PRELIMINARY RELEASE OF MAY 2005 BENEFIT STATISTICS-REVISED
13 Oct 2005 12:15 PM
REVISED COPY -
Coverage: Great Britain (unless otherwise stated)
Theme: Social and Welfare
Introduction
On 27th October 2005, DWP will be publishing an improved set of
National Statistics though an enhanced quarterly National Statistics
First Release (the Statistical Summary). Some key headlines from
those statistics are being published in advance, via this
'preliminary' release.
These headline statistics are being used in the Welfare Reform Green
Paper and the Opportunity for All report, both due to be published by
DWP shortly. Making the information generally available through this
release supports the National Statistics' principle of equal access.
The improved Statistical Summary is one strand of the modernisation
of DWP statistics. Other key elements of modernisation are:-
* Key benefit statistics are now sourced from 100 per cent
administrative data, replacing the 5 per cent sample data used in the
past
* Through linking to newly available data from HMRC on employment
starts, improvements have been made to New Deal statistics
* A new hierarchy of Statistical Group classifications has been
adopted
* A new Internet Tabulation Tool will be available allowing users to
view and query a wide range of DWP statistics
The move to 100 per cent data for key benefits has meant some changes
to headline figures. Further details on the magnitude of these
revisions and why they have occurred are given in an earlier National
Statistics paper (see Notes to Editors).
Key Findings in this Preliminary Release
Information provided for the Welfare Reform Green Paper and the
Opportunity for All report is summarised in the tables below. Key
findings from this are that:-
* Over the 8 years to May '05, the caseload for working age
incapacity benefits has risen by 3.7 per cent to 2.74 million. It has
fallen in each of the last 3 quarters.
* Whilst the trend over time in working-age incapacity benefits is
unchanged from the statistics based on 5 per cent data, the caseload
has been revised upwards by 125 thousand reflecting an improvement in
accuracy.
* Over the 8 year period to May '05, the number of Income Support
Lone Parent recipients has fallen by 22.6 per cent to around 790
thousand
* As at May '05, 2.68 million people were claiming Pension Credit, of
which 63 per cent were female
* As at May '05, 2.72 million people were receiving Disability Living
Allowance (DLA) and 1.52 million Attendance Allowance. DLA recipients
have increased by around 40 per cent since May 1997.
NOTE: Tables available on DWP website.
Notes to Editors
1. Modernisation of DWP statistics
The National Statistics paper "DWP statistics transformed: the
modernisation of the DWP's data sources and statistical publications"
announced major changes to the Department's National Statistics, both
in the data sources employed and the methods of dissemination. This
paper is available from:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/stats_consultation/modstats.pdf
2. Links to Internet based statistical tables
From 27th October, a new internet based Tabulation Tool will be
available for users to define their own statistical queries. The tool
will cover key benefit statistics derived from the new 100 per cent
sources, along with other information. DWP statistics which remain
outside the scope of the Tabulation Tool at the moment will continue
to be available via the internet as pre-defined summary tables.
5 per cent data on key benefits continue to be available via the
National Online Manpower Information System (NOMIS)
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/
3. Opportunity for All Report and DWP Green Paper on Welfare Reform
The Opportunity for All report is due to be published on Monday 17th
October. The Department for Work and Pensions Green Paper on Welfare
Reform is due to be published shortly.
4. Other National Statistics issued by the Department for Work and
Pensions
Abstract of Statistics for Benefits and Contributions and Indices of
Prices and Earnings (annual) - provides a reference source for those
people interested in the main aspects of benefits, contributions and
indices of prices and earnings. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/other_stats.asp
Appeal Tribunal Statistics (quarterly) - provides statistics on
appeals and decisions. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/qat.asp
Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics - provides
statistics on the Child Support Agency. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp
Contributions and Qualifying Years for Retirement Pension (annual) -
provides statistics on the number of people who have qualified for
State Pension.
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Annual Summary of Statistics
- provides statistics on Housing Benefit /Council Tax Benefit from a
1 per cent sample of data from Local Authorities. Latest published
figures: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Quarterly Summary of
Statistics - provides statistics on Housing Benefit/Council Tax
Benefit from quarterly caseload counts. Includes average amounts of
benefit. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/hbctb.asp
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Quarterly Performance
Statistics - provides high level statistics on Local Authority
processing of Housing Benefit / Council Tax Benefit from quarterly
administrative returns. Includes speed of processing new claims and
charges of circumstances. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/performance.asp
Housing Benefit Quarterly Fraud Performance Statistics - provides
high level statistics on Local Authority fraud performance from
quarterly administrative returns. Includes numbers of referrals,
investigations actioned and sanctions administered. Latest published
figures: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/performance.asp
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Reduced Earnings
Allowance Statistics (annual) - provides statistics on current
assessments and movements during statistical period.
Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Quarterly Summary of
Statistics - provides statistics on people in receipt of Industrial
Injuries Disablement Benefit, new claims and newly diagnosed
prescribed diseases. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/iidb.asp
National Insurance numbers allocated to overseas nationals
(Previously migrant workers statistics - annual) provides statistics
on migrant workers. Latest published figures
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/niall/nino_allocation.asp
Pensioner Income Series (annual) - examines the levels, sources and
distribution of pensioners' incomes and the position of pensioners
within the population income distribution. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd6/pensioners_income.asp
Second Tier Pension Provision (annual) - contains analysis of
contracted out pension schemes. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/dsu/second_tier/second_tier.asp
Tax/Benefit Model Tables (annual) - designed to illustrate the weekly
financial circumstances of a selection of hypothetical local
authority and private tenants. Latest published figures:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/tbmt.asp
Work and Pension Statistics (annual) - a summary of all Department
for Work and Pensions' National Statistics, covers all benefits and
schemes. Also includes take up of benefits and appeals. Latest
published figures: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/wandp.asp
5. Other statistical outputs issued by the Department for Work and
Pensions
Benefit Expenditure Tables - financial year historic information on
benefit expenditure and caseloads, along with forecasts are available
from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.asp
Neighbourhood Statistics - ward and local authority statistics for
Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance (income based), Incapacity
Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Attendance Allowance,
Disability Living Allowance and State Pension are available from
http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/home.asp (1998 - 2000);
from http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/neighbourhood/neighbourhood.asp
(2001-2003); or on request.
ISSN : 1462-9798
Issued by:
Information Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions
Telephone:
Public Enquiries: 0207 712 2171
Website: www.dwp.gov.uk
Statistician:
Stuart Grant
Information Directorate
Department for Work and Pensions
BP 5201
Benton Park View
Benton Park Road
Longbenton
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
NE98 1YX
Email: stuart.grant@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
Next Publication: 27 October 2005