Not only is working from home beneficial to those who do it, it is also making life easier for those still heading into the office each day, as new research reveals that commuter times have fallen thanks to the rise in home working.

An analysis of official figures from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) by the TUC has found that average commuting times have fallen to a 10-year low of 47 minutes and 48 seconds per day.

Between 1998 and 2006, commuting times rose each year, reaching a high of 52 minutes and 36 seconds in 2006. Since 2006, times have fallen each year, hitting a record low this year.

The rise in the number of people working from home – which rose to 291,000 between 2006 and 2008 – has been given as the reason behind this fall in time spent commuting to and from work.

TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, said, "After years of increasing journey times, it's great to see that the number of hours spent commuting to work is finally falling.

"Our analysis shows that flexible and homeworking doesn't just benefit individuals and their employers. If more people are allowed to work from home we can make the daily commute shorter and more pleasant for everyone.

"We know there is still plenty of untapped demand for flexible and homeworking. And with commutes still costing a staggering £337 million of working time every day, there's plenty more money and hours that can be saved by smarter working practices," he added.