DWP needs to ‘enhance its trustworthiness’ by publishing information that it has publicly committed to release, says UK Statistics Authority

Authority writes to Department's Chief Statistician following yesterday's publication of universal credit management information

The DWP needs to 'enhance its trustworthiness' by publishing statistical information that it has publicly committed to release, the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) has said.

While welcoming the publication yesterday of management information on universal credit, the UKSA's Director-General for Regulation Ed Humpherson has today written to Steve Ellerd-Elliott, the DWP's Chief Statistician to share concerns about how the information differs from that that was preannounced - 

'In recent weeks, this management information has been provided by ministers to give context in public statements. Following yesterday’s publication, and in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics, the DWP should ensure that any public statements are supported by information which is equally available to all.

It is both regrettable and concerning that some of the breakdowns of management information that your department had preannounced last week and raised with the Work and Pensions Committee were not published yesterday.'

Mr Humpherson highlights that -

'On 15 April 2020, the DWP preannounced the release of supplementary management information and stated it would include breakdowns by geography and key characteristics. Prior to this Peter Schofield, Permanent Secretary of the DWP, wrote to the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee on the 3 April 2020 stating the DWP was expecting to publish a set of supplementary data on Universal Credit including the number of declarations, the number of awards, the number of advances and information relating to the busiest times of the day for calls and other relevant performance information.'

However, Mr Humpherson notes that the management information published yesterday contains only information on the number of households and individuals making a universal credit 'declaration' and the number of universal credit advances by type of advance.

As a result, Mr Humpherson says that, as the labour market continues to feel the effects of COVID-19 over the coming months and user demand for timely, relevant data persists - 

'... the DWP should look to enhance its trustworthiness by publishing information it had committed publicly to release [since] not doing so creates a risk to both transparency and to public understanding.'

For more information, see Ed Humpherson to Steve Ellerd-Elliot: Universal Credit Management Information from statisticsauthority.gov.uk