Law Centre NI raises concerns over absence of key statistics

Accessing Statistics 

The timely release of statistics is vital in understanding how Government Departments are functioning and to enable external organisations to hold these Departments to account. The Department for Communities normally* publishes official statistics on a quarterly basis. However, it has been more challenging to access some data which is not included in these official statistics.  

In the absence of official publication, Law Centre NI has had to request some of the statistical data via Freedom of Information (FOI) requests and has repeatedly called on the Department for Communities (DfC) to proactively publish this data. For example, Law Centre has called on DfC to publish the statistics relating to social security appeals and also to publish the data relating to the instances of Universal Credit official error overpayments arising annually. 

Dispute over data relating of proposed benefit reforms 

On the 18 March 2025 the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published the Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper – GOV.UK. The proposed changes will have significant adverse impacts upon many individuals. However, the provision of the specific data necessary to measure this impact has been inconsistent. 

On 9 April 2025 Law Centre NI issued the first of two FOI requests** to DfC requesting crucial data that would assist individuals and organisations understand the NI specific impact of the proposed green paper reforms. The data requested included the following:  

• How many of the current PIP caseload have the Daily Living Component awards made up of combined 2 point descriptors only (ie no descriptors containing 4+ points)? 

• How many of these cases (combined 2 points only) have a primary condition which is related to mental health? 

• [We] refer to the ‘’Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms – Impacts’’ and request the Department for Communities release any equivalent modelling available in relation to the NI specific impacts of the proposed health and disability benefit reforms.  

• How many Universal Credit claimants are in receipt of the LCWRA element? 

• … how many, and what percentage, of these claimants receive the PIP daily living allowance? 

In the intervening time DWP were responding to similar FOI requests in Great Britain, confirming that it held the requested data, and providing it within the statutory time limit. For example on 18 April 2025 DWP released data on numbers of PIP claimants with awards made up of 2 point descriptors only. The FOI response can be seen HERE 

On 8 May 2025 DfC responded to the Law Centre FOI advising that DfC did not hold the requested data.  

On the 13 May Law Centre issued a Review request outlining that  

…we do not accept that DfC does not hold this data. If DfC does not hold this information then who does? DWP have released statistics pertaining to this data, and we ask that you can please outline why DfC’ systems do not retain similar data. 

On 11 June 2025 DfC responded without addressing the above questions and stated: 

I can advise that at the time of your original request the Department was actively engaged in a modelling exercise related to PIP claimants so it was not possible to provide the number of claimants who were within the categories defined in your request. 

This exercise is nearing completion, with figures currently subject to final validation. It is expected that initial figures on the impact of the proposed PIP changes in Northern Ireland will be available in the coming weeks subject to final validation and approval. 

DfC have not explained why it could not access data that is readily available to DWP. DfC have not explained what data it was using when it was actively modelling the impact of the proposed changes as of 9 April 2025. As a result, on 24 June 2025 Law Centre NI raised a complaint with the Information Commissioner as we do not accept that DfC do not hold the data that has been requested.  

Timely and material statistics are essential to providing accurate and evidence based policy work. This data is of critical importance as we engage and respond to consultations such as DfC’s Anti-Poverty Strategy and Budget 25-26 Equality Impact Assessment; and the UK Government’s ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’.  

Consultation on the proposed “Pathways to Work” Green Paper has been limited and is scheduled to close on 30 June 2025. The ability of individuals and organisations from NI to meaningfully contribute to the consultation has been severely restricted by the lack of essential and relevant statistical data. This has caused anguish to individuals, and created significant challenges to organisations advocating on their behalf. 

It is essential that DfC recognise the importance of transparency and address concerns about the provision of key statistical data.  On an external view it has not been explained satisfactorily why data can be made available by DWP, but equivalent data is not even held by DfC.  

We therefore call on DfC to:  

1. Immediately release the raw data it holds which is relevant to the Green Paper reforms without further delay; 
2. Consult with relevant stakeholders and review the statistical data that it currently releases officially to ensure it is fit for purpose.

* DfC failed to publish Universal Credit statistics for NI between August 2024 and June 2025

** DFC/2025-0121 & DfC/2025-0130