DWP Customer Experience Survey: Benefit Customers 2021 to 2022
Updated 21 November 2024
© Crown copyright 2024
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-customer-experience-survey-benefit-customers-2021-to-2022/dwp-customer-experience-survey-benefit-customers-2021-to-2022
DWP Research Report No: 1960
Crown copyright
First Published: 29 August 2024
ISBN: 978-1-78659-683-3
The Customer Experience Survey (CES) is designed to monitor customer satisfaction with the services offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to inform improvements in service delivery. It is an ongoing cross-sectional study with quarterly interviewing. This research was externally commissioned by DWP, with fieldwork independently conducted by Ipsos (previously known as Ipsos MORI).
The data in this report is based on 7,137 interviews conducted with benefit customers who had contact with DWP between April 2021 and March 2022. The survey covers 8 benefits:
- State Pension (SP)
- Pension Credit (PC)
- Attendance Allowance (AA)
- Carer’s Allowance (CA)
- Disability Living Allowance for Children (DLAc)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Universal Credit (UC).
This report presents data on overall customer satisfaction and looks at survey data that is mapped to the DWP Customer Experience Drivers. The DWP Customer Experience Drivers provide standards against which customer service delivery can be measured. This report includes data relating to:
- Get it Right
- Make it Easy
- Communicate Clearly
- Professional and Supportive.
Our thanks go to all those who gave up their time to take part in this study.
At a glance – overall customer satisfaction
More than 8 out of 10 customers were satisfied with DWP services overall.
Satisfied: 82%
Dissatisfied: 18%
About the survey
Survey methodology
Sample
CES is a survey of customers who have had recent contact with DWP, rather than all DWP customers. When CES replaced the previous Claimant Service and Experience Survey (CSES) in 2019, the sample design was revised: as the Universal Credit rollout replaced legacy benefits, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support customers were no longer included. CES covers the following 8 benefits: State Pension; Pension Credit; Attendance Allowance; Carer’s Allowance; Disability Living Allowance for Children; Personal Independence Payment; Employment and Support Allowance; and Universal Credit.
The sample includes benefit customers who have been in contact with DWP during each three-month quarter to either: make a new claim, report a change of circumstances, or (for UC and ESA customers) attend a mandatory Jobcentre appointment. ‘Contact’ includes any time a customer has phoned, written a letter, emailed, visited a Jobcentre, filled in an online form, or used their UC online journal to get in touch with DWP. Customers are also included in the sample if a DWP colleague has contacted them using any of these methods. For the contact to be identified and the customer included in the overall survey population, it needs to have triggered a change in DWP administrative data during the three-month quarter.
A quota sample design is used to meet minimum interview targets for each benefit group and contact reason, with a random sample of customers drawn from the population to meet these quotas. Weighting is then applied to the data so that findings are representative of the survey population: data is weighted by age, gender, length of claim, contact reason and benefit type. For UC customers, data is also weighted by UC region.
Fieldwork
When CES replaced the previous CSES, the survey moved to a mixed-mode online and telephone data collection approach. In 2021 to 2022, fieldwork was conducted quarterly. The data in this report is based on 7,137 interviews, conducted with benefit customers who had contact with DWP between April 2021 and March 2022.
Statistical conventions
Percentages in charts may not always add to 100% due to rounding.
The commentary accompanying this report (in the overall satisfaction and customer characteristics sections) focuses on differences that are statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. This means that you would only expect to see the result caused by chance one in 20 times.
Responses for sub-groups with larger base sizes will be more robust and have a lower margin of error than sub-groups with smaller base sizes. Therefore, it is possible to identify relatively small differences as being statistically significant when comparing sub-groups which have larger sample sizes. The issue of sub-group size particularly applies to the customer characteristics section where the sample sizes for some ethnicities are smaller.
Results: Overall satisfaction
More than 8 out of 10 customers reported being satisfied with the services provided by DWP
In 2021 to 2022, overall customer satisfaction was 82%. ‘Don’t Know’ responses to the overall satisfaction question are excluded from analysis throughout.
Figure 1: Overall percentage of customers who were satisfied or dissatisfied with the services provided by DWP
| Response | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Satisfied | 82% |
| Dissatisfied | 18% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses): 6,894.
