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<p>Table 1<strong> - Percentage of new claims that have been completed within the
planned processing timescales by benefit.</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>
</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2016-17</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2017-18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2018-19</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2019-20</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2020-21</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2021-22</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2022-23</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>2023-24</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Jobseekers
Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>88.6%</p></td><td><p>86.8%</p></td><td><p>80.6%</p></td><td><p>53.1%</p></td><td><p>82.5%</p></td><td><p>87.1%</p></td><td><p>67.8%</p></td><td><p>58.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Employment
and Support Allowance</strong></p></td><td><p>84.6%</p></td><td><p>85.3%</p></td><td><p>73.3%</p></td><td><p>96.1%</p></td><td><p>70.9%</p></td><td><p>42.5%</p></td><td><p>47.4%</p></td><td><p>39.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>State
Pension</strong></p></td><td><p>87.9%</p></td><td><p>73.7%</p></td><td><p>86.8%</p></td><td><p>86.7%</p></td><td><p>76.2%</p></td><td><p>45.6%</p></td><td><p>72.0%</p></td><td><p>96.2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Pension
Credit</strong></p></td><td><p>71.0%</p></td><td><p>55.2%</p></td><td><p>53.4%</p></td><td><p>44.8%</p></td><td><p>88.2%</p></td><td><p>74.3%</p></td><td><p>45.7%</p></td><td><p>77.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Disability
Living Allowance (child)</strong></p></td><td><p>96.8%</p></td><td><p>96.5%</p></td><td><p>96.2%</p></td><td><p>91.3%</p></td><td><p>92.1%</p></td><td><p>35.6%</p></td><td><p>4.6%</p></td><td><p>3.5%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Personal
Independence Payment </strong></p></td><td><p>85.1%</p></td><td><p>77.2%</p></td><td><p>72.3%</p></td><td><p>40.4%</p></td><td><p>23.0%</p></td><td><p>6.8%</p></td><td><p>38.4%</p></td><td><p>51.7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Child
Maintenance Service</strong></p></td><td><p>82.8%</p></td><td><p>87.4%</p></td><td><p>88.3%</p></td><td><p>91.6%</p></td><td><p>84.3%</p></td><td><p>84.3%</p></td><td><p>79.4%</p></td><td><p>79.6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Universal
Credit</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>80.4%</p></td><td><p>85.2%</p></td><td><p>90.9%</p></td><td><p>85.7%</p></td><td><p>84.4%</p></td><td><p>TBC</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>Comments to note:</strong></p><p> </p><ul><li>Data has been
provided for the years 2016-17 to 2023-24 (UC 2018-19 to 2023-24). Previous years
requested are not retained centrally and the breakdown by nation and region for services
except UC would only be available at a disproportionate cost.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>In
the spirit of answering the question we have provided table 1 above.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><p><strong>Service Performance Context:</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Jobseekers
Allowance</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li>From the start of the pandemic
until April 2021, JSA claims were subject to easements that meant face-to-face appointment
was removed. In April 2021, Claimant Commitments and regular face to face engagement
requirements were reintroduced.</li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Employment
and Support Allowance</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li>ESA 2019-20 to
2023-24, the new claim process for New Style Employment and Support Allowance (NSESA)
changed. In April 2020 a digital claim was introduced during Covid. Prior to this,
as part of the new claim process, a period up to 10 days at beginning was never measured.
With the re-designed process all time is included, so it is not possible to make a
like-for-like comparison with the new claim process before April 2020.</li></ul><p><strong>
</strong></p><p><strong>State Pension</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li>Performance
was severely impacted due to the need to repivot resource to other areas, such as
Universal Credit, during the global pandemic. In 2021/22, resource was re-deployed
to work through the backlogs. Investment in digital services in this area has also
aided recovery leading to significant performance improvements in 2023/24.</li></ul><p><strong>
</strong></p><p><strong>Pension Credit</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li>2019/20
was impacted by substantial spikes in claims following the BBC decision to remove
free TV licences. Uptake in Pension Credit has been encouraged through campaigns and
again led to unprecedented claims being received when entitlement was linked to additional
Cost of Living payments. This created backlogs and impacted payment timeliness as
these were recovered.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Disability</strong><strong> Living
Allowance (Child) </strong></p><p> </p><ul><li>Disability Living Allowance ceased
in 2013 and is no longer an active benefit, it was replaced by Personal Independence
Payment. Disability Living Allowance for Children continues to accept new claims and
as such we have responded in respect of this benefit.</li><li>Demand for Child DLA
has increased in recent years and is significantly higher than pre-pandemic volumes.</li><li>During
2020-21 we deferred case renewal activity to focus on processing new claims. Since
then the service has had to service both high new claims volumes and the deferred
renewal work which has led to longer processing times.</li><li>We have increased the
numbers of staff working on Child DLA to respond to increase new claims volumes, and
clear cases in date order to ensure fair customer service.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Personal
Independence Payment</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><ul><li>PIP performance
represents a significant recovery compared to prior periods and the lowest average
journey time recorded since 2018 (see <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/personal-independence-payment-statistics-to-january-2024"
target="_blank">published statistics</a>)</li><li>PIP New Claims demand is significantly
higher than pre-Covid levels, despite the devolution of Scottish claims during this
period.</li></ul><p><strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Child Maintenance Service</strong></p><ul><li>Child
Maintenance Service application volumes have been sharply increasing with CMS receiving
more than 50% more in 2023/24 than in 2021/22. This dip in performance over this time
can largely be explained by this. More recently, the removal of the Application fee
has also resulted in higher volumes.</li></ul><p> </p><p><strong>Universal Credit
</strong></p><p> </p><ul><li>Data has been provided for the years 2018-19 to 2023-24.
Detailed data by local areas is available via Stat Xplore within the Universal Credit
Published Statistics (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/universal-credit-statistics"
target="_blank">Universal Credit statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>). Previous years
requested are not retained centrally or published and the breakdown by nation and
region would only be available at a disproportionate cost.</li></ul><p> </p><ul><li>The
2023-24 figures for UC are not available until May as per the Statistics Release schedule.</li></ul><p>
</p><p> </p><ul><li>Planned timescales for all benefits are listed in table 2 below.</li></ul><p>
</p><p><strong>Table 2: Planned Timescales for new claims (current methodology)</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Jobseekers
Allowance</p></td><td><p>Within 10 working days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Employment
and Support Allowance</p></td><td><p>Within 10 working days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>State
Pension</p></td><td><p>Within 20 working days of State Pension entitlement date or
20 working days of Initial date of claim if claiming after entitlement has started.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pension
Credit</p></td><td><p>Within 50 working days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Disability Living
Allowance (Child)</p></td><td><p>Within 40 working days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Personal
Independence Payment</p></td><td><p>Within 75 working days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Child
Maintenance Service</p></td><td><p>Payment within 12 weeks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Universal
Credit</p></td><td><p>% Full Payment 1st Assessment Period</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>
</strong></p><p><strong>Notes:</strong> The planned timescales detailed above relate
to those used for the 23/24 financial year. The timescales and methodologies to calculate
them have changed over time to reflect new processes, technology and demands on our
services.</p><p><strong> </strong></p>
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