DfWP Statistical Summary June 2001

July 16, 2001

DfWP Statistical Summary June 2001

Coverage: Great Britain

Theme: Social and Welfare

At August 2000:

2.7 million children (20%) were living in families claiming a key benefit. This number was 175 thousand fewer than 2 years earlier.
60% of them had been on benefit for at least two years.

Population of Working Age

At November 2000:

Just under 5.0 million people of working age (14%) were claiming a key benefit.
47% of claimants are women.

Population over State Pension Age:

At November 2000:

Just over 10.3 million (98%) people over state pension age were claiming a key benefit.
37% of claimants are men.

Income Support:

At 23rd February 2001:

All claimants: 3.9 million (£67 per week), rose by 13 thousand in the quarter to February 2001, and by 84 thousand on the year.
Lone parents (excluding the disabled) represent just under a quarter of the IS caseload – 895 thousand (£99 per week).
Disabled recipients represent around a quarter of the caseload – 1,003 thousand (£72 per week) and has been increasing since 1993.
Two thirds of recipients are women.

At 23rd February 2001:

The 60 and over (Minimum Income Guarantee – MIG) caseload: 1.7 million (£46 per week), rose by 4 thousand in the quarter and rose by 75 thousand over the year.
The non-MIG caseload (those aged under 60): 2.2 million (£83 per week), rose by 9 thousand in the quarter to February 2001, and by 9 thousand on the year.

Jobseeker’s Allowance (not seasonally adjusted):

At 9th February 2001:

Total claimants: 1.0 million.
Total recipients: 935 thousand, 166 thousand with only contribution-based JSA, 770 thousand with income-based JSA including (22 thousand with underlying entitlement to contribution-based benefit).
Average weekly entitlement: £60 income-based, £50 contribution-based.
Almost a quarter of recipients are women.

Incapacity Benefit:

At 28th February 2001:

Total claimants: 2.3 million.
Total recipients: 1.5 million.
Average amount: £81 per week.
Two-thirds of recipients are men

Attendance Allowance:

At 30th November, 2000:

Total recipients: 1.3 million of which 593 thousand receive the higher rate and 698 thousand the lower.
Average amount: £44 per week.
71% of recipients are women.

NB: Prior to the fourth quarter of 1995, Attendance Allowance caseload figures were collected annually and thereafter quarterly.

Housing Benefit:

At 8th February, 2001:

Total recipients: 3.9 million.
Average weekly amount: £49
Total recipients (aged over 60): 1.8 million (at May 1999).
Total recipients (with children): 1.4 million (at May 1999).
67% of HB recipients are also in receipt of IS or JSA (income based).

Disability Living Allowance:

At 30th November, 2000:

Total recipients: 2.2 million.
Average amount: £52 per week.
579 thousand received only the mobility component, 297 thousand received only the care component and 1.3 million received both mobility and care components
49% of recipients are women.

Council Tax Benefit:

At 8th February, 2001:

Total recipients: 4.7 million (excludes second adult rebates).
Average weekly amount: £9
Total recipients (aged over 60): 2.5 million (at May 1999).
Total recipients (with children): 1.4 million (at May 1999).
66% of CTB recipients are also in receipt of IS or JSA (income based).

Child Benefit:

At 25th February 2001:

Total children: 12.7 million in 7.0 million families.
It is estimated that 95% of Child Benefit recipients are female.

Retirement Pension:

At 30th September, 2000:

Total recipients: 11 million, of which 0.8 million reside overseas.
Average amount of entitlement to state pension:
- All pensioners: £67 per week.
- Men: £82 per week.
- Women: £59 per week.
63% of recipients are women.

Child Support Agency:

At 28th February 2001:

Total ‘live’ and fully assessed cases: 999 thousand.
For fully assessed cases:
Average assessed maintenance for employees is £38 per week; for the self employed it is £23 per week.
For those using the CSA collection service, 48.6% are fully compliant, 23% are partially compliant and 28.5% are nil compliant.
93.9% of parents with care are female.

The Appeals Service:

Quarter ending December 2000:

Number of new lodgements: 58.3 thousand.
Total number of appeals cleared at hearings: 49.9 thousand. Of these, 21.2 thousand (41%) were found in favour of the appellant.
44.8% of appeals heard at oral hearings were found in the appellant’s favour.
12.2% of appeals heard at paper hearings were found in the appellant’s favour.

Warning: The purpose of the DWP Statistical Summary is to provide an up-to-date overview of the most important benefits, agencies and associated bodies administered by the DWP in a concise format. Users seeking more detailed information are directed to the contact point on the DWP website. Financial year benefit expenditure information is available in the Social Security Departmental Report – The Government Expenditure Plans 2001/02 – 2003/04 and main estimate 2001/02. The average weekly amounts and caseloads in this summary are derived from samples of administrative data which have been validated, cleaned and published by the Information Centre. These samples are drawn at particular points in time and are subject to some sampling variability due to the data collection procedures. The figures have not been seasonally adjusted. Average amounts are rounded to the nearest pound.

A brief description of the benefits included in this publication

Client Group Analysis (Families with children) combines data collected for Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance.

Client Group Analysis (Working Age) combines data collected for Jobseeker’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Income Support.

Client Group Analysis (Over State Pension Age) combines data for Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Retirement Pension and Severe Disablement Allowance.

Income Support (IS) was introduced on April 11th, 1988 and is a means-tested benefit that can be claimed by people normally aged 18 or over that work less than 16 hours a week and have insufficient income to meet their needs. Additional help is available for partners and children of claimants.