Overall satisfaction was high across most benefits
In 2021 to 2022, overall satisfaction was high across most benefits, ranging from 75% for PIP to 94% for AA.
Figure 2: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by benefit
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| UC | 83% |
| ESA | 78% |
| PIP | 75% |
| DLAc | 89% |
| AA | 94% |
| CA | 89% |
| SP | 87% |
| PC | 88% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). UC (2,881); ESA (1,002); PIP (984); DLAc (383); AA (410); CA (395); SP (427); PC (412).
Results by Customer Experience Driver
This section of the report is structured around 4 Customer Experience Drivers:
- Get it Right
- Make it Easy
- Communicate Clearly
- Professional and Supportive.
The questions presented below have been selected on the basis that they have the best coverage of survey respondents, as some questions are only asked to particular customer groups.
Get it Right
Questions that relate to the Get it Right Driver are reported below.
Eight out of 10 customers agreed that staff did what they said they would
Overall, 80% of customers agreed that staff[footnote 1] did what they said they would. The results for individual benefits ranged from 78% for PIP to 90% for AA.
Figure 3: Percentage of customers who agreed that staff did what they said they would
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 80% |
| UC | 80% |
| ESA | 79% |
| PIP | 78% |
| DLAc | 87% |
| AA | 90% |
| CA | 87% |
| SP | 85% |
| PC | 85% |
Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,171); UC (2,136); ESA (790); PIP (847); DLAc (228); AA (243); CA (313); SP (270); PC (344).
Almost 8 out of 10 customers agreed that DWP staff provided them with accurate information
Overall, 78% of customers agreed that DWP staff provided them with accurate information. This varied by benefit, ranging from 74% for PIP to 90% for AA.
Figure 4: Percentage of customers who agreed that DWP staff provided accurate information
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 78% |
| UC | 77% |
| ESA | 80% |
| PIP | 74% |
| DLAc | 86% |
| AA | 90% |
| CA | 88% |
| SP | 82% |
| PC | 86% |
Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,271); UC (2,200); ESA (794); PIP (855); DLAc (236); AA (256); CA (309); SP (275); PC (346).
More than 3 quarters of New customers were satisfied with the time it took for DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim
This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 77% of these customers were satisfied with the time it took DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim. Satisfaction differed by benefit, with results ranging from 59% for PIP to 96% for AA.
Figure 5: Percentage of New customers who were satisfied with the time it took for DWP to tell them the outcome of their claim
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 77% |
| UC | 80% |
| ESA | 69% |
| PIP | 59% |
| DLAc | 85% |
| AA | 96% |
| CA | 85% |
| SP | 82% |
| PC | 90% |
Base: All New customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (2,083); UC (419); ESA (207); PIP (417); DLAc (187); AA (208); CA (202); SP (242); PC (201).
More than 9 out of 10 New customers agreed that DWP made payments when they said they would
This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 93% of these customers reported that DWP made payments when they said they would. The results for individual benefits ranged from 84% for ESA to 98% for AA.
Figure 6: Percentage of New customers who agreed that DWP made payments when they said they would
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 93% |
| UC | 94% |
| ESA | 84% |
| PIP | 92% |
| DLAc | 97% |
| AA | 98% |
| CA | 94% |
| SP | 94% |
| PC | 93% |
Base: All New customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (2,034); UC (403); ESA (200), PIP (414), DLAc (185), AA (203), CA (193), SP (237), PC (199).
Make it Easy
Questions that relate to the Make it Easy Driver are reported below.
More than 8 out of 10 customers reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed on GOV.UK
Of those who used GOV.UK to find out about their claim eligibility or whether they needed to report a change of circumstances, 86% reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed. This ranged from 75% for ESA to 91% for DLAc, SP, and PC.
Figure 7: Percentage of customers who reported that it was easy to find all the information they needed on the government website
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 86% |
| UC | 87% |
| ESA | 75% |
| PIP | 78% |
| DLAc | 91% |
| AA | 88% |
| CA | 86% |
| SP | 91% |
| PC | 91% |
Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers who used the government website (GOV.UK). Overall (2,641); UC (1,141); ESA (211); PIP (322); DLAc (158); AA (173); CA (229); SP (251); PC (156).
