WIREDGOV

Coverage: Great Britain (unless otherwise stated)

Theme: Social and Welfare

Changes to release of DWP statistics From today, the Department will release most of its statistics on the same day. All tables previously published within individual benefit publications will be available on the Department's Internet site at:

dwp.gov.uk/asd/statistics.html

As well as Client Group statistics (Working Age, and Children & Families), statistics on the following benefits are available:

Child Benefit - February 2003

Income Support - February 2003

Jobseeker's Allowance - February 2003

Appeal Tribunal Statistics - December 2002

Disability Living Allowance - February 2003

Attendance Allowance - February 2003

Invalid Care Allowance - February 2003

Incapacity Benefit/Severe Disablement Allowance - February 2003

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit - December 2002

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit - February 2003

Child Support - February 2003

Maternity Allowance - February 2003

Bereavement Benefit - February 2003

Widow's Benefit - February 2003

The rest of this First Release comprises brief details of the statistics being released.

Client Group Analysis:
Families with Children:
At February, 2003:

- 2.5 million children for whom an additional allowance of benefit was payable (19.0 per cent of children under 16 and young adults aged 16-18 in full time education) were living in families claiming a key benefit. This number was 167 thousand fewer than 2 years earlier.

- 65 per cent of them had been on benefit for at least two years.

Population of Working Age:
At February, 2003:

- Just under 5.0 million people of working age (14.2 per cent) were claiming a key benefit.

- 47 per cent of claimants are women.

Population over State Pension Age:
At November, 2002:

- Just over 10.5 million (99 per cent) people over state pension age were claiming a key benefit.

- 37 per cent of claimants are men.

Individual Benefit Analysis:
Income Support:
At 28th February, 2003:

- All claimants: 4.0 million (£71 per week), rose by 19 thousand over the year to February 2003.

- Lone parents (excluding the disabled) represent 21 per cent of the IS caseload - 837 thousand (£111 per week).

- Disabled recipients represent 28 per cent of the caseload - 1,093 thousand (£79 per week) and has been increasing since 1993.

- Almost two thirds of recipients are women.

- The 60 and over (Minimum Income Guarantee - MIG) caseload: 1.8 million (£48 per week), rose by 32 thousand over the year to February 2003.

- The non-MIG caseload (those aged under 60): 2.2 million (£88 per week), fell by 13 thousand over the year to February 2003.

Jobseeker's Allowance (not seasonally adjusted):
At 13th February, 2003:

- Total claimants: 978 thousand.

- Total recipients: 882 thousand, 188 thousand with only contribution-based JSA, 694 thousand with income - based JSA (including 19 thousand with underlying entitlement to
contribution-based benefit).

- Average weekly entitlement: £61 income-based, £51
contribution-based.

- A quarter of claimants are women.

Incapacity Benefit:
At 28th February, 2003:

- Total claimants: 2.4 million.

- Total recipients: 1.5 million.

- Average amount: £82 per week.

- Almost two-thirds of recipients are men

Attendance Allowance:
At 28th February, 2003:

- Total recipients: 1.3 million of which 657 thousand receive the higher rate and 677 thousand the lower.

- Average amount: £47 per week.

- 70 per cent of recipients are women.

Carer's Allowance:
At 28th February, 2003:

- Total recipients: 503 thousand of which 403 thousand are in payment.

- Average amount: £45 per week.

- 75 per cent of recipients are women.

Disability Living Allowance:
At 28th February, 2003:

- Total recipients: 2.5 million.

- Average amount: £55 per week.

- 575 thousand received only the mobility component, 329 thousand received only the care component and 1.6 million received both mobility and care components

- 49 per cent of recipients are women.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit:
At 31st December, 2002:

- Total New Claims: 14.6 thousand

- Total All Prescribed Diseases, first diagnosed assessments: 2.3 thousand

- Total people in payment: 342.4 thousand

- Average amount in payment: £41 per week.

- 13 per cent of new claims are women.

Housing Benefit:
At 13th February, 2003:

- Total recipients: 3.8 million.

- Average weekly amount: £58

- Total recipients (aged over 60): 1.6 million (at May 2002).

- Total recipients (with dependants): 1.2 million (at May 2002).

- 70 per cent of HB recipients are also in receipt of IS or JSA (income based).

Child Benefit:
At 28th February, 2002:

- Total children: 12.5 million in 7.0 million families.

- It is estimated that 95 per cent of Child Benefit recipients are female.

Council Tax Benefit:
At 13h February, 2003:

- Total recipients: 4.6 million (excludes second adult rebates).

- Average weekly amount: £11

- Total recipients (aged over 60): 2.4 million (at May 2002).

