Dataset: Housing Benefit claimants
Description
As Housing Benefit can be claimed by a household as well as an individual, age of claimant refers to the age of an individual claimant or, if claiming as a couple, the eldest age within that couple.
Age is derived from the source data collected on date of birth of the main claimant and, where applicable, from the partner of the claimant.
Age is recorded in years as at the reference date (second Thursday of the month).
Images of Questions
Classification
For Housing Benefit data, age is available as either single year of age, or as age bands.
Applicable to: all claimants:
Single year of age is available for all ages between 16 and 89 inclusive, with ages of 90 and above presented as a single category.
Age bands: Under 25, 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 49, 50 to 54, 55 to 59, 60 to 64, 65 to 69, 70 and over
999 Unknown / Missing
Total number of categories:
by single year of age: 75
by age band: 10
Quality Statement
The age of claimant (and age of partner of main claimant, if applicable) on the reference date (second Thursday in the month) is derived from date of birth.
Date of birth is recorded as part of the housing benefit claim process (see Images of Questions above). 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 within the local authority processing the claim). Some limited data cleansing takes place when age is derived from date of birth:
An age derived from date of birth which is under 16 is recoded to Unknown / missing.