Official Statistics

Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment, April 2019 to December 2023

Published 14 March 2024

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

The latest release of these statistics can be found in the collection of Universal Credit Work Capability Assessment statistics.

This is a quarterly release of Official Statistics on the number of people on UC with a health condition or disability restricting their ability to work, the number of WCA decisions made for UC, and the outcomes of these WCAs.

The next release will be on 13 June 2024.

This release covers:

• the number of people on UC health from April 2019 to December 2023 – by stage of process and personal characteristics such as age and gender
• more granular information by region and local authority
• proportions of Universal Credit claimants on UC health
• monthly WCA decisions and outcomes from April 2019 to November 2023
• medical conditions for claimants undertaking a WCA

Universal Credit has replaced income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for new claimants. The legacy ESA scheme closed to new claimants in January 2021. New Style ESA is a contributory benefit open to eligible claimants.

In some circumstances, Universal Credit can be claimed alongside New Style ESA. When both benefits are claimed together, Work Capability Assessments are led through the UC claim and outcomes then applied to both benefits.

1. Main stories

The statistics show, across Great Britain at December 2023:

Caseload (number of people on UC health)

• 2.0 million people were on UC health compared to 1.6 million a year earlier
• of these, 272 thousand (14%) had acceptable medical evidence of a restricted ability to work pre-WCA; 347 thousand (18%) were assessed as limited capability for work (LCW), and 1.4 million (69%) were assessed as limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA)
• 53% of claimants were female
• of all claimants on UC health, 37% were aged 50 plus and 11% aged under 25
• from 1 November 2023, an operational change to the provision of Fit Note evidence resulted in a step change in the number of pre-WCA cases. The new process allows for a period of 21 days after Fit Note expiry before the claimant is considered for removal from the health journey. This has increased the pre-WCA caseload by around 11% and the overall UC health caseload by 2%

Proportions of Universal Credit claimants

• in December 2023, 31% of people on UC were on UC Health – up 4 percentage points from December 2022
• within England, the region with the highest proportion of UC health cases relative to overall Universal Credit claimants is the North-East (37%), followed by South-West (34%) and North-West (33%) – and the lowest is London (24%)

UC WCA Decisions (in the period April 2019 to November 2023)

• 2.4 million UC WCA decisions have been made. 16% of decisions found claimants had no limited capability for work and hence no longer on UC health, 19% limited capability for work (LCW), and 65% limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA)
• within England, the region with the highest proportion of LCWRA decisions was the North-West (68%) and the lowest the North-East (60%)
• Of all WCA decisions in the period January 2022 to November 2023, at least 69% are recorded as having mental and behavioural disorders, albeit this may not be their primary medical condition. The proportion recorded as having mental and behavioural disorders is lower (55%) for claimants found Capable for Work, and higher (90%) for claimants found to have Limited Capability for Work

2. What you need to know

The number of people on UC health refers to those on Universal Credit with a health condition or disability restricting their ability to work. The sources of the statistics are:

• DWP’s Universal Credit full service administration datasets
• Healthcare provider assessment data

Statistics are published 3-4 months in arrears to allow sufficient time for retrospective data to be captured in the published statistics. Further information on the sources of the statistics and on their derivation is available in the Background and Methodology.

Statistics include dual claimants of both UC and New Style ESA as well as both new and repeat UC WCA decisions. Statistics for each of these elements are not currently available.

All figures in this release have been rounded according to DWP rounding policy.

COVID-19 operational easements

Historic figures in this release reflect the disruptions caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which led to changes in operational procedures. These changes were necessary to process claims and ensure people in need of financial help could access benefits, while keeping customers and staff safe.

DWP temporarily suspended face-to-face health assessments from 17 March 2020 while paper-based assessments continued, and telephone assessments were introduced from 7 May 2020.

Face-to-face assessments were resumed in May 2021, and they now take place alongside paper-based assessments, telephone assessments and a small number of video assessments.

3. UC health caseload by stage of process

Most individuals claiming UC with a health condition or disability that restricts their ability to work, will have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). The WCA determines whether a person has limited capability for work and, if they do, whether they also have limited capability for work-related activity.

Monthly Universal Credit health caseload, Great Britain, April 2019 to December 2023

At December 2023, 69% of people (1.4 million) on UC health have limited capability for work and work-related activity.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

At December 2023, 2.0 million people were on UC health – up 24% from December 2022, and by 7% from the month of September 2023.

Of those on the caseload as at December 2023, 272 thousand (14%) had acceptable medical evidence of a restricted ability to work and were awaiting a decision, 347 thousand (18%) were assessed as limited capability for work (LCW), and 1.4 million (69%) were assessed as limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA).

The composition of the UC health caseload has changed over time as people migrated from ESA to UC, and due to the suspension of face-to-face assessments in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which adversely impacted DWP’s ability to complete assessments and for claimants to provide medical evidence.

Number of people on the Universal Credit health caseload by gender and age band, Great Britain, December 2023

There are more women on UC health than men, at every age band except 60+.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

At December, 53% of those on UC health were female; of these, 37% were aged 50 plus and 11% aged under 25.

4. UC Health caseload by region, local area and proportion of overall Universal Credit claimants

Proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health by region, Great Britain, December 2022 and December 2023

Across Great Britain (GB), Scotland has the highest proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health in December 2023. Within England, the North-East (37%) has the highest proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health and London (24%) the lowest.

Region	December 2022 Rate	December 2023 Rate
North East	33%	37%
North West	30%	33%
Yorkshire and The Humber	29%	32%
East Midlands	27%	31%
West Midlands	25%	29%
East of England	26%	30%
London	21%	24%
South East	24%	28%
South West	30%	34%
Scotland	35%	40%
Wales	33%	38%

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

Across Great Britain, the number of people on UC health represents 31% of the overall number of people claiming Universal Credit in December 2023 – up 4 percentage points from December 2022.

Proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health by local authority, Great Britain, December 2023

Over 60% of local authorities have over 30% of UC claimants on UC health.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

Group ranges are calculated to split local authorities evenly into 5 bands, so approximately 20% of local authorities fit into each group.

At local authority level, Inverclyde (46%) has the highest proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health in December 2023, followed by Clackmannanshire (44%). Excluding very small local authorities where rates can be spurious, Newham (19%) has the lowest proportion of Universal Credit claimants on UC health.

5. UC Work Capability Assessment decisions and outcomes

DWP decisions are based on the WCA outcome report from the Assessment Provider (AP) together with any related evidence. Decisions cover:

• limited capability for work (LCW) and required to participate in work-related activity to help them move towards the labour market
• limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) and therefore not required to undertake any interviews or work related activity
• no limited capability for work and therefore no longer on UC health

Monthly Universal Credit WCA decisions, Great Britain, April 2019 to November 2023

In the quarter to November 2023, 59% of UC WCA decisions were for LCWRA, down from 64% in the quarter to November 2022.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

Since April 2019, DWP have made 2.4 million decisions. Of these decisions, 16% of people were found to have no limited capability for work and hence no longer on UC health, 19% limited capability for work (LCW), and 65% limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA).

The region with the highest proportion of LCWRA decisions was Scotland (69%) and the lowest the North-East (60%).

Proportion of LCWRA decisions by local authority, Great Britain, April 2019 to November 2023

All local authorities have more than 50% of decisions recorded as LCWRA.

Source: DWP Stat-Xplore, UC Work Capability Assessments

Group ranges are calculated to split local authorities evenly into 5 bands, so approximately 20% of local authorities fit into each group.

At local authority level, excluding very small local authorities where rates can be spurious, Ceredigion (74%) and Chorley (73%) have the highest proportion of LCWRA decisions since April 2019. Slough (55%) has the lowest proportion.

30 local authorities (9%) have more than 7 in 10 decisions recorded as LCWRA.

6. UC Work Capability Assessment medical conditions

Claimants often have complex health issues and can thus be recorded with multiple conditions across International Classification of Disease (ICD10) Codes. Unlike ESA medical statistics, a primary medical condition is not recorded. As such, UC WCA medical conditions convey all recorded medical conditions, but do not relate to a primary medical condition.

Medical condition is based on evidence recorded at the WCA, this in itself does not confer entitlement to Universal Credit. The background and methodology document provides further information on the source of these statistics and how they are recorded, and on their coding and derivation.

Coverage is not complete for data on medical conditions for UC WCA. Of all WCA decisions in the period January 2022 to November 2023 (1.3 million), 81% have a medical condition recorded on the Medical Services Referral System (MSRS). Those without a record are, in general, clerical cases or claimants who are too ill to attend a WCA based on medical grounds, including severely or terminally ill cases. These cases are excluded from the statistics and are skewed towards certain conditions such as Cancers (ICD10 ‘Neoplasms’). Whilst caution is advised given the risk of bias from incomplete coverage and the inherent skew in the nature of cases not recorded on MSRS, the data have been assessed as fit for purpose.

Of all WCA decisions in the period January 2022 to November 2023:

• at least 69% are recorded with mental and behavioural disorders, albeit this may not be their primary medical condition. This proportion is lower (55%) for claimants found Capable for Work, and higher (90%) for claimants found to have Limited Capability for Work
• 48% are recorded with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. This proportion is higher (60%) for claimants found to have No Limited Capability for Work

Universal Credit WCA decisions, Great Britain, January 2022 to November 2023 by medical condition (ICD summary group)

Claimants can be recorded across multiple ICD10 Classifications, but are only shown once within a Classification. Primary conditions are not recorded.

Source: Source: DWP, UC Work Capability Assessments

7. About these statistics

The statistics in this bulletin are classified as Official Statistics. The Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 defines ‘Official Statistics’ as all those statistical outputs produced by the UK Statistics Authority’s executive office (the Office for National Statistics), by central Government departments and agencies, by the devolved administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, and by other Crown bodies (over 200 bodies in total).

The statistics in this bulletin are compliant with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The Code encourages and supports producers of statistics to maintain their independence and to ensure adequate resourcing for statistical production. It helps producers and users of statistics by setting out the necessary principles and practices to produce statistics that are trustworthy, high quality and of public value.

Plans and proposals for further developments to the statistics are shown in the release strategy and summarised in the DWP Statistical Work Programme. This includes an intention to publish summary statistics on the medical conditions of claimants in the next Release.

Key uses of the statistics include:

• providing the evidence base for assessing the potential effect of changes, monitoring and evaluation of DWP policy
• answering Parliamentary Questions and Freedom of Information requests and forecasting benefit expenditure (in conjunction with expenditure statistics)
• policy development and evaluation by local authorities and other welfare to work stakeholders and providers

Where to find out more

This statistical bulletin gives an overview of the important points and trends. More detailed breakdowns can be found via the supporting data tables and DWP’s online tabulation tool Stat-Xplore.

Read more about UC statistics and ESA-WCA statistics.

See Transforming Support: the Health and Disability White Paper for information on proposed changes to support for those with health and disability needs.

Contact information and feedback

DWP would like to hear your views on these statistics. We would be interested in hearing what you use them for and how well they meet your requirements.

Feedback and queries about the statistics can be sent to stats.consultation-2018@dwp.gov.uk

Media enquiries should be directed to the DWP Press Office.

Lead Statisticians: David Leighton and Russ Bentley

ISBN: 978-1-78659-654-3