- Total recipients (with dependants): 1.2 million (at May 2002).

- 69 per cent of CTB recipients are also in receipt of IS or JSA (income based).

Child Support Agency:
At 28th February, 2003:

- Total 'live' and fully assessed cases: 957 thousand.

- Average assessed maintenance for employees is £39 per week; for the self-employed it is £23 per week.

- For those using the CSA collection service, 75.8 per cent are fully or partially compliant and 24.2 per cent are nil compliant.

- 94 per cent of parents with care are female.

State Pension:
At 30th September, 2002:

- Total recipients: 11.2 million, of which 0.9 million reside overseas.

- Average amount of entitlement to State Pension:

All pensioners: £76 per week.
Men: £92 per week.
Women: £67 per week.
- 63 per cent of recipients are women.

The Appeals Service:
Quarter ending December 2002:

- Number of new lodgements: 59.9 thousand.

- Total number of appeals cleared at hearings: 42.3 thousand. Of these, 19.5 thousand (46 per cent) were found in favour of the appellant.

- 54.1 per cent of appeals heard at oral hearings were found in the appellant's favour.

- 23.7 per cent of appeals heard at paper hearings were found in the appellant's favour.

Widow's Benefits:
At 30th September, 2002:

- Total recipients: 210.3 thousand

- Average amount of entitlement £73 per week.

- All of recipients are women.

Bereavement Benefits:
At September, 2002:

- Total recipients: 41.8 thousand

- Average amount of entitlement £71 per week.

- 64% of recipients are women.

New Deal for Young People:
By end of March 2003:

- 955 thousand starts on New Deal by the end of March 2003; 864 thousand have left, leaving 91 thousand participants at the end of March 2003.

- Of the leavers, 39 per cent have entered sustained unsubsidised jobs, 12 per cent have transferred to other benefits, 20 per cent have left for other known reasons, and 29 per cent for unknown reasons.

Young People into Employment:
By end of March 2003:

- 428 thousand young people in jobs to the end of March 2003. Of which, 337 thousand were sustained jobs, and 91 thousand were jobs lasting less than 13 weeks.

New Deal for Lone Parents:
By end of March 2003.
Starts on the NDLP caseload reached 472 thousand at the end of March 2003, an increase of 34 thousand on December 2002:

Employment Zones:
By the end of December 2002:

- 74,600 people started on an Employment Zone between April 2000 when the Zones started and December 2002. 84 per cent of entrants were male, 67 per cent were white, and 20 per cent were recorded as having a disability.

- On 31st December 2002, there were 25,700 people participating on an employment zone, of whom 9,100 were returning for a repeat spell

Employment Zone Participants into
Employment:
By end of December 2002:

- 32,100 Employment Zone participants entered employment by December 2002, of which 3,600 were returning participants

- 23,900 Employment Zone participants had been employed for 13 weeks or more by the end of December 2002

Work Based Learning for Adults:
By end of March 2003:

- 136 thousand starts to Work Based Learning for Adults of which 113 thousand have left, leaving 23 thousand participants.

Work Based Learning for Adults into
Employment:
By the end of December 2002:

- 26 thousand people into jobs from Work based Learning for Adults.

Notes to Editors

The DWP Statistical Summary is a National Statistics publication and is produced to the high professional standards outlined in the National Statistics Code of Practice. National Statistics publications undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs. They are produced free from any political interference.

The purpose of the DWP Statistical Summary is to provide an up-to-date overview of the most important benefits, schemes, agencies and associated bodies administered by the DWP in a concise format. Users seeking more detailed information are directed to the web pages listed or to the contact point on the front page. The Department's web pages provide easy and convenient access to the latest information about a wide range of DWP responsibility. All tables previously available within single benefit publications will be released on the Department's web page on the same day as this Statistical Summary.

Additional financial year benefit expenditure information is available in the Department for Work and Pensions Departmental Report 2003
(http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2003/dwpreport/index.htm).

The average weekly amounts and caseloads in this summary are derived from administrative data which have been validated, cleaned and published by DWP. Many of these statistics are calculated from samples drawn at particular points in time and are therefore subject to some sampling variability. The figures have not been seasonally adjusted. Average amounts are rounded to the nearest pound.

Issued by:
Information Centre
Information and Analysis Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions

Telephone :
Public Enquiries : 020 7712 2171

Website :
www.dwp.gov.uk

Statistician:
Stuart Grant
Information Centre
Information and Analysis Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions
Room BP 5 2 01
Benton Park View
Benton Park Road
Longbenton
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NE98 1YX

Next Publication:
18th September 2003