The 31st edition was published of Work and Pension Statistics (formerly known as Social Security Statistics), a comprehensive summary of statistics on social security issues.
Source: Work and Pension Statistics 2003, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report (pdf) | Links to chapters (pdf) | DWP press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Oct
The number of people who claimed income support (not including income-based jobseeker's allowance) in Great Britain in May 2003 was 3.98 million, up 1.3 per cent on a year earlier.
Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry: May 2003, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report | Background note (pdf)
Date: 2003-Sep
The government published new tax benefit model tables, for April 2003. The tables showed the financial position of hypothetical families living in local authority and private rented accommodation, and paying average rents and council tax for the size of family.
Source: Tax Benefit Model Tables - April 2003, Department for Work and Pensions (0191 22 59438)
Links: Report (pdf) | DWP press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jul
The number of people who claimed income support (not including income-based jobseeker's allowance) in Great Britain in February 2003 was 3.96 million, up 0.5 per cent on a year earlier.
Source: Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry: February 2003, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report
Date: 2003-Jun
The Family Resources Survey for the period April 2001 to March 2002 was published (the ninth annual report). It summarised information on the incomes and circumstances of a sample of 25,320 private households in Great Britain. Information was set out in eight sections, covering the background to the survey; household characteristics; income and state support receipt; tenure and housing costs; assets and savings; carers; occupation and employment; and methodological aspects of the survey.
Source: Family Resources Survey 2001-02, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7962 8991)
Links: FRS homepage | Press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-May
There were 1.38 million families receiving working families' tax credit awards in the United Kingdom at 30 November 2002, 6.4 per cent more than a year earlier. The average award was 86.78 per week. A total of 2.67 million children were in recipient families. (From April 2003 the working families' tax credit and other tax credits were replaced by the working tax credit and child tax credit.)
Source: Working Families' Tax Credit Statistics Quarterly Enquiry: November 2002 United Kingdom, Inland Revenue (020 7438 6275)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Apr
Estimates were published of the take-up of the main income-related benefits in Great Britain in 2000-01 (income support, minimum income guarantee, housing benefit, council tax benefit, and income-based jobseeker's allowance). Taking all five benefits together, the total unclaimed was between 2,310 million and 4,540 million, representing a take-up rate of about 85-92 per cent by expenditure and about 76-83 per cent by caseload. Campaigners said that, if unclaimed tax credits were added to the total, the amount of means-tested support going unclaimed could be as high as 6 billion a year, and could significantly exceed losses due to benefit fraud.
Source: Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up in 2000/2001, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171) | Press release 27.3.03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171) | Press release 27.3.03, Child Poverty Action Group (020 7837 7979)
Links: Report (pdf) | Statistical press release (pdf) | CPAG press release
Date: 2003-Mar
The 2002 edition of the Abstract of Statistics for benefits and contributions was published. It provides a reference source on the main aspects of social security benefits, contributions and indices of prices and earnings.
Source: Abstract of Statistics for Benefits, Contributions and Indices of Prices and Earnings, 2002, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
Data on receipt of benefits and working families' tax credit were published on the internet for each of the 10,500 wards in Great Britain. The data relate to either May 2000 or August 2000 (August 1999 for child benefit). Categories covered include income support, child benefit, attendance allowance, jobseekers' allowance, and working families tax credit.
Source: Press release 30.1.03, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: Press release (pdf) | Links to datasets
See also: Journal of Social Policy Volume 31/1, Digest 121, paragraph 1.2
Date: 2003-Jan