by Average disposable incomes fell by 3.8% for the poorest fifth of households in the monetary 12 months ending 2022, however elevated by 1.6% for the richest fifth, officers figures present.
The common for the poorest fifth was £14,500, 3.8% down on the earlier 12 months, and for the richest fifth it was as much as £66,000, in accordance with the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Household disposable income is the quantity of cash obtainable for spending and saving after taxes.
It contains earnings from employment, non-public pensions and investments in addition to money advantages supplied by the state.
Median family disposable income in the UK was £32,300 in 2021/22, marking a 0.6% lower in contrast with the earlier monetary 12 months, based mostly on estimates from the ONS Household Finances Survey.
The ONS mentioned income estimates for 2021/22 stay affected by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic as monetary assist measures had been put in place.
During the ten years main as much as the monetary 12 months ending 2022, median income grew at a mean of 1.7% per 12 months.
Sarah Coles, a senior private finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, mentioned: “A poisonous mixture of Covid restrictions and cuts in advantages meant total our common disposable income dropped in the tax 12 months to April 2022.
“But the common disguises a yawning gulf between decrease earners, who took a horrible income hit, and better earners who truly ended up higher off.
“At the identical time, inflation was beginning to climb, taking one other horrible toll on these on decrease incomes.
“Disposable income inequality is tough sufficient for decrease earners to take care of, however inflation may have made it even worse.”
Laura Suter, head of private finance at AJ Bell, mentioned: “The previous two years have seen the poorest hit by the Covid pandemic after which the cost-of-living disaster in fast succession.
“The poorest fifth of the UK was hit by two elements: their wages failing to maintain up with inflation and advantages falling in actual phrases, each of which had a dramatic impression on their spare money.
“The rises in power and meals prices additionally hit poorer households tougher, as they spend extra of their cash on these necessities.
“Conversely, richer households have much more skill to chop again on their spending as extra of it goes on non-essentials similar to holidays and luxurious objects.”
Median income for retired households decreased by 1.6% in the monetary 12 months ending in 2022, to £25,900.
Incomes for non-retired households decreased by 0.3% to £34,000.
The Government lately confirmed the triple lock might be used to uprate the state pension, that means retirees are heading for a ten.1% improve from April.
