Dataset: Housing Benefit claimants
Description
Family type refers to the household in receipt of Housing Benefit. It is derived from source data collected on partner status of the claimant and number of children in the household at the reference date (second Thursday of the month).
Definitions of partner are shown in the Images of Questions below.
Number of children in the household must be provided on the claim form (see Images of Questions below).
Children are defined as:
- Aged under 16
- Aged 16 or 17 and registered for work or youth training, or
- Aged 16, 17, 18 or 19 and in education doing a course not higher than GCE A-level, SCE Higher or GNVQ (advanced).
Images of Questions
Classification
Housing Benefit family type is Applicable to: All claimants
- Single, no child dependant
- Single with child dependant(s)
- Couple, no child dependant
- Couple with child dependant(s)
99 Unknown / Missing
Total number of categories: 5
Quality Statement
Partner status and number of children are 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 both claimant and partner, for example, birth certificate.
Proof must be provided on who claims Child Benefit for each child in the household.
Proof of Child Benefit receipt must also be supplied, for example, award notices from the Jobcentre Plus office.
It is possible that errors can occur in the recording of partner status and/or number of children (both on the form and inputting onto the computer system within the local authority processing the claim).