - the data has been completely anonymised. All low cell counts of below 5, have been rounded up and replaced with a 5. This prevents any breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998. The data is from the CAB content management system, called Petra, which holds all of our client case notes and profile information.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP.

The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.

The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.

Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage.

The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage.

Secure Access FRS data
The Secure Access version of the FRS contains unrounded data and additional variables, and is available from 2005/06 onwards. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the FRS must fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets.

FRS, HBAI and PI
The FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The Secure Access versions are held under SNs 7196 and 9257. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503.

Secure Access FRS contents
The Secure Access version of the FRS contains unrounded data and a small number of extra variables that are not available on the standard EUL versions. A full listing of additional variables for the current year is available in the document '9256_frs_variable_listing_saf.xlsx', and in the UKDA Data Dictionaries in the Documentation section. Users should note that the variables listed may not be included for all FRS years. The file '9252_changes_.xlsx' lists a summary of variable changes since the previous year.

Documentation
The Documentation section includes files for the latest year of the FRS only, due to available space. Documentation for previous years is provided alongside the data for access and is also available upon request.

Latest edition information

For the second edition (April 2025), data and documentation for 2023/24 were added to the study. LSOA variables for 2013/14 to 2019/20 have also been added to the household ('househol') files for those years.

For the third edition (May 2025), the 2022/23 data files were replaced, and the Excel metadata documentation updated accordingly. The following changes have been made:

• An ONS-delivered fix to the highest level of qualification (EDUCQUAL) which for several adults had been erroneously recorded.
• For ESA (benefit 16 on the BENEFITS table) the associated VAR3 has now been populated using ESA admin data, to show whether cases are Support Group etc.
• For Pension Credit recipients (benefit 4 on the BENEFITS table) adding the low-income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment as benefit 124; with its flag CLPAYIRB set on the ADULT table.

Household characteristics (age, family composition, tenure); some spending, with housing (rent or details of mortgage); household bills including Council Tax, buildings and contents insurance, water and sewerage rates.

Receipt of state support from all state benefits, including Universal Credit and Tax Credits; educational level and grants and loans; children in education; care, both those receiving care and those caring for others; childcare; occupation, employment, self-employment and earnings/wage details, including director dividend if received; income tax payments and refunds; National Insurance contributions; pension contributions; earnings from odd jobs. Doctors and dentists are separately identified from 2021-22.

Health and disability, restrictions on work, children's health; income from personal or...

The data has been provided by Cambridge City Foodbank - https://cambridgecity.foodbank.org.uk/. ‘Note that none of the details provided here can be traced to individual households - the data has been completely anonymised. All low cell counts of below 5, have been rounded up and replaced with a 5. This prevents any breaches of GDPR 2018’

