Northern Ireland Benefits Statistics Summary at November 2017 Is Published

The Northern Ireland Benefits Statistics Summary, providing an overview of the main DfC administered benefits as at November 2017, was published by the Department for Communities today.

Unless stated otherwise, the figures are at November 2017.  Key findings include:

• The number of Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants was 27,370. This represents a decrease of 4,470 on a year earlier.
• The number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants was 129,040 and the number of Employment and Support Allowance recipients was 120,520. This represents an increase in claimants of 4,450 on a year earlier.   
• The number of Incapacity Benefit claimants was 1,910 and there were 10 recipients of Incapacity Benefit.
• The number of Severe Disablement Allowance claimants was 1,290 and the number of Severe Disablement Allowance recipients was 1,260.
• There were 35,220 claimants of Income Support. This represents a fall of 3,360 since November 2016.
• There were 239,960 people of working age claiming a key benefit. This has fallen by 11,340 from a year earlier. This fall is largely due to the reduction of working age Jobseekers and the managed reassessment of the existing Disability Living Allowance caseload to Personal Independence Payment (PIP). The phased introduction of Universal Credit (UC) will also have had a small effect. Data for PIP and UC is not yet included in this analysis.
• The number of State Pension claimants was 305,030, a decrease of 3,220 on a year earlier.
• There were 74,610 claimants and 90,470 beneficiaries of Pension Credit. Claimants have fallen by 3,970 since November 2016, mainly as a result of an increase in the age of entitlement and increases in State Pension amounts.
• There were 309,090 people over state pension age claiming a key benefit.
• The number of Disability Living Allowance claimants was 180,030. This has fallen by 34,200 in the last year, mainly due to the introduction of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for people of working age.
• The number of Attendance Allowance claimants was 54,890 representing a fall of 820 on a year earlier.
• The number of Carer’s Allowance claimants was 73,280. This represents an increase of 650 since November 2016.