Individuals in the UK with health conditions may be entitled to two types of benefits – incapacity benefits (for those whose condition prevents them from working) and disability benefits (to help with extra living costs arising from the disability). Since the onset of the pandemic, there has been a substantial increase in the number of individuals claiming these ‘health-related’ benefits – and official projections suggest that claimant numbers will rise further still. This report explores how the new claimants compare with those who began claims before the COVID-19 pandemic, the geography of new claims, and how the UK’s experience compares with that of other developed countries.
16
Sep
Sep
Life costs more if you’re disabled. This report by Scope uses data from the Family Resources Survey to calculate the extra costs faced by disabled households. We call this the ‘Disability Price Tag’.
For this report, 31 members of disabled households took part in interviews. They told how managing household finances alongside extra costs impacted them and their families’ lives.
13
Sep
Sep
Millions of vulnerable people to receive help this winter as the Work and Pensions Secretary extends the Household Support Fund
12
Sep
Sep
The interaction between Universal Credit and additional means-tested help for working claimants. Drawing on the findings from our wider qualitative longitudinal research study exploring the experience of working claimants on Universal Credit (UC), 1 we explore the interaction between UC, earnings, ‘passported’ benefits and other means-tested help.
10
Sep
Sep
Our latest report on Local Welfare Assistance and the Household Support Fund reveals that millions of people will be unable to access crisis support from their local council if the Household Support Fund, (HSF), ends on September 30th, 2024.
09
Sep
Sep
Household debt: Data on the latest household debt statistics, including net lending, mortgage interest rates and insolvencies.
06
Sep
Sep
Energy affordability no longer dominates headlines as it did when prices were at their peak, and for some households the acute phase of the energy crisis has passed. But millions of households are still struggling, and many are burdened with unsustainable energy debts built up over recent years.
04
Sep
Sep
Being a carer can have a significant impact on someone’s ability to work, so what did the most recent NHS Staff Survey reveal about how many NHS staff are also carers? Rachel Hutchings explores the findings.
02
Sep
Sep
The National Audit Office (NAO) scrutinises public spending for Parliament and is independent of government and the civil service. We help Parliament hold government to account and we use our insights to help people who manage and govern public bodies improve public services.
29
Aug
Aug
Universal Credit aims to support benefit claimants to find work and to progress in work.
This study focuses on some of the lowest earning claimants on Universal Credit who are placed in the Intensive Work Search (IWS) regime. Claimants in the IWS regime are required to undertake activity to search for work, or more or better paid work.