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP. The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage. The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage. Safe Room Access FRS data In addition to the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, Safe Room access datasets, containing unrounded data and additional variables, are also available for FRS from 2005/06 onwards - see SN 7196, where the extra contents are listed. The Safe Room version also includes secure access versions of the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and Pensioners' Incomes (PI) datasets. The Safe Room access data are currently only available to UK HE/FE applicants and for access at the UK Data Archive's Safe Room at the University of Essex, Colchester. Prospective users of the Safe Room access version of the FRS/HBAI/PI will need to fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets. Full details of the application requirements are available from Guidance on applying for the Family Resources Survey: Secure Access.FRS, HBAI and PIThe FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503 respectively. The secure access versions are held within the Safe Room FRS study under SN 7196 (see above). The FRS aims to: support the monitoring of the social security programme; support the costing and modelling of changes to national insurance contributions and social security benefits; provide better information for the forecasting of benefit expenditure. From April 2002, the FRS was extended to include Northern Ireland. Detailed information regarding anonymisation within the FRS can be found in User Guide 2 of the dataset documentation. For the second edition (October 2014) the data have been re-grossed following revision of the FRS grossing methodology to take account of the 2011 Census mid-year population estimates. New variable GROSS4 has been added to the dataset. Main Topics: Household characteristics (composition, tenure type); tenure and housing costs including Council Tax, mortgages, insurance, water and sewage rates; welfare/school milk and meals; educational grants and loans; children in education; informal care (given and received); childcare; occupation and employment; health restrictions on work; children's health; National Health Service treatment; wage details; self-employed earnings; personal and occupational pension schemes; income and benefit receipt; income from pensions and trusts, royalties and allowances, maintenance and other sources; income tax payments and refunds; National Insurance contributions; earnings from odd jobs; children's earnings; interest and dividends; investments; National Savings products; assets; vehicle ownership. Standard Measures Standard Occupational Classification Multi-stage stratified random sample Face-to-face interview Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing 2005 2006 ABSENTEEISM ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS AGE APARTMENTS APPLICATION FOR EMP... APPOINTMENT TO JOB ATTITUDES BANK ACCOUNTS BEDROOMS BONDS BONUS PAYMENTS BUILDING SOCIETY AC... BUSES BUSINESS RECORDS CARE OF DEPENDANTS CARE OF THE DISABLED CARE OF THE ELDERLY CARS CHARITABLE ORGANIZA... CHILD BENEFITS CHILD CARE CHILD DAY CARE CHILD MINDERS CHILD MINDING CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS CHILD WORKERS CHILDREN CHRONIC ILLNESS COHABITATION COLOUR TELEVISION R... COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS CONCESSIONARY TELEV... CONSUMPTION CONTACT LENSES COUNCIL TAX CREDIT UNIONS Consumption and con... DAY NURSERIES DEBILITATIVE ILLNESS DEBTS DENTISTS DISABILITIES DISABILITY DISCRIMI... DISABLED CHILDREN DISABLED PERSONS DOMESTIC RESPONSIBI... ECONOMIC ACTIVITY ECONOMIC VALUE EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND EDUCATIONAL FEES EDUCATIONAL GRANTS EDUCATIONAL INSTITU... EDUCATIONAL VOUCHERS ELDERLY EMPLOYEES EMPLOYMENT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMMES ENDOWMENT ASSURANCE ETHNIC GROUPS EXPENDITURE EYESIGHT TESTS FAMILIES FAMILY MEMBERS FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL RESOURCES FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOOD FREE SCHOOL MEALS FRIENDS FRINGE BENEFITS FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT FURNISHED ACCOMMODA... FURTHER EDUCATION Family life and mar... GENDER GIFTS GRANDPARENTS GRANTS HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD HEALTH HEALTH SERVICES HEARING IMPAIRED PE... HEARING IMPAIRMENTS HIGHER EDUCATION HOLIDAY LEAVE HOME BASED WORK HOME OWNERSHIP HOME SHARING HOURS OF WORK HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS HOUSEHOLD HEAD S OC... HOUSEHOLDS HOUSING HOUSING FACILITIES HOUSING FINANCE HOUSING TENURE INCOME INCOME TAX INDUSTRIES INSURANCE INSURANCE PREMIUMS INTEREST FINANCE INVESTMENT INVESTMENT RETURN Income JOB DESCRIPTION JOB HUNTING JOB SEEKER S ALLOWANCE LANDLORDS LEAVE LOANS LODGERS MANAGERS MARITAL STATUS MARRIED WOMEN MARRIED WOMEN WORKERS MATERNITY LEAVE MATERNITY PAY MEDICAL PRESCRIPTIONS MORTGAGE PROTECTION... MORTGAGES MOTORCYCLES NEIGHBOURS Northern Ireland OCCUPATIONAL PENSIONS OCCUPATIONAL QUALIF... OCCUPATIONS ONE PARENT FAMILIES OVERTIME PARENTS PART TIME COURSES PART TIME EMPLOYMENT PARTNERSHIPS BUSINESS PASSENGERS PATERNITY LEAVE PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS PENSIONS PHYSICALLY DISABLED... PHYSICIANS POVERTY PRIVATE EDUCATION PRIVATE PERSONAL PE... PRIVATE SCHOOLS PROFITS QUALIFICATIONS RATES REBATES REDUNDANCY REDUNDANCY PAY RENTED ACCOMMODATION RENTS RESIDENTIAL MOBILITY RETIREMENT ROOM SHARING ROOMS ROYALTIES SAVINGS SAVINGS ACCOUNTS AN... SCHOLARSHIPS SCHOOL MILK PROVISION SCHOOLCHILDREN SCHOOLS SEASONAL EMPLOYMENT SECONDARY EDUCATION SECONDARY SCHOOLS SELF EMPLOYED SEWAGE DISPOSAL AND... SHARES SHIFT WORK SICK LEAVE SICK PAY SICK PERSONS SOCIAL CLASS SOCIAL HOUSING SOCIAL SECURITY SOCIAL SECURITY BEN... SOCIAL SECURITY CON... SOCIAL SERVICES SOCIAL SUPPORT SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECTACLES SPOUSES STATE EDUCATION STATE HEALTH SERVICES STATE RETIREMENT PE... STUDENT HOUSING STUDENT LOANS STUDENTS STUDY SUBSIDIARY EMPLOYMENT SUPERVISORS SUPERVISORY STATUS Social stratificati... TAXATION TELEVISION LICENCES TELEVISION RECEIVERS TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT TENANCY AGREEMENTS TENANTS HOME PURCHA... TERMINATION OF SERVICE TIED HOUSING TIME TOP MANAGEMENT TRAINING UNEARNED INCOME UNEMPLOYED UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS UNFURNISHED ACCOMMO... UNWAGED WORKERS VEHICLES VISION IMPAIRMENTS VISUALLY IMPAIRED P... VOCATIONAL EDUCATIO... VOLUNTARY WORK WAGES WIDOWED WORKING MOTHERS WORKING WOMEN property and invest...

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP.

The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.

The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.

Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage.

The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage.

Secure Access FRS data
In addition to the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, Secure Access datasets, containing unrounded data and additional variables, are also available for FRS from 2005/06 onwards - see SN 9256. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the FRS will need to fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets. Full details of the application requirements are available from http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/media/178323/secure_frs_application_guidance.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Guidance on applying for the Family Resources Survey: Secure Access.

