Guidance

Response to Office for Statistics Regulation report: DWP benefits statistical summary

Updated 13 February 2024

Background

In November 2020, the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) published a report assessing the quarterly Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Benefit Statistics publication for compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

This report identified 9 requirements for improvements to be made to this publication in order to maintain National Statistics badging. Subsequent to this report, DWP have developed plans to address these requirements which have been agreed with the DWP Head of Profession for Statistics.

The requirements can be broken down into those relating to the Benefit Statistics publication and data and strategic requirements around the theme of user engagement.

This document presents actions taken on the requirements as of April 2021, and planned future actions, with those addressing the user engagement aspects presented separately at the end.

Requirement 1

To enhance accessibility of the statistics and summary bulletin, the statistics team should:

a) improve signposting to individual benefits data by adding hyperlinks to the list of benefits on the benefit statistics landing page

b) include hyperlinks to the methodology and quality documents and the biannual statistical summary within Stat-Xplore data tables

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement fully met)

Updated Stat-Xplore front pages for every relevant benefit to link to:

• metadata
• statistical summary
• methodology statement
• quality statement
• related releases, for example, the benefit expenditure tables

Ensured link to Stat-Xplore is on the GOV.UK landing page for the publication.

Inserted a new “Things You Need to Know” segment at the top of the statistical summary including links to Stat-Xplore.

Requirement 2

To ensure that the statistics keep pace with the roll out of Universal Credit, and meet user needs, the statistics team should:

a) work closely with a range of users to understand their data needs and work with data suppliers to identify potential solutions to filling data gaps

b) set out publicly plans for addressing users’ need and provide a clear explanation where gaps cannot be addressed

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Instigated regular meetings with data suppliers to ensure both sides have a shared understanding of how data is produced and used. Regular meetings are also held with data suppliers and wider stakeholders to address any data issues or developments.

Added discussion of data limitations and the trade-off between timeliness and accuracy to the quality statement.

Future actions to meet requirement 2

See the information about the user engagement strategy on this page.

Publish the results of and actions taken from any survey or user engagement activity on the statistics collection page.

Requirement 3

To enhance the coherence of benefit statistics DWP, working with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), should ensure the work to develop the experimental benefit combinations statistics is given higher priority and is sufficiently resourced.

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Heads of Profession for Statistics in DWP and HMRC have discussed and are supportive of the work to develop the experimental Benefit Combinations statistics.

Provided details in the DWP benefit statistics background note of benefits administered by HMRC and signposted to relevant HMRC statistics.

Benefit Combinations statistics now has a separate statistical summary allowing increased context and detail.

Benefit Combinations statistics have undergone a range of methodological developments, such as including:

• Industrial Injuries
• Disablement Benefit
• Child Disability Living Allowance

Future actions to meet requirement 3

Ongoing work to further develop Benefit Combinations statistics, for instance on including:

• Bereavement Support Payment
• Maternity Allowance

Ongoing work with HMRC analysts on a joint publication including Child Benefit and Tax Credits (timeline under discussion with HMRC).

Requirement 4

To ensure that the statistics best meet the needs of users, the team should work closely with users to reconsider the trade-off between the timeliness and accuracy of the data.

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Hold regular meetings with data suppliers to discuss technical limitations and other issues impacting timeliness of data.

Added discussion of the trade-off between timeliness and accuracy to the quality statement.

Future actions to meet requirement 4

See the information about the user engagement strategy on this page.

Requirement 5

To maximise use of the statistics and ensure their development is informed by users, the statistics team should:

a) embed regular communications (such as mailing lists or page alerts) to keep users updated of planned developments and to promote the statistics more widely

b) form a more strategic relationship with the Parliamentary Question (PQ) and Freedom of Information (FOI) team to identify new users and to discuss priorities for developments

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Created a team email to be used to create a mailing list in accordance with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and provide an easier point of contact for user queries.

Instituted quarterly meetings with the PQ and FOI team to appraise them of any notable changes in the statistics and discuss themes in questions received by PQ and FOI teams.

Identified areas of work to prioritise based on questions received by PQ and FOI team.

Future actions to meet requirement 5

Will advertise the team email and mailing list on appropriate platforms and new publications.

See the information about the user engagement strategy on this page.

Requirement 6

DWP should review its quality and methodology information to ensure that it is comprehensive and clear, to enable users to understand the terminology and appropriate use of the statistics.

