DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
e-
mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx
Our Ref: FoI 677
Date: 15 March 2018
Dear Kerry Michael Levins Esq,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request of 19 February 2018. You asked:
“I would be keen to receive statistical data relating to the number of PIP (formerly DLA)
and ESA (formerly IB) claims made, the number of these claims which are approved /
agreed and the number which are declined / rejected. Furthermore the number of
cases by time frame which have been appealed and the number of appeals which
resulting in a decision being over turned and / or an award upgraded. If possible this
data should be presented by month of decision or appeal, since 1st January 2001”.
DWP Response
We can confirm that we hold some information falling within the description specified in
your request. However, we estimate that the cost of complying with your request would
exceed the appropriate limit for central Government, set by regulations at £600. This
represents the estimated cost of one person spending 3½ working days in determining
whether the Department holds the information, and locating, retrieving and extracting it.
Under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act the Department is not therefore
obliged to comply with your request and we will not be processing it further.
Under section 16 of the Act we are required to assist you in narrowing your request so
that it may fall beneath the cost limit. Once you have reviewed the information below
you may wish to narrow your request by specifying a suitable time period date that is in
line with the published Official Statistics (see below). We will consider afresh any
revised request however we cannot guarantee that any revised request will fall within
the cost limit.
The Department publishes official statistics on recipients of various benefits including
Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment
and Support Allowance (ESA) and Incapacity Benefit (IB) here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/statistics with the
latest ‘Quarterly Benefit Summary’ available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistical-summaries-2018
Further breakdowns of some of these statistics including PIP monthly clearances by
type (i.e. whether a claim was awarded or disallowed) can also be found on our Stat-
Xplore website here:
https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/
Guidance on how to extract the information required from Stat-Xplore can be found at:
https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/Getting-Started.html
If you have any difficulties extracting the relevant information please let us know.
Statistics on recipients of a wide range of DWP benefits including DLA, ESA and IB are
also published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and can be accessed via their
NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/ Information on the benefits can be found in the ‘Query data’ section. If you have any
difficulties extracting the relevant information then contact details for ONS can be found
he
re: http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/home/contacts.asp
Official Statistics on the number of appeals and the numbers over-turned by benefit
type are published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. The latest data was
published in December 2017 in “Tribunals and gender recognition certificate statistics
quarterly – July to September 2017”. Tables SSCS.1 shows the number of appeals
received, SSCS.2 shows the number of appeal disposals and SSCS.3 shows the
outcomes for appeals cleared at hearing. The data can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunals-and-gender-recognition-certificate-statistics-quarterly-
july-to-september-2017
PIP which replaces DLA was introduced on 8 April 2013. ESA was introduced in
October 2008.
I will consider afresh any revised request however I cannot guarantee that any revised
request will fall within the cost limit.
Please note that if I do not receive appropriate clarification within three months from the
date of this letter your request will be treated as closed.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference
number above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Strategy FoI Team
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Your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act
If you are not happy with this response you may request an internal review by e-mailin
g freedom-of-
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xxx.xx or by writing to DWP, Central FoI Team, Caxton House, Tothill
Street, SW1H 9NA. Any review request should be submitted within two months of the date of this letter.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review you may apply directly to the Information
Commissioner’s Office for a decision. General y the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you
have exhausted our own complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: The
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
www.ico.gov.uk
