Maternity Allowance: quarterly statistics
Statistics about Maternity Allowance claims.
Suspension of Maternity Allowance statistics from the August 2024 statistical release
A new operational system to record Maternity Allowance cases is currently being developed. As such, Maternity Allowance statistics will be suspended from the quarterly statistics release on 13 August 2024 until data can be extracted from the new system.
Previous Maternity Allowance data came from an estimate based on a 5% sample of Maternity Allowance claims. The new system in development will allow analysts access to 100% of claims, removing the need to estimate. While this system is in development, we are suspending the current Maternity Allowance data. The new system will rectify known data issues with the current 5% system where some breakdowns are unreliable.
As described in the “Notes” tab of each Maternity Allowance Statistics release, these statistics are based on a 5% sample of Maternity Allowance cases, which is then used to estimate the total Maternity Allowance statistics. These statistics are subject to a margin of error which can affect how they should be interpreted. In general terms, the greater the sample size, the smaller the uncertainty of the estimates. From this, a margin of error (confidence interval) is estimated, which indicates the likely range of results that would appear if the same estimate was conducted using a different sample with the same characteristics as the current sample.
A recent review determined that the available sample used to estimate the Maternity Allowance statistics was too small to provide a sufficient level of confidence. The new system will remove the need to estimate, appropriately resolving this issue.
We cannot currently provide a timescale for when the Maternity Allowance data will be reinstated, as work to develop the statistics from the new system is in very early stages. When we can provide more precise information, we will keep users updated via this page.
Please note that in our previously published statistical tables, the estimated total number of Maternity Allowance cases in Great Britain uses a reasonable sample size and can be considered an accurate estimate. Breakdowns below the national level in previous publications should be treated with caution.
Email benefits.statistics@dwp.gov.uk if you have any concerns relating to the loss of these statistics.
For more information on Confidence Intervals, please see the Office for National Statistics’ page on Uncertainty.
Statistics for May 2022
Maternity Allowance statistics for May 2022, due to be released on 15 November 2022, were not published as planned.
Following a data production error, figures were not available, and we were unable to produce any estimates for this quarter. We regret that the loss of Maternity Allowance data for May 2022 represents a permanent gap in the statistical series.
Email benefits.statistics@dwp.gov.uk if you have any concerns relating to the loss of these statistics.
Find contact information and more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page.
Read more about Maternity Allowance.