Dear OSR,

I would be grateful if you could investigate my concerns below in regard to the lack of published official data on Universal Credit (UC) deductions by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

1. I feel that information on the number of claimants with deductions and the amount of these deductions is important for the public to know. The management statistics published under COVID are as far as I’m aware the only deductions data on the government website in the standard way.
2. There are often responses to questions from MPs providing detailed statistics and data on deductions, indicating that these data are easily accessible.
   • https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2020-01-31.10759.h&s=deductions+constituency#g10759.q0
   • https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2020-11-09.113275.h&s=universal+credit++deductions#g113275.q0
   • https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-02-25/20637

While ad-hoc statistics/spreadsheets are better than overreliance on claims of disproportionate costs as a reason to decline to produce the statistics, if government is able to publish these data in response to Parliamentary Questions then I think they should be accessible through the usual channels.

Thanks,

Tom Lee

Child Poverty Action Group

 

Related Links:

Response from Ed Humpherson to Tom Lee: Data on Deductions made to Universal Credit