Collection

DWP benefits statistics

National and Official statistics on the main benefits administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
16 October 2013
Last updated
15 August 2023 — See all updates

This collection brings together summary National and Official DWP statistics published quarterly on Stat-Xplore on the following benefits:

  • Attendance Allowance (AA)
  • Benefit combinations
  • Bereavement benefits (BB)
  • Bereavement Support Payment (BSP)
  • Carer’s Allowance (CA)
  • Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Housing Benefit (HB)
  • HB flows
  • Incapacity Benefit (IB)
  • Income Support (IS)
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Pension Credit (PC)
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA)
  • State Pension (SP)
  • Universal Credit (UC)
  • Widow’s Benefit (WB)

We also publish Official statistics on Maternity Allowance (MA) on a quarterly basis via data tables.

We have previously published National and Official statistics on the following benefit breakdowns twice a year in May and November via data tables within this collection:

  • State Pension 5% sample

These data tables were suspended from August 2021 due to the source data not being representative following the introduction of a new DWP computer system.

Similar benefit statistics for Northern Ireland are available.

Status of Statistics

Statistics released on Benefit Combinations, Housing Benefit Flows and Bereavement Support Payment, will for the first time be badged as ‘Official Statistics’ rather than ‘Experimental Statistics’. This follows an internal review in Spring 2023, led by the Chief Statistician for DWP, of all experimental official statistics produced by DWP. The review found that it was appropriate to remove the experimental label from these statistics because it concluded that the statistics are suitable and of public value. This is in line with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. There is no change to the status of other statistics in this release.

Scottish devolution: changes to the presentation of DWP statistics

The devolution of social security benefits to the Scottish Government is beginning to impact DWP statistics because DWP no longer holds a complete count of the number of DLA claimants across Great Britain.

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

Gloucester City Council is unable to supply DWP with HB data until further notice. This has affected HB 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 a data cleaning approach.

Please refer to our background information note for more information on how we have managed HB data 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 February 2023.

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 our background information note.

Further information

Read our background information note for more details about changes and revisions to the release.

Email benefits.statistics@dwp.gov.uk if you have any comments or questions about the information above.

Find contact information and more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page. Find future benefits statistics publication dates in our statistics release calendar.

Latest release

Background information and guidance

We’ve published our policies and procedures for DWP statistics in the interests of transparency and to comply with the UK Statistics Authority code of practice.

We’ve also published specific policies and statements on DWP statistical summaries.

DWP benefit statistics tools

Stat-Xplore allows you to download and customise DWP statistics. For help with Stat-Xplore, see DWP benefit statistics tools.

Previous releases

Tell us what you think

Email benefits.statistics@dwp.gov.uk with feedback and queries about the statistics.

We want to make sure interested users are aware of future consultations to help us improve our statistics and ensure value for money. Complete our statistical summary questionnaire below to tell us what you think about our statistics.

You can also join the ‘Welfare and benefits’ community at www.statsusernet.org.uk. We’ll post announcements and background information in this forum. You can also use the forum to discuss statistical issues with other users.

DWP publish historic and forecast benefit expenditure and caseload data which is usually consistent with the annual Budget and Autumn Statement.

Abstract of DWP benefit rate statistics

Benefit sanctions statistics

Employment and Support Allowance: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments

Housing Benefit: debt recoveries and fraud data

Housing Benefit: statistics on speed of processing

Universal Credit statistics

Published 16 October 2013
Last updated 15 August 2023 + show all updates

  1. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  2. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  3. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  4. Added information to the page about an error in the published statistics for Industrial Injuries and Disablement Benefit.

  5. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  6. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  7. Added a note that the delayed May 2022 release of IIDB statistics will be released on Stat-Xplore at 9.30am on 19 July 2022.

  8. Updated the information on the page about the delayed May 2022 release of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) statistics.

  9. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics. Also added information about the impact of Scottish devolution, the Housing Benefit dataset (Passported Status field), and Housing Benefit (Hackney Borough Council data and Gloucester City Council).

  10. Added information that the release of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) statistics (due to be released on 17 May 2022) is delayed.

  11. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics. Also updated the note on the page about IIDB (Pneumoconiosis (Workers' Compensation) Act 1979 and 2008 Mesothelioma Schemes) statistics.

  12. Added a note about the temporary withdrawal of some Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit datasets on Stat-Xplore.

  13. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  14. Updated the note on the page about State Pension statistics and “Get Your State Pension” (GYSP).

  15. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  16. Updated the note on the page about State Pension statistics - some data about Get Your State Pension (GYSP) cases will be published in the August 2021 statistics release.

  17. Updated the information about the latest Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) statistics. These statistics are now available on the Stat-Xplore online tool.