More than 7 out of 10 New customers and 8 out of 10 Change of Circumstances customers found it easy to make a new claim or report a change of circumstances
Overall, 72% of New customers found the process of making a new claim easy. This varied by benefit, from 41% for PIP to 89% for CA and SP.
For those who reported a change of circumstances, 80% of customers found the process easy. By benefit, this ranged from 65% for PIP to 84% for UC and CA.
Figure 8: Percentage of customers who found the process of making a new claim or reporting a change of circumstances easy
| Benefit | New customers 2021 to 2022 (%) | Change of circumstances customers 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 72% | 80% |
| UC | 80% | 84% |
| ESA | 61% | 71% |
| PIP | 41% | 65% |
| DLAc | 55% | 75% |
| AA | 63% | 81% |
| CA | 89% | 84% |
| SP | 89% | 81% |
| PC | 86% | 80% |
Base: All New customers. Overall (2,083); UC (419); ESA (207); PIP (417); DLAc (187); AA (208); CA (202); SP (242); PC (201).
Base: All Change of Circumstances customers. Overall (3,841); UC (1,591); ESA (611); PIP (608); DLAc (204); AA (207); CA (203); SP (201); PC (216).
More than 8 out of 10 UC customers reported that their online account was easy to use
UC customers were asked how easy or difficult they found using their UC online account. Overall, 86% reported that it was easy to use.
Figure 9: Percentage of UC customers who found it easy or difficult to use their online account
| Response | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Easy | 86% |
| Difficult | 11% |
| Do not have access to online account | 2% |
| Don’t know | 1% |
Base: All UC customers (3,006).
Around 3 quarters of customers reported they were able to get the information they needed the first time they tried
Overall, 76% of customers reported that when they were first in touch with DWP, they were able to get the information they needed the first time they tried. The results for individual benefits ranged from 75% for PIP and ESA to 87% for AA.
Figure 10: Percentage of customers who reported being able to get the information they needed the first time they tried
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 76% |
| UC | 76% |
| ESA | 75% |
| PIP | 75% |
| DLAc | 84% |
| AA | 87% |
| CA | 86% |
| SP | 81% |
| PC | 78% |
Base: All customers who had communications by phone, online, video call, or in person. Overall (4,954); UC (1,897); ESA (659); PIP (865); DLAc (255); AA (248); CA (341); SP (345); PC (344).
Two thirds of customers reported that they did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information
Overall, 66% of customers agreed they did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information. The results for individual benefits ranged from 59% for PIP to 82% for AA.
Figure 11: Percentage of customers who did not have to contact DWP more than once to explain the same information about their new claim/change of circumstances
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 66% |
| UC | 65% |
| ESA | 65% |
| PIP | 59% |
| DLAc | 77% |
| AA | 82% |
| CA | 78% |
| SP | 79% |
| PC | 71% |
Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers. Overall (5,924); UC (2,010); ESA (818); PIP (1,025); DLAc (391); AA (415); CA (405); SP (443); PC (417).
Communicate Clearly
Questions that relate to the Communicate Clearly Driver are reported below.
Eight out of 10 customers agreed the communication they received was easy to understand
Overall, 80% of customers agreed that the communication they received from DWP was easy to understand. Results for individual benefits ranged from 76% for PIP to 89% for AA.
Figure 12: Percentage of customers who agreed that the communication they received was easy to understand
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 80% |
| UC | 80% |
| ESA | 77% |
| PIP | 76% |
| DLAc | 88% |
| AA | 89% |
| CA | 87% |
| SP | 87% |
| PC | 87% |
Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,767); UC (1,958); ESA (800); PIP (1,001); DLAc (386); AA (409); CA (397); SP (415); PC (401).
Three quarters of customers reported they had a good understanding of what would happen next
Overall, 75% of customers reported they had a good understanding of what would happen next during the claims process/when reporting a change of circumstances. Results for individual benefits ranged from 73% for UC to 89% for CA.
