Benefits statistics
Benefit Cap statistics
The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit that working-age people can receive. From 31 May 2016, the amount a household could receive in benefit income was limited to £26,000 per annum. On 7 November 2016, this threshold was lowered to £20,000 per annum. On 1 April 2023 this was increased to £22.020 per annum.
Benefits statistics summary
The Benefits Statistics Summary provides an up-to-date, concise overview of the main benefits administered by the Department. It is designated as a National Statistic and is produced quarterly.
Pension Credit statistics
The Pension Credit: Estimates of Benefit Take-up report is intended to provide an estimate of the take-up of Pension Credit within the entitled population. Each report has been produced using data for a given financial year, and provides estimates of Pension Credit take-up for various demographic groups.
Personal Independence Payment statistics
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 to 64 years. PIP and DLA cannot be claimed at the same time.
Universal Credit statistics
Universal Credit is a new payment to help support households that are out of work or are on a low income. Universal Credit was introduced in Northern Ireland on a phased geographical basis from 27 September 2017.
Migrant Access to Benefits
The Migrant Access to Benefit(s) statistical publication produced by the Department, contains analysis on non-UK nationals living in Northern Ireland, with specific focus on this groups’ current and historical interaction with the benefit system.
Universal Credit and Personal Independence Bill Impact Analysis tables
In March 2025, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) published 'Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper'. DWP's 'Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefit reforms - Impacts' document included high-level figures on the impact of the planned changes to both PIP and UC, in DWP jurisdictions. Impacts of the change for Northern Ireland were not provided.
The Department for Communities (DfC) worked with DWP analysts and obtained the methodology and modelling used for the production of the impacts for DWP. Analytics Division used NI data to produce volumes and forecasts for Northern Ireland. The impact of the planned changes provided in these documents relate to Northern Ireland only and are comparable with the equivalent data produced by DWP in their impact documents.
Other benefit related publications/research
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More in this topic
- Benefit Cap statistics
- Benefits statistics summary
- Pension Credit statistics
- Personal Independence Payment statistics
- Universal Credit statistics
- Migrant Access to Benefits
- Personal Independence Payment statistics - changes to published statistics
- Suspension of “Client Group Analysis” statistics in the Northern Ireland Benefits Statistics Summary publication
- Personal Independence Payment statistics - data quality and methodology