FRS, HBAI and PI
The FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503, respectively. The Secure Access versions are held under SN 7196 and 9257 (see above).

The Family Resources Survey (FRS) has been running continuously since 1992 to meet the information needs of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is almost wholly funded by DWP.

The FRS collects information from a large, and representative sample of private households in the United Kingdom (prior to 2002, it covered Great Britain only). The interview year runs from April to March.

The focus of the survey is on income, and how much comes from the many possible sources (such as employee earnings, self-employed earnings or profits from businesses, and dividends; individual pensions; state benefits, including Universal Credit and the State Pension; and other sources such as savings and investments). Specific items of expenditure, such as rent or mortgage, Council Tax and water bills, are also covered.

Many other topics are covered and the dataset has a very wide range of personal characteristics, at the adult or child, family and then household levels. These include education, caring, childcare and disability. The dataset also captures material deprivation, household food security and (new for 2021/22) household food bank usage.

The FRS is a national statistic whose results are published on the gov.uk website. It is also possible to create your own tables from FRS data, using DWP’s Stat Xplore tool. Further information can be found on the gov.uk Family Resources Survey webpage.

Secure Access FRS data
In addition to the standard End User Licence (EUL) version, Secure Access datasets, containing unrounded data and additional variables, are also available for FRS from 2005/06 onwards - see SN 9256. Prospective users of the Secure Access version of the FRS will need to fulfil additional requirements beyond those associated with the EUL datasets. Full details of the application requirements are available from http://ukdataservice.ac.uk/media/178323/secure_frs_application_guidance.pdf" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Guidance on applying for the Family Resources Survey: Secure Access.

FRS, HBAI and PI
The FRS underpins the related Households Below Average Income (HBAI) dataset, which focuses on poverty in the UK, and the related Pensioners' Incomes (PI) dataset. The EUL versions of HBAI and PI are held under SNs 5828 and 8503, respectively. The Secure Access versions are held under SN 7196 and 9257 (see above).

FRS 2022-23

The impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the FRS 2022-23 survey was much reduced when compared with the two previous survey years. Throughout the year, there was a gradual return to pre-pandemic fieldwork practices, with the majority of interviews being conducted in face-to-face mode. The achieved sample was just over 25,000 households. Users are advised to consult the FRS 2022-23 Background Information and Methodology document for detailed information on changes, developments and issues related to the 2022-23 FRS data set and publication. Alongside the usual topics covered, the 2022-2023 FRS also includes variables for Cost of Living support, including those on certain state benefits; energy bill support; and Council Tax support. See documentation for further details.

FRS 2021-22 and 2020-21 and the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted the FRS 2021-22 and 2020-21 data collection in the following ways:

• In 2020-21, fieldwork operations for the FRS were rapidly changed in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the introduction of national lockdown restrictions. The established face-to-face interviewing approach employed on the FRS was suspended and replaced with telephone interviewing for the whole of the 2020-21 survey year.

• This change impacted both the size and composition of the achieved sample. This shift in mode of interview has been accompanied by a substantial reduction in the number of interviews achieved: just over 10,000 interviews were achieved this year, compared with 19,000 to 20,000 in a typical FRS year. While we made every effort to address additional biases identified (e.g. by altering our weighting regime), some residual bias remains. Please see the FRS 2020-21 Background Information and Methodology document for more information.
• The FRS team have published a technical report for the 2020-21 survey, which provides a full assessment of the impact of the pandemic on the statistics. In line with the Statistics Code of Practice, this is designed to assist users with interpreting the data and to aid transparency over decisions and data quality issues.

• In 2021-22, the interview mode was largely telephone, with partial return to face-to-face interviews towards end of survey year. The achieved sample was over 16,000 households. This is a return towards the number expected in a normal survey year (around 20,000 households).
• In both survey years, there remain areas where users are advised to exercise caution when making comparisons to other survey years. More details on how the results for the 2020 to 2021 and 2021-22 survey years were affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic can be found in the FRS 2020 to 2021 Background Information and Methodology and FRS 2021 to 2022 Background Information and Methodology.

The FRS team are seeking users' feedback on the 2020-21 and 2021-22 FRS. Given the breadth of groups covered by the FRS data, it has not been possible for DWP statisticians to assess or validate every breakdown which is of interest to external researchers and users. Therefore, the FRS team are inviting users to let them know of any insights you may have relating to data quality or trends when analysing these data for your area of interest. Please send any feedback directly to the FRS Team Inbox: team.frs@dwp.gov.uk

Latest edition information

For the second edition (May 2025), the data were redeposited. The following changes have been made:

• An ONS-delivered fix to the highest level of qualification (EDUCQUAL) which for several adults had been erroneously recorded.
• For ESA (benefit 16 on the BENEFITS table) the associated VAR3 has now been populated using ESA admin data, to show whether cases are Support Group etc.
• For Pension Credit recipients (benefit 4 on the BENEFITS table) adding the low-income benefits and tax credits Cost of Living Payment as benefit 124; with its flag CLPAYIRB set on the ADULT table.