This is a quarterly National Statistics release of the main DWP-administered benefits via Stat-Xplore or supplementary tables where appropriate.

Scottish devolution: changes to the presentation of DWP statistics

The https://www.gov.scot/publications/responsibility-for-benefits-overview/">devolution of social security benefits to the Scottish Government is now having an impact DWP statistics.

On Stat-Xplore, we added a split to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) geography fields to provide breakdowns based on policy ownership. Users of these statistics should make data selections based on these policy ownership lines.

Statistics showing the number of applications and awards to the new Child Disability Payment have been released by the Scottish government. Similar statistics for Adult Disability Payment covering its initial roll out phase are also available.

Please refer to our background information note for more information on presentational changes we have made to our statistics in response to Scottish devolution.

Housing Benefit: Gloucester City Council

As a result of a criminal cyber-attack, Gloucester City Council is unable to supply DWP with Housing Benefit (HB) data until further notice. This has affected Housing Benefit statistics from December 2021. Data problems are unlikely to be fixed for the foreseeable future. Until then, HB statistics that cover Gloucester will be derived from earlier data using the same approach we previously adopted for Hackney Borough Council.

Please refer to the background information note for more information on how we have managed these interruptions and the impacts to our statistics.

State Pension

During 2019, a new DWP computer system called “Get Your State Pension” (GYSP) came online to handle State Pension claims. The GYSP system is now handling a sizeable proportion of new claims.

We are not yet able to include GYSP system data in our published statistics for State Pension. The number of GYSP cases are too high to allow us to continue to publish State Pension data on Stat-Xplore. In the short term, we will provide GYSP estimates based on payment systems data. As a temporary measure, State Pension statistics will be published via data tables only. The latest release contains State Pensions estimates for the quarters to November 2022.

A biannual release of supplementary tables to show State Pension deferment increments and proportions of beneficiaries receiving a full amount has been suspended. This release is normally based on a 5% sample of the legacy computer system. Given the absence of GYSP data, the figures are affected by the same issues as described above. The latest available time period for these figures remains September 2020.

We are developing new statistical datasets to properly represent both computer systems. Once we have quality assured the new data it will be published on Stat-Xplore, including a refresh of historical data using the best data available.

For more information, see the background information note.

More information

A statistical summary document is published every six months in February and August each year. It contains a high-level summary of the latest National Statistics on DWP benefits. <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-february-2023/benefit-combinations-to-august-2022-experimental-statist

This is a quarterly National Statistics release of the main DWP-administered benefits via Stat-Xplore or supplementary tables where appropriate.

August 2022 release of IIDB statistics

Some anomalies in the “Assessments in Payment” dataset have been identified within the latest Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) release – a data deficiency is causing issues with the number of “unknown” cases for average values in the latest data. As a result, the measure “Weekly Amount (mean)” and field “Average weekly amount (bands)” on https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml">Stat-Xplore (released on 16 August 2022) will be temporarily suspended.

The issue is currently being investigated and we will update users when new figures are released. The remainder of IIDB statistics on Stat-Xplore have not been impacted and will remain available.

Impact of Scottish devolution: changes to the presentation of statistics

The https://www.gov.scot/publications/responsibility-for-benefits-overview/">devolution of social security benefits to the Scottish Government is beginning to impact DWP statistics, where benefit administration is moving from DWP to the Scottish Government. As this change takes place, for a transitional period, Social Security Scotland will administer new claims and DWP will continue to administer existing claims under an agency agreement. DWP will no longer hold a complete count of the number of claimants across Great Britain.

Our DWP benefit statistics statistical summaries will now focus on DLA and PIP claims where policy ownership has been retained by DWP. Figures, charts and narratives will primarily reflect England, Wales and any unknown or abroad claims. The residual count of DLA claims in Scotland will be provided for information only.

To reflect these changes, on Stat-Xplore we have added a new split to DLA geography fields to provide breakdowns based on policy ownership. Users of these statistics should make data selections based on these policy ownership lines.

Statistics showing the number of applications and awards to the new Child Disability Payment have been released by Scottish Government. Similar statistics for Adult Disability Payment covering its initial roll out phase are also available.

Please refer to our background information note for more information on Scottish devolution.

Housing Benefit (HB) dataset: revision to previously published figures

We have introduced methodological changes in how some of our HB statistics are categorised, and some outcomes have changed in our published statistics.

