WIREDGOV

Coverage: Great Britain Theme: Social and Welfare

This series comprises people of working age who claim a key social security benefit and who receive an additional allowance for a child under 16 years of age or for a young adult dependant aged between 16 and 18 in full-time education. It has been developed from existing data on individual benefits to give a more coherent picture for this group. It is published on a regular basis via the attached statistical bulletin. See notes to editors for further details.

Main findings

At November 2000, 2.61m children (20%) were living in families claiming a key benefit (the term ''children'' refers collectively to children aged 0-15 and young adult dependants aged 16-18 in full-time education). This total number of children in families claiming a key benefit was 6% down on two years earlier. While numbers classed as ''unemployed'' fell by 26.5% over this period, and those classed as ''lone parents'' by 4.4%, the number of children in families claiming a key benefit in the '' sick and/or disabled'' category rose by 2.3%.

Although the number of families where the benefit claimant was single fell between November 1998 and November 2000 (as did the number where the claimant had a partner), a greater proportion of children were living in families where the claimant was single (71% compared with 69% two years earlier).

Among the sick and/or disabled, proportionally fewer children were under the age of five, reflecting the older age profile of those claiming a sickness and/or disability benefit.

Of those children in families on a key benefit, 61% had been on benefit for at least two years (compared to 59% at November 1998). For the sick and/or disabled group the figure was higher: 76%.

The percentage of children living in families claiming a key benefit varied from 28% in the London government office region down to 13% in the South East GOR.

67% of ''key benefit'' children were in families that were claiming IS only.

While 4.4% of families claiming child benefit had four or more children (February 2001), the figure was 8.5% for families on key benefits. For the unemployed the figure was even higher at 11.8%.

Key benefits

- Jobseeker''s Allowance (JSA) - Incapacity Benefit (IB) - Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) - Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - Income Support (IS) - National Insurance Credits (through JSA or IB)

Notes to editors

DWP Analytical Services Division (ASD) have developed these analyses from its existing samples of administrative data on the population of working age. This work was done primarily to help improve the relevance of DWP data to monitor the government''s welfare reform agenda.

By matching data from individual 5% samples, an estimate can be made of the number of people who were claiming at least one of the key benefits that are available to the population of working age with the main exception of Widow''s Benefit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. Information on the key characteristics of these claimants is also available, such as age, sex, geography, family type, client group, duration of claim and number of children. It is also possible to look at changes in the composition of this group in the benefits system over time, including those that affect individual claimants.

These analyses are based on information collected for the administration of benefits. This means that analyses of such things as family type and number of children are based only on those for whom some additional allowance of benefit is payable.

The bulletin includes appendices on Child Benefit, the Child Support Agency and Maternity Allowance. Quarterly statistics on Maternity Allowance (for February 2001) and annual statistics for 1999/2000 are available on request from today.

Figures are published on a quarterly basis via the attached statistical bulletin. The definitive estimates of caseloads and characteristics of claimants of each individual benefit can be found in the separate publications and press releases that ASD also issues on behalf of DWP.

Tables 14 to 20 cover children in families on benefits and/or tax credits. Working Families'' Tax Credit (WFTC) and Disabled Person''s Tax Credit (DPTC) were introduced in October 1999. They replaced Family Credit (FC) and Disability Working Allowance (DWA) during the period October 1999 to April 2000, and are administered by Inland Revenue. Data on awards of WFTC and DPTC are supplied by, and used with agreement of, Inland Revenue.

For further copies contact:

Neil Sorensen Information Centre Analytical Services Division Department for Work and Pensions BP5201 Benton Park View Benton Park Road NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE98 1YX

Telephone : 0191 225 3760 Facsimile : 0191 225 3193 Email : N.Sorensen@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Issued by: Information Centre Analytical Services Division Department for Work and Pensions

Telephone : Press Office : 020 7238 0866 Public Enquiries : 020 7712 2171

DWP website : www.dwp.gov.uk

Statistician: Neil Sorensen Information Centre Analytical Services Division Department for Work and Pensions Room BP5 2 01 Benton Park View Benton Park Road Longbenton NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE NE98 1YX

Telephone : 0191 225 7360 Facsimile : 0191 225 3193 email : n.sorensen@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Next Publication: 25th October 2001