data

The relentless rise of JSA benefit sanctions

  Sanction referrals 2003 – 2013. Data compiled from DWP Stat-Xplore website   There has been a dramatic rise in the number of sanctions against unemployed people over the past decade. The figures, from data compiled from the DWP’s (Department of Work and Pensions) Stat-Xplore website show over 900,000 sanctions were issued in 2013, more than double the number applied in 2009 and almost four times […]

How we did it: tracking overpayments to prisoners in England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Yesterday we reported on how prisoners in Northern Ireland were being paid  £1.94 million in benefits they were not entitled to. In this post Gesbeen Mohammad explains the background to the story. This story began when Help Me Investigate was approached by an individual who was confused by the contradiction between replies to two different Freedom of Information (FOI) requests: This request by […]

Prisoners overpaid £2m in benefits in Northern Ireland

Prisoners in Northern Ireland have been paid £1.94 million in benefits over the last six years, despite not being entitled to them, according to data obtained by Help Me Investigate. And “overpayments” to prisoners – the official term for paying benefits to those in prison – have increased by more than half in the last year for which figures were […]

6 great places to find data on health in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Where do you find data to put your story into context – or give you ideas for stories in the first place? Here are some of the places that come in handy for understanding health in England and the UK … Continue reading

In just 5 minutes you’ll know more about UK immigration than most of the public

In this post, originally published on Immigration and Services, Ajmeri Walele looks at the facts around immigration. Since 1945, immigration in the United Kingdom has increased, in particular from the Republic of Ireland, but also from former colonies of the British Empire such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, South Africa, Hong Kong and the Caribbean. The latest […]

How to keep track of welfare issues part 3: data and documents

In the first part of this series I looked at bringing general news sources and blogs into one place; in the second I looked at social media discussions. This final part looks at how to know what government departments are saying and doing, even if no one is reporting it. Data and documents provide some of […]

Benefit sanctions data to be released for first time on DWP stats site

The Department for Work and Pensions statistics site Stat-Xplore will publish data on sanctions  for the first time next month The data,  for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanction decisions, will be released on the site on Wednesday 19 February, according to an email sent to users of the service. The new data […]

Benefit sanctions data to be released for first time on DWP stats site

The Department for Work and Pensions statistics site Stat-Xplore will publish data on sanctions  for the first time next month The data,  for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanction decisions, will be released on the site on Wednesday 19 February, according to an email sent to users of the service. The new data […]

Benefit sanctions data to be released for first time on DWP stats site

The Department for Work and Pensions statistics site Stat-Xplore will publish data on sanctions  for the first time next month The data,  for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanction decisions, will be released on the site on Wednesday 19 February, according to an email sent to users of the service. The new data […]

How to: find out about pupil place shortages in local schools

TweetIn some places of the UK primary school pupils are expected to rise by up to a fifth in the next few years, with new funding announced this week to help local authorities cope with the rise. But if you … Continue reading