Please note, at August 2022 changes were made to the following fields, with new revised data presented from April 2018:

• Passported Benefit Status
• Employment Status
• Removal of Spare Room Subsidy – Spare Room Subsidy Indicator
• Removal of Spare Room Subsidy – Number of Spare Rooms
• Removal of Spare Room Subsidy – Weekly Spare Room Reduction Amount bands
• Age

• Client Type

• Gender

Following a policy change, we recently discovered that the passporting indicator on Housing Benefit statistics had been incorrectly recording outcomes for a section of claimants who receive Housing Benefit and Universal Credit at the same time. The correct outcome should have been “Passported: In receipt of Universal Credit.”

We have now fixed this issue, but in doing so, other variables were affected where the visible presence of a Universal Credit clai

This is a quarterly National Statistics release of the main DWP-administered benefits via https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml">Stat-Xplore or supplementary tables where appropriate.

The statistical summary and Benefit Combinations documents are published on a 6-monthly basis in February and August each year. They contain a summary of the latest National Statistics on DWP benefits.

State Pension

During 2019, a new DWP computer system called “Get Your State Pension” (GYSP) came online to handle State Pension claims. The GYSP system is now handling a sizeable proportion of new claims.

We are not yet able to include GYSP system data in our published statistics for State Pension. The number of GYSP cases are too high to allow us to continue to publish State Pension data on Stat-Xplore. In the short term, we will provide GYSP estimates based on payment systems data. As a temporary measure, State Pension statistics will be published via data tables only. This release contains State Pensions estimates for the three quarters to May 2021.

For these reasons, a biannual release of supplementary tables to show State Pension deferment increments and proportions of beneficiaries receiving a full amount has been suspended. The latest available time period for these figures remains September 2020.

We are developing new statistical datasets to properly represent both computer systems. Once we have quality assured the new data it will be published on Stat-Xplore, including a refresh of historical data using the best data available.

Read our background information note for more information about this.

Housing Benefit: Hackney Borough Council data

Housing benefit data covering the periods November 2020 to July 2021 was affected by an interruption in the supply of data from Hackney Borough council. Please refer to our background information note for more information on the impacts to our statistics and how we have managed this interruption.

Hackney Borough Council have now resumed the supply of Housing Benefit data to DWP. Data for November 2021 is based on their most recent return. However, it should be noted that recovery work in Hackney is still ongoing, and therefore the statistics for this period are presented as a best available estimate.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit statistics

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) statistics are now released on https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml">Stat-Xplore only. IIDB statistics on Stat-Xplore cover from March 2017 onwards. Read further guidance about this change and previously published ODS tables.

Please note that due to a production error we temporarily withdrew the figures from April 2021 onwards showing the number of awards for the Pneumoconiosis (Workers’ Compensation) Act 1979 and 2008 Mesothelioma Schemes. The headline figures for April to September 2021 were initially only made available in temporary data tables as part of this release of DWP benefits statistics.

The error which affected data from April 2021 has now been identified and the corrected figures are now available on Stat-Xplore.

Also published

Also published as part of this release as data tables are statistics on:

• Maternity Allowance</li

The benefits statistical summary is a high level summary of the latest National Statistics on Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits.

From February 2018, the main statistical release document is published on a 6 monthly basis, in February and August each year. Data is also released quarterly via Stat-Xplore, Nomis and data tables where appropriate.

More detailed information about the statistics included in the summaries can be found using https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml">Stat-Xplore and https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/">Nomis.

We made improvements to the geography information in our statistics during 2018. The changes reflect 2011 Census Output Areas and allow us to adhere to the latest geographical boundaries as defined by https://www.ons.gov.uk/methodology/geography/ukgeographies/censusgeography">Office for National Statistics’ guidance.

The improvements are:

• residency based geographical breakdowns for Housing Benefits were refreshed in August and published on https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/jsf/login.xhtml">Stat-Xplore with data from April 2018
• new geographies for most of our Legacy Benefits were refreshed in November and published on both Stat-Xplore and https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/">Nomis with data from May 2018

We have no plans to update historic series. Read the DWP statistical geographies note for more information.

The Abstract of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit rate statistics provides:

• a guide to DWP benefit uprating history
• a comparison of the value of benefits over time
• supporting tables showing historical figures back to 1948

Tell us what you think

We are seeking your views about this publication. To help shape future releases we would like to learn more about how the release is being used, and how easy it is to find the information you need.

We’re also asking for feedback on the suitability of sources used in relation to inflation and earnings. Your response to the questionnaire will help us understand the way our statistics are used and what users consider important.

Read the abstract of DWP benefit rate statistics: user questionnaire for more information.

Send comments by email to: benefit.statistics@dwp.gov.uk