Definitions used for Household data
What is a household?
A household is defined as a housekeeping unit or, operationally, as a social unit:
-
Having common arrangements;
-
Sharing household expenses or daily needs;
-
In a shared common residence.
A household includes either one person living alone or a group of people, not necessarily related, living at the same address with common housekeeping, i.e. sharing at least one meal per day or sharing a living or sitting room.
Who are to be considered as household members?
The following persons are regarded as household members:
-
Persons usually resident, related to other members;
-
Persons usually resident, not related to other members;
-
Resident boarders, lodgers, tenants (for at least six months or without private address elsewhere);
-
Visitors (for at least six months or without private address elsewhere);
-
Live-in domestic servants, au-pairs (for at least six months or without private address elsewhere);
-
Persons usually resident, but temporarily (for less than six months) absent from the dwelling (and without private address elsewhere);
-
Children of the household being educated away from home;
-
Persons absent for long periods, but having household ties;
-
Persons temporarily absent (for less than six months) but having household ties.
Exclusions
An exclusion applies where learners are part of collective households or institutional households (e.g. hospitals, old peoples’ homes, residential homes, prisons, military barracks, religious institutions, boarding houses, workers’ hostels, etc.).
Where the learner’s household is excluded, as above, the Household situation should be recorded using code HHS99 ‘None of HHS1, HHS2 or HHS3 applies’