Russell and Carol - hayle and hearty

Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-Up from DWP

Key points from latest release are:

Income Support and Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) (IS/ESA (IR)) - Take-up in 2009-10 was in the range 77 per cent to 89 per cent by caseload and 82 per cent to 92 per cent by expenditure. There was no evidence of a change in overall caseload take-up between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In 2009-10 there were 2.09 million recipients claiming £9.08 billion of IS/ESA (IR). The number of people that were entitled to but not claiming IS/ESA (IR) was between 260 thousand and 620 thousand. The total amount of IS/ESA (IR) unclaimed was between £0.75 billion and £2.04 billion.

Pension Credit - Take-up in 2009-10 was between 62 per cent and 68 per cent by caseload and between 73 per cent and 80 per cent by expenditure. There was no conclusive evidence of a change in caseload take-up between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In 2009-10 there were 2.62 million pensioners claiming £7.64 billion of Pension Credit. The number of pensioners that were estimated to be entitled but not claiming Pension Credit was between 1.21 million and 1.58 million. The total amount of Pension Credit unclaimed was between £1.94 billion and £2.80 billion.

Housing Benefit (including Local Housing Allowance) - Take-up in 2009-10 was in the range 78 per cent to 84 per cent by caseload and 84 per cent to 90 per cent by expenditure. There was no evidence of a change in overall caseload take-up between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In 2009-10 there were 4.07 million recipients claiming £16.60 billion of Housing Benefit. The number of people that were entitled to but not claiming Housing Benefit was between 0.75 million and 1.14 million. The total amount of Housing Benefit unclaimed was between £1.85 billion and £3.10 billion.

Council Tax Benefit - Take-up in 2009-10 was between 62 per cent to 69 per cent by caseload and 64 per cent to 71 per cent by expenditure. There was no evidence of a change in take-up rates between 2008-09 and 2009-10.

In 2009-10 there were 5.19 million recipients claiming £4.23 billion of Council Tax Benefit. The number of people estimated to be entitled yet not claiming Council Tax Benefit in 2009-10 was between 2.34 million and 3.20 million. The total amount of Council Tax Benefit unclaimed was between £1.7 billion to £2.42 billion.

Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-based) - Take-up in 2009-10 was between 60 per cent and 67 per cent by caseload and between 61 per cent and 70 per cent by expenditure. There was evidence of an increase in overall caseload take-up of at least 1 per cent between 2008-09 and 2009-10, although we cannot be certain due to high levels of bias present in our modelling.

In 2009-10 there were 910 thousand recipients claiming £3.01 billion of Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-Based). The number of people that were entitled to but not claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-Based) was between 440 thousand and 610 thousand. The total amount of Jobseeker's Allowance (Income-Based) unclaimed was between £1.28 billion and £1.95 billion.