Guidance

Universal Credit statistics release strategy

Updated 13 February 2024

This strategy updates the version published in January 2018. This updated strategy acts as the formal response to the Universal Credit official statistics consultation.

We will investigate the opportunities to release statistics and management information on Universal Credit as outlined in this release strategy. This is designed to ensure that statistics are placed into the public domain in a clear and controlled way.

Frequency and formats

Universal Credit statistics are released on both a monthly and quarterly basis:

• people statistics (caseload series) are released monthly via Stat-Xplore
• statistics on claims, starts, childcare and households on UC are released quarterly via Stat-Xplore (in February, May, August, and November)

The exact publication dates for the monthly and quarterly releases are listed in the statistics release calendar We publish on the same day as the wider Labour Market Statistics, produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

These statistics are all released in the following formats:

• in a statistical bulletin with detailed commentary, published quarterly
• as data tables on Stat-Xplore, which allows users to explore Universal Credit data and build their own tables – it also contains some ready-made tables
• an interactive dashboard of Universal Credit household statistics by region

Data

The range of information released within the Universal Credit official statistics has increased since December 2013. This has followed quality assurance of data held within the systems which administer Universal Credit.

Since December 2016, the Universal Credit official statistics consist of 4 main measures:

• the number of initial claims made to Universal Credit
• the number of people starting Universal Credit
• the number of people on Universal Credit on the second Thursday of each month (this ‘count date’ matching the count date used by the ONS for the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance)
• the number of households on Universal Credit

The Universal Credit official statistics currently cover both the Universal Credit IT system first introduced in Ashton-under-Lyne in April 2013 and subsequent Universal Credit IT systems used in the national expansion of Universal Credit which started in February 2015.

Some or all the 4 Universal Credit official statistics measures are broken down by:

• geography
• claimant characteristics – gender, age (both single year of age and age bands)
• whether in employment or not in employment
• duration on Universal Credit
• the conditionality regime a claimant is on at the count date

From May 2016, Universal Credit full service began its roll out to other Jobcentre Plus offices and expanded across the country to include all claimant types. Figures on full service claimants were incorporated into the measures in the November 2016 publication.

We’ve designated these statistics as official statistics, following guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority.

Areas for future exploration

We anticipate that additional breakdowns will be included within these regular official statistics publications as quality assurance of data from the Universal Credit systems is completed.

Methodology Review

The policies, complex source data and methodologies used to create Universal Credit statistics has changed over a ten-year period, resulting in some inherent differences across different Universal Credit statistical series and information sources. Details can be found in our background information and methodologies (Strengths and Limitations section).

Therefore, as of January 2024, we are prioritising and undertaking a full review of Universal Credit source data, definitions, methodologies, and statistical production processes with a view to better simplify and align our statistical production and information provision methodologies across DWP and provide improved statistical consistency for users.

Under development

Due to above methodology review dependencies, it is not possible to provide a precise timescale or definitive list of additional statistical developments at this stage, however we hope to explore new data areas and breakdowns within future Universal Credit statistics releases that may include:

1. Universal Credit statistics:

• average (mean) household earnings (household series)
• ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, and other protected characteristics breakdowns of individuals (people series)
• flows between conditionality groups including flows on and off Universal Credit (people series)

Confirmed changes

The following DWP statistical releases now include Universal Credit information. More detail is available in the relevant statistical release.

1. Universal Credit statistics:

• breakdown of starts by different geographies
• durations on Universal Credit
• households with children
• claimants on the health journey
• full service sanctions (quarterly data)
• households on Universal Credit affected by the removal of the spare room subsidy
• alternative payment arrangements
• Universal Credit childcare (introduced from February 2024)

2. Benefit cap statistics:

• households capped on Universal Credit at latest point in time
• geography breakdowns
• family type
• amount of Universal Credit Capped
• households with children
• cumulative number of households ever capped on Universal Credit and off-flows from the Universal Credit cap

3. Outcomes of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments statistics:

• number of referrals for Universal Credit Work Capability Assessments and outcome, including reason for assignment to limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity

Further details on new Universal Credit statistical developments will be made available in the Statistical work programme document as appropriate, in due course.

The department is keen to continue to receive feedback from users on which breakdowns are a priority for them. Please email your feedback to team.ucos@dwp.gov.uk

Universal Credit and the claimant count

Universal Credit feeds into the ONS claimant count. The effects are set out in the claimant count QMI.

See more information and links to claimant count statistics.