Figure 13: Percentage of customers who agreed they had a good understanding of what would happen next
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 75% |
| UC | 73% |
| ESA | 76% |
| PIP | 74% |
| DLAc | 87% |
| AA | 85% |
| CA | 89% |
| SP | 83% |
| PC | 80% |
Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,799); UC (1,980); ESA (799); PIP (1,005); DLAc (388); AA (406); CA (395); SP (418); PC (408).
More than 7 out of 10 new customers reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision on their benefit eligibility
This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 72% of these customers reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision about their benefit eligibility. This varied by benefit, ranging from 56% for ESA to 82% for DLAc.
Figure 14: Percentage of New customers who reported that DWP told them when they should expect a decision on their benefit eligibility
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 72% |
| UC | 74% |
| ESA | 56% |
| PIP | 72% |
| DLAc | 82% |
| AA | 77% |
| CA | 69% |
| SP | 66% |
| PC | 72% |
Base: All New customers. Overall (2,083); UC (419); ESA (207); PIP (417); DLAc (187); AA (208); CA (202); SP (242); PC (201).
More than 8 out of 10 new customers reported that DWP told them when they could expect to receive a payment
This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 87% of these customers reported that DWP told them when they could expect to receive a payment. This ranged from 79% for ESA and CA to 90% for PC.
Figure 15: Percentage of New customers who reported that DWP told them when they could expect to receive a payment
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 87% |
| UC | 89% |
| ESA | 79% |
| PIP | 83% |
| DLAc | 89% |
| AA | 89% |
| CA | 79% |
| SP | 89% |
| PC | 90% |
Base: All New customers. Overall (2,083); UC (419); ESA (207); PIP (417); DLAc (187); AA (208); CA (202); SP (242); PC (201).
Almost 8 out of 10 new customers reported that the outcome of their claim was explained with enough detail to understand DWP’s decision
This question was only asked to New customers. Overall, 78% of these customers reported that DWP gave sufficiently detailed explanations to allow them to understand DWP’s decision on the outcome of their claim. This ranged from 67% for ESA to 92% for CA.
Figure 16: Percentage of New customers who reported that the outcome of their claim was explained with enough detail to allow them to understand DWP’s decision
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 78% |
| UC | 78% |
| ESA | 67% |
| PIP | 70% |
| DLAc | 90% |
| AA | 89% |
| CA | 92% |
| SP | 82% |
| PC | 86% |
Base: All New customers. Overall (2,083); UC (419); ESA (207); PIP (417); DLAc (187); AA (208); CA (202); SP (242); PC (201).
Professional and Supportive
Questions that relate to the Professional and Supportive Driver are reported below.
More than 3 quarters of customers agreed that staff understood their needs
Overall, 77% of customers agreed that DWP staff understood their needs. The results for individual benefits ranged from 72% for PIP to 91% for AA.
Figure 17: Percentage of customers who agreed that staff understood their needs
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 77% |
| UC | 77% |
| ESA | 79% |
| PIP | 72% |
| DLAc | 82% |
| AA | 91% |
| CA | 86% |
| SP | 84% |
| PC | 88% |
Base: All customers who had phone, online, or in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,294); UC (2,186); ESA (804); PIP (866); DLAc (232); AA (264); CA (316); SP (273); PC (353).
Seven out of 10 customers agreed that DWP tailored services to their personal circumstances
Overall, 70% of customers agreed that the services they received from DWP were tailored to their specific circumstances. This ranged from 62% for PIP to 84% for AA.
Figure 18: Percentage of customers who agreed that DWP tailored services to their personal circumstances
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 70% |
| UC | 70% |
| ESA | 65% |
| PIP | 62% |
| DLAc | 73% |
| AA | 84% |
| CA | 80% |
| SP | 75% |
| PC | 82% |
Base: All New and Change of Circumstances customers (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,476); UC (1,890); ESA (770); PIP (974); DLAc (336); AA (376); CA (371); SP (368); PC (391).
More than 8 out of 10 customers agreed that DWP staff handled their request professionally
Overall, 84% of customers agreed that their request was handled professionally by DWP staff. This varied by benefit, ranging from 82% for PIP to 93% for AA.