Incapacity Benefit (IB) was introduced on April 13th, 1995 and is paid to people who are incapable of work and who have paid sufficient contributions throughout their working life.

Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) was introduced on October 7th, 1996 and is a contributory or means-tested benefit paid to people under pensionable age who are available for and actively seeking work of at least forty hours per week. They agree with the Employment Service any restrictions on their availability for work and the steps they intend to take in order to find work. Additional help is available for partners and children of claimants.

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) was introduced on April 1st, 1992 and is a benefit for people who have become disabled before the age of 65 and who need assistance with personal care or mobility.

Attendance Allowance (AA) was introduced on December 6th, 1971 and is a benefit for people over the age of 65 who are so severely disabled, physically or mentally, that they need a great deal of help with personal care or supervision. This assistance could be required during the day or at night. Those requiring constant help receive the higher rate of benefit.

Housing Benefit (HB) was introduced on April 1st, 1983 and is a means-tested benefit designed to help people on low incomes pay for rented accommodation whether in or out of work.

Council Tax Benefit (CTB) was introduced on April 1st, 1993 and is a means-tested benefit, calculated in a similar way to housing benefit, which has been designed to help people on low incomes pay their council tax.

Child Benefit (ChB) was introduced on April 5th, 1977 and is a benefit paid for all children up to the age of sixteen (or nineteen if in full time education up to A-level or equivalent standard). A higher rate of child benefit is payable for the first child.

Certain lone parents with reserved rights may remain eligible for Child Benefit (Lone Parent).

Retirement Pension (RP) was introduced on January 1st, 1909 and is paid to people who have attained the state pension age (65 for men, 60 for women) and who fulfil the residency and contributions conditions.

Child Support Agency (CSA) was introduced on April 5th, 1993 and is responsible for tracing Non-Resident Parents (NRPs) and working out how much maintenance they should pay. The CSA can collect and enforce maintenance assessments.

The Appeals Service (TAS) The Independent Tribunal Service was introduced in 1984 to provide an independent appeals system. It was replaced by the Appeals Service in April 2000.

Other National Statistics issued by the Department for Work and Pensions;
(Contact the DWP direct)

Abstract of Statistics for Social Security Benefits and Contributions and Indices of Prices and Earnings (annual) – provides a reference source for those people interested in the main aspects of Social Security benefits, Contributions and Indices of prices and earnings.

Area Benefit Reviews (annual) – measures the amount of fraud and customer error.

Child Benefit Statistics Quarterly Enquiry – provides statistics on Child Benefit claimants.

Child Support Agency Quarterly Summary of Statistics – provides statistics on the Child Support Agency.

Contributions and Qualifying Years for Retirement Pension (annual) – provides statistics on the number of people who have qualified for Retirement Pension.

Client Group Analysis: Quarterly Bulletin on families with children on key benefits – uses existing data to give a more coherent picture for those families with children on key benefits in Great Britain.

Client Group Analysis: Quarterly Bulletin on the population of working age on key benefits – uses existing data to give a more coherent picture for those of working age on key benefits in Great Britain.

Client Group Analysis: Quarterly Bulletin on the population over state retirement age – uses existing data to give a more coherent picture for those of over state retirement age on key benefits in Great Britain.

Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Invalid Care Allowance Statistics (quarterly) – provides statistics on Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Invalid Care Allowance.

Family Resources Survey (annual) – provides characteristics of individuals at various positions in the income distribution.

Households Below Average Income (annual) – provides estimates of patterns of disposable income in Great Britain.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Annual Summary of Statistics – provides statistics on Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit from a 1% sample of data from Local Authorities.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Quarterly Summary of Statistics – provides statistics on Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit from quarterly caseload counts. Includes average amounts of benefit.

Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance Quarterly Summary of Statistics -provides statistics on Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement claimants.

Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry – provides statistics on Income Support claimants.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit and Reduced Earnings Allowance Statistics (annual) – provides statistics on current assessments and movements during statistical period.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit Quarterly Summary of Statistics on New Claims (Accidents and Prescribed Diseases) and First Diagnoses (Prescribed Diseases only) – provides statistics on new claims and newly diagnosed prescribed diseases.

Jobseeker’s Allowance Quarterly Statistical Enquiry – provides statistics on Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants.

Migrant Workers Statistics (annual) – provides statistics on migrant workers.

Pensioner Income Series (annual) – examines the levels, sources and distribution of pensioners’ incomes and the position of pensioners within the population income distribution.

Retirement Pension Summary of Statistics (six-monthly) – provides statistics on Retirement Pension claimants residing in GB and overseas.

Second Tier Pension Provision (annual) – contains analysis of contacted out pension schemes.

Social Security Statistics (annual) – covers all Social Security Benefits. Also includes take up of benefits and appeals.

Take-up of Income-Related Benefits (annual) – contains information on the take-up of the main income related benefits in Great Britain:

Income Support, Housing Benefit, Council Tax Benefit, Family Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance (income based). Take-up is measured by caseload – the number of benefit recipients compared with the number who would be receiving if everyone took up their entitlement for the full period of their entitlement – and expenditure – the total amount of benefit received compared with the total amount that would be received if everyone took up their entitlement for the full period of their entitlement.

Tax/Benefit Model Tables (annual) – designed to illustrate the weekly financial circumstances of a selection of hypothetical local authority and private tenants.

Caution: Variable scale vertical axes are used to show recent trends.

Issued by:
Information Centre
Analytical Services Division
Department for Work and Pensions