Dataset: State Pension caseload
Field: Age of Claimant (bands and single year)
Description
Age is taken from 100% data scans of Department’s key benefit systems and is derived from the source data collected on date of birth of the main claimant.
Age is recorded in years as at the end of the quarter.
Classification
Applicable to: all claimants:
Single year of age is available for all ages between 60 and 90 inclusive.
Age bands:
Total number of categories:
By single year of age: 30
By age band: 8
Quality Statement
The age of claimant is derived from date of birth. Date of birth is recorded as part of the SP claim process. In support of the claim, proof of identity must be provided - for example, birth certificate. It is possible that errors can occur in the recording of date of birth (both on the form and inputting onto the computer system during the processing of the claim). Some limited data cleansing takes place when age is derived from date of birth.
DWP policy is, in certain circumstances, to retain individuals in the live caseload data for extended periods of time after having lost contact and death cannot be verified. For this reason the data relating to individuals aged over 90 do not accurately reflect the numbers of people in this age range actually in receipt of State Pension. Consequently, the people in this age range are not recorded by their single year of age. Also, for this reason, those people showing in the live caseload data as aged 115 and above are categorised here as being of unknown age.
The data may show a small number of people as being in receipt of an SP while being below State Pension age, due to minor quality issues in the administrative source data.