  18. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  19. Note added about the next release of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit statistics, due for publication on Tuesday 18 May 2021.

  20. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  21. Note added about experimental “Benefit Combinations” statistics that will be released as part of the next DWP benefits statistics in February 2020.

  22. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  23. Updated the note about Bereavement Support Payment statistics - Official Statistics on Bereavement Support Payment claims in payment will be reinstated on Stat-Xplore from 10 November 2020.

  24. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  25. Added a link to the latest release of statistics on the main benefits administered by DWP.

  26. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  27. Added note that explains some of the Bereavement Support Payment data tables have been removed and replaced while they are being corrected.

  28. Added note to explain that corrected figures for the number of Widow's Benefit claimants for February and May 2019 will be released on Stat-Xplore on 17 December 2019.

  29. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  30. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  31. Note added about a review of the frequency of publication of some benefit statistics.

  32. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics. Also added a note about changes to data on Stat-Xplore.

  33. Income Support data is available again through Stat-Xplore.

  34. Added note to say that Income Support data is currently unavailable on Stat-Xplore.

  35. Added a link to the latest release of DWP benefits statistics.

  36. Updated with the latest information about improvements to the geography information published as part of this statistical release.

  37. Note added about medical condition and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes.

  38. Note added that DWP will publish ESA, IB and SDA and ESA sanctions data again by high level medical conditions in the next statistical publication, on 14 August 2018.

  39. Added information about new official experimental statistics on the Bereavement Support Payment (BSP), and improvements to DWP statistical geographies.

  40. Added a note that the DWP benefit statistics due for release on 15 May 2018 will include official experimental statistics on the Bereavement Support Payment (BSP).

  41. Added a note stating that DWP is investigating a discrepancy with the medical condition/International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for Employment and Support Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance.

  42. Added the DWP statistical summaries for 2018, which include the latest quarterly summary for February 2018. Also added a note stating that DWP will reduce the frequency of the quarterly benefit summary to 6-monthly.

  43. Added a note stating that DWP is considering reducing the frequency of the quarterly benefit summary to six-monthly.

  44. Added a note stating that the quarterly statistical summary due to be released on 16 August 2017 will include a new set of experimental Official Statistics on benefit combinations.

  45. Added a note that the monthly statistical summaries will no longer be published.

  46. Added a note stating that the quarterly statistical summary due to be released on 17 May 2017 will include statistics on the number of sanction decisions for Universal Credit.

  47. Added the DWP statistical summaries for 2017, this includes the latest monthly summary for January 2017.

  48. Added information about our plans to stop updating the Tabulation Tool and move our statistics onto Stat-Xplore.

  49. Added a link and note about a revision to the number of Universal Credit claims between 8 April and 1 September 2016 in the 19 October 2016 publication, because of a methodological issue we've identified.

  50. Published the latest full quarterly statistical summary (data to February 2015) – see DWP statistical summaries 2015.

  51. Published the latest full quarterly statistical summary (data to November 2014) – see DWP statistical summaries 2015.

  52. Published April 2015 monthly statistical summary.

  53. Published a progress update on correcting problems in the latest quarterly release - publication of normal geographical breakdowns will be on 26 March 2015.

  54. Published March 2015 monthly statistical summary.

  55. Added under 'Latest summary' - After thorough investigation, we have confirmed that this issue does not affect 5% tabulation tool breakdowns. Therefore, we will now release the 5% tabulation tool (including data for August 2014) on Friday 27 February at 9.30am. New publication dates for 100% and flows tabulation tools will be pre-announced here as soon as they are available.

  56. Published February quarterly statistics summary.

  57. Added latest monthly summary for January 2015.

  58. Published December 2014 statistical summary.

  59. Published November 2014 quarterly statistics summary.

  60. Published latest monthly stats summary with data to end of August 2014.

  61. Published monthly stats summary with data to end of July 2014.

  62. Published quarterly statistical summary August 2014.

  63. Updated main points from latest DWP Monthly Statistical Summary (July 2014).

  64. Published June 2014 monthly statistical summary.

  65. Quarterly statistical summary May 2014 released.

  66. Updated main points with data from latest monthly statistical summary (March 2014).

  67. Quarterly statistical summary February 2014 released.

  68. Statistical summaries page 2014 added to page. January 2014 monthly summary published.

  69. December monthly summary published

  70. Link to Census Ouput Area numbers on workless benefit claimants for England and Wales redirected from the DWP Tabtool page to the Census output area data on workless benefit claimants in 2013 collections page.

  71. updated to include the latest summary from the full quarterly National Statistics on benefit claimants published on 13 November 2013.

  72. First published.

Contents

Related content