Figure 19: Percentage of customers who agreed that their request was handled professionally
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 84% |
| UC | 83% |
| ESA | 84% |
| PIP | 82% |
| DLAc | 90% |
| AA | 93% |
| CA | 90% |
| SP | 87% |
| PC | 88% |
Base: All customers who had phone/online/in person contact (excluding Not Applicable responses). Overall (5,487); UC (2,238); ESA (806); PIP (878); DLAc (252); AA (285); CA (349); SP (313); PC (366).
More than 7 out of 10 UC and ESA customers agreed that their DWP work coach was helpful in supporting them to find a job
77% of UC and ESA customers (combined), whose most recent appointment was to discuss employment support or their claimant commitment, agreed that their work coach was helpful in supporting them to find a job. Conversely, 12% of UC and ESA customers disagreed.
Figure 20: Percentage of UC and ESA customers who agreed or disagreed that their work coach was helpful in supporting them to find a job
| Response | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Agree | 77% |
| Disagree | 12% |
| Don’t know | 11% |
Base: All UC and ESA customers whose most recent appointment was to discuss employment support or their claimant commitment (733).
More than 8 out of 10 UC customers reported that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances
This question was only asked to UC customers. 85% agreed that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances, whereas 11% disagreed.
Figure 21: Percentage of UC customers who agreed or disagreed that their work coach tailored their claimant commitment to their personal circumstances
| Response | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Agree | 85% |
| Disagree | 11% |
| Don’t know | 4% |
Base: All UC customers who were included in the sample due to attending a mandatory Jobcentre appointment (625).
Customer characteristics
The following section explores overall customer satisfaction by age, gender, ethnicity, and whether customers reported having a long-term health condition. It also looks at customers’ digital propensity.
Age: Older customers were more likely to be satisfied than younger customers
Customers from the 66+ age groups were more likely to report being satisfied when compared to the 25 to 65 age groups. These differences in satisfaction are statistically significant. The higher satisfaction scores of those aged 66 and over reflect the higher overall satisfaction observed among PC, SP and AA customers. These are all retirement age benefits, and those in the 66+ age groups are more likely to have been surveyed in relation to of one of these benefits. DLAc customers are excluded from the specific age groups as we do not know the age of the parent/guardian who completed the survey on behalf of the benefit recipient.
Figure 22: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by age
| Age | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 82% |
| 16 to 24 | 85% |
| 25 to 34 | 81% |
| 35 to 44 | 82% |
| 45 to 54 | 80% |
| 55 to 60 | 82% |
| 61 to 65 | 82% |
| 66 to 74 | 87% |
| 75+ | 90% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses and all DLAc customers). Overall (6,508); 16 to 24 (370); 25 to 34 (966); 35 to 44 (1,052); 45 to 54 (1,103); 55 to 60 (847); 61 to 65 (769); 66 to 74 (891); 75+ (510).
Gender: Women were more likely to be satisfied than men
Satisfaction for women was 85%, 6 percentage points higher than for men. This is a statistically significant difference.
Figure 23: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by gender
| Gender | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 82% |
| Female | 85% |
| Male | 79% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (6,894); Female (3,985); Male (2,909).
Ethnicity: Customers from Black/African/Caribbean/Black British and Asian/Asian British backgrounds were most likely to be satisfied
Satisfaction scores across ethnicity groups ranged from 73% for those who identified as Mixed/Multiple ethnicities to 91% for those who identified as Black/African/Caribbean/Black British. However, at 66%, satisfaction was lowest for those who preferred not to disclose their ethnicity during the survey. Satisfaction was highest among Asian/Asian British and Black/African/Caribbean/Black British customers, whose scores were 7 and 9 percentage points higher than for White customers respectively. Both differences are statistically significant. Low base sizes for the Mixed/multiple ethnicities and Other groups mean these scores should be treated with caution.
Figure 24: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by ethnicity
| Ethnicity | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 82% |
| Black/African/Caribbean/Black British | 91% |
| Asian/Asian British | 89% |
| Other | 82% |
| White | 82% |
| Mixed/Multiple ethnicities | 73% |
| Prefer not to say | 66% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (6,894); Black/African/Caribbean/Black British (275); Asian/Asian British (283); Other (100); White (5,924); Mixed/Multiple ethnicities (131); Prefer not to say (166).
A small number of participants declared they did not know their ethnicity. They were included in the analysis for the Overall group, although they do not appear separately in the chart or the base sizes.