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Updated the Benefit Combinations background information note to reflect developments to the statistics.

Completely re-wrote the DWP benefit statistics quality document and background note, increasing detail, adding definitions, ensuring clarity, and removing out-of-date sections.

Added to the quality document:

• Quality assurance of administrative data (QAAD) framework

• discussion of timeliness vs accuracy considerations

• discussion of limitations of data

• explanation of steps taken if data issues arise

Added to the background note:

• section on HMRC administered benefits.

• explanation of why DWP benefit statistics are not comparable to DWP expenditure tables

• explanation of how 5% sample data relates to 100% sample data

• discussion of operation changes due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic that affect the statistics

Future actions to meet requirement 6

Regular reviews and updates of the background documentation are embedded in the publication plan.

Requirement 7

To reassure itself and users of the quality of all administrative data, DWP should apply our QAAD framework.

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement fully met)

Included QAAD assessment in the quality statement, with an A2 level rating.

Requirement 8

The commentary and supporting information on data sources and methods needs to be embedded alongside the statistics, to help users use and interpret the statistics.

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Added commentary to the statistical summary around COVID-19 implications on the statistics.

Where there were obvious drivers of trends in benefit caseloads, for example introduction of new benefits, these were included in the discussion.

Reviewed design of graphs to include any relevant annotations, for example beginning of COVID-19 pandemic.

Inserted a new “Things You Need to Know” segment at the top of the statistical summary, signposting to background documentation, Stat-Xplore, and benefit combinations, and discusses any data issues.

Future actions to meet requirement 8

Reviews of the statistical summary are embedded in the publication plan.

Requirement 9

To demonstrate transparency in user engagement, DWP should:

a) ensure users who participate in consultations, surveys or other engagement activities are informed of the outcome

b) embed regular reviews of frequently requested data to feed into its development plans

c) produce guidance for submitting data requests including information on the differences between management information and official statistics

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Instituted quarterly meetings with the PQ and FOI team to appraise them of any notable changes in the statistics and discuss themes in questions received by PQ and FOI teams.

Worked with PQ and FOI team to review logs of relevant PQs.

Future actions to meet requirement 9

Work with PQ and FOI team on signposting to guidance around putting in an FOI.

See the information about the user engagement strategy on this page.

Actions on user engagement

Actions taken as of April 2021 (requirement partially met)

Created an email address for the Benefit Statistics publication, accessible by all members of the team.

DWP have created an email address inbox for the purpose of DWP wide user engagement. This email address will be linked to the external publication of the DWP Statistics User Engagement Strategy, to be published on GOV.UK.

A comprehensive DWP Statistics User Engagement Strategy has been published.

Fed into the development of the DWP Statistics User Engagement Strategy, ensuring that the feedback from the OSR was incorporated and addressed within the Strategy.

DWP have created a network of User Engagement Champions (reporting to the wider government statistical community with regards to user engagement in DWP) and User Engagement Representatives (assigned to each statistical publication in DWP and reporting to the DWP User Engagement Champion). This ensures that both at the wider government level and individual statistical publication level, there is a community dedicated to ensuring user engagement remains a priority. Further, it provides a resource for support and skill sharing with regards to user engagement, to ensure that knowledge gaps do not prevent user engagement progressing both at the departmental and individual statistical publication level.

As part of the DWP Strategy, the Benefit Statistics publication now has a Statistical Publication Representative for user engagement.

Future actions to meet user engagement requirement

Provide the new Benefit Statistics email address as contact detail for future publications, on Stat-Xplore and other platforms as appropriate. Use this to create a mailing list in accordance with GDPR, to notify users of new publications, and promote user engagement efforts in general. The inbox will also be used to answer user queries.

As part of the DWP Strategy, participate in developing the DWP-wide survey to go out to the public this year, ensuring that the questions cover areas of development and interest for the publication.

Our Statistical Publication Representative will remain an active member of the User Engagement Champions and Representatives community in DWP, ensuring that best practice is shared and we continuously seek out opportunities to develop opportunities to more effectively conduct user engagement.

Potential to develop a survey specific to Benefit Statistics with questions around particular development areas, for instance the timeliness vs accuracy trade-off. This would go out to users around summer 2021.

Publish the results of any specific survey or user engagement activity on the statistics collection page.