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Applying TQV in Practice: OSR Case Studies
Challenging misleading use: the inflation infographic
A clear illustration of actively applying the TQV principles is OSR’s intervention concerning a UK Treasury inflation infographic (Humpherson, 2023).
The social media post included a graph intended to communicate progress on inflation but did so by giving a misleading impression of the scale of the deceleration in inflation. The bar chart was presented with the y-axis beginning at a selected data point rather than zero. OSR identified risks that the presentation could be misleading without sufficient context, particularly in how comparisons were framed in relation to the Government intention to halve the rate of inflation.
In its correspondence, OSR did not dispute the underlying data. Instead, the concern centred on how the statistics were selected, framed and communicated. This distinction is crucial: misinformation does not always arise from incorrect data, but from incomplete or selective presentation.
The intervention highlighted several key principles:
- Value (clarity and context): Users need sufficient explanation to interpret statistics correctly. Without this, even accurate figures can lead to misunderstanding.
- Trustworthiness (integrity): Public bodies must avoid presenting statistics in ways that could give a partial or overly positive impression.
- Supporting understanding (public use standards): Communication should anticipate how audiences might interpret the message, not just what is technically true.
The case reinforced the expectation that statistical communication must be as robust as statistical production. It also demonstrated OSR’s role as an active regulator, engaging publicly and constructively to improve practice. It also shows how TQV operates in real time: identifying risks, clarifying expectations and strengthening trust through transparent challenge. As a result of the intervention, the department committed to ensuring analysts are consulted in the preparation of social media posts using statistics.
Misreporting and reinterpretation: Universal Credit statistics
An example of where OSR has intervened to uphold the use of statistics in public debate involved a government statement that exaggerated the impact of a welfare benefit scheme. A press release had suggested that the number of people receiving a benefit for people out of work or on low income (‘Universal Credit’) had increased in a way that implied a worsening labour market or increased dependency following the COVID-19 pandemic (Kent-Smith, 2025). OSR identified that these claims did not adequately reflect the underlying drivers of the change.
In its intervention, OSR highlighted that increases in Universal Credit caseloads can arise from multiple structural and policy-related reasons and not solely from changes in employment conditions. The figures were being used without sufficient context and so were potentially misleading. OSR also found that interpreting headline increases without explaining the nature of the composition of the claimant population, such as employment status of claimants, risked oversimplification and misunderstanding.
This case demonstrates how misinterpretation can emerge from complexity. Universal Credit is a multifaceted system, and the statistics reflect a range of factors including eligibility changes, policy reforms and economic conditions. From a TQV perspective, Quality was not the issue since the statistics themselves were robust. Trustworthiness though came into question in how the figures were being presented publicly, while the central concern was Value as the statistics were not being communicated in a way that enabled proper understanding.
OSR’s intervention therefore aimed to re-anchor the discussion in the evidence by drawing attention to the broader context. It helped ensure that both policymakers and the public could better understand what the statistics meant in context.
Misinformation does not always involve incorrect numbers but often involves incomplete stories. TQV provides a framework for identifying and correcting these partial narratives. By insisting on context, clarity and integrity, the Code helps shift the focus from simplistic interpretations to more evidence-based understanding.
Supporting understanding: election explainers
While the inflation case illustrates responsive regulation, OSR’s election explainers represent a proactive application of TQV (OSR, 2026).
Ahead of elections, public debate intensifies and statistical claims become more frequent and more contested. In this context, the risk is not only deliberate misuse but also genuine confusion among audiences trying to interpret competing claims.
The election explainers were designed to address this challenge by providing accessible explanations of commonly cited statistics. The explainers clarify how measures are constructed, what they do (and do not) show and they also highlight limitations and areas of uncertainty. This initiative embodied the Value principle in a particularly tangible way. Rather than waiting for misuse to occur, OSR anticipated areas where misunderstanding could occur and provided tools to support interpretation.
Importantly, the explainers are written for a broad audience, not just experts. This reflects the recognition of varying levels of statistical literacy within the public, and that supporting informed debate requires clearly communicating statistics to as broad an audience as possible. The explainers also reinforce Trustworthiness, as they demonstrate independence and impartiality.
By focusing on explanation rather than advocacy, OSR positions itself as a trusted intermediary in public debate. This case reflects a development in OSR’s regulatory practice in supporting users, enabling them to engage critically with statistics.
Regulatory casework as an ongoing narrative
Beyond individual cases, OSR’s casework function represents an ongoing process through which TQV is applied across the statistical system. Through investigation, engagement and public correspondence, OSR creates an accountability mechanism (OSR, Interventions Policy). Through the challenges made through our casework function and establishing the new Standards for Public Use, producers and communicators within government across the UK have become more aware of the need to provide context alongside numbers and to consider how their messages may be interpreted. We always encourage them to engage openly when concerns are raised. In this way, casework reinforces the norms that underpin Trustworthiness, Quality and Value.
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