Long-term health conditions: Those who did not have a long-term health condition were more likely to be satisfied than customers with at least one long-term health condition(s)
Customers who did not report having any long-term health conditions were more satisfied (90%) than those who reported having a physical health condition(s), a mental health condition(s), or both. The differences between the satisfaction of all groups with long-term health conditions compared to customers with no long-term health condition are statistically significant.
Amongst customers who reported having a long-term health condition, those who had only a physical health condition(s) were more likely to report being satisfied (86%) compared to those who had only a mental health condition(s) (78%) or reported having both physical and mental health conditions (70%). These results reflect the lower overall satisfaction scores observed for ESA and PIP, as the majority of these customers reported having either a mental health condition(s) or both physical and mental health conditions.
A long-term health condition or disability is defined as any physical or mental health condition or illness lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more, as self-reported by customers responding to the survey.
Figure 25: Percentage of customers who were satisfied with the services provided by DWP by whether they reported a long-term health condition
| Health condition | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 82% |
| No health condition | 90% |
| Physical health condition(s) | 86% |
| Mental health condition(s) | 78% |
| Both physical and mental health conditions | 70% |
| Prefer not to say | 81% |
Base: All customers (excluding Don’t Know responses). Overall (6,894); No health condition (2,072); Physical health condition(s) (1,751); Mental health condition(s) (942); Both physical and mental health conditions (1,815); Prefer not to say (314).
Long-term health condition profile
This section explores the customer composition by long-term health conditions.
Almost 6 out of 10 customers reported having a long-term health condition(s)
18% of customers reported having only a physical health condition(s); 17% reported having only a mental health condition(s); and 22% reported having both physical and mental health conditions. The percentages do not total 58% due to rounding. More than 1 in 3 customers reported they had no long-term conditions (35%).
Figure 26: Percentage of customers by whether or not they have a long-term health condition(s)
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| Long-term physical health condition | 18% |
| Long-term mental health condition | 17% |
| Long-term physical and mental health condition | 22% |
| Long term health conditions total | 58% |
| No long-term health conditions | 35% |
| Prefer not to say | 7% |
Base: All customers (7,137).
Digital propensity
This section explores customers’ digital propensity.
More than 9 out of 10 of the customers who participated in the survey declared they had internet access
Overall, 94% of participants reported they could access the internet, either at home or elsewhere. However, this varied by benefit, ranging from 72% for PC to 97% for DLAc.
Figure 27: Percentage of customers who had access to the internet
| Benefit | 2021 to 2022 (%) |
|---|---|
| Overall | 94% |
| UC | 96% |
| ESA | 87% |
| PIP | 88% |
| DLAc | 97% |
| AA | 77% |
| CA | 92% |
| SP | 91% |
| PC | 72% |
Base: All customers. Overall (7,137); UC (3,006); ESA (1,035); PIP (1,025); DLAc (391); AA (415); CA (405); SP (443); PC (417).
The majority of customers said they could have accessed government services using the internet
Customers were asked if, had it been available, they could have used the internet to access government services.
Overall, 68% reported they could do so without help. This varied widely by benefit, from 36% for PC to 83% for DLAc. A further 19% of all customers reported they could have accessed these services with help.
Figure 28: Percentage of customers who could have accessed government services using the internet, if it was available
| Benefit | Yes, without help 2021 to 2022 (%) | Yes, with help 2021 to 2022 (%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 68% | 19% | 87% |
| UC | 74% | 16% | 90% |
| ESA | 47% | 32% | 79% |
| PIP | 43% | 32% | 75% |
| DLAc | 83% | 10% | 93% |
| AA | 37% | 27% | 64% |
| CA | 68% | 16% | 84% |
| SP | 74% | 14% | 88% |
| PC | 36% | 23% | 60% |
Base: All customers. Overall (7,137); UC (3,006); ESA (1,035); PIP (1,025); DLAc (391); AA (415); CA (405); SP (443); PC (417).
Note: The group percentages in the chart may not sum to the total percentages due to rounding.
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This report refers to “staff” to reflect the wording used when the questionnaire was designed. In future, this will be updated to “colleagues”. ↩