14 July 2009 – Publication of Research Reports 584 – Disability Living Allowance and work expectations: analysis of the NDDP eligible population

585 – Disability Living Allowance claimaints: a new assessment – the characteristics and aspirations of the Incapacity Benefit claimants who receive Disability Living Allowance

Two new research reports published today by the Department for Work and Pensions look at the work aspirations of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) recipients. 

The two reports are based on secondary analysis of the 'New Deal for Disabled People Eligible Population Survey 2006' (DWP Report 324) and 'The Women on IB Survey 2008' (an ESRC-funded project). Both exploit the fact that the overwhelming majority of working age DLA claimants who are not already in work are also on incapacity benefits. The analysis focuses on the characteristics and work aspirations of DLA recipients and considers the extent to which they mirror the responses of the larger Incapacity Benefit claimant group. Similar findings emerged from both studies.

The main findings are:

• There are important similarities between DLA and other IB recipients. Both groups tend to be poorly qualified and dominated by manual workers. Illness, injury or disability is the most important trigger of job loss and labour market detachment is high for both groups.
• There are also key differences between the two groups. DLA claimants are affected by a somewhat different set of medical problems, often more clear cut and physiological compared to IB only claimants. More DLA claimants say they 'cannot do any work' (29%), tend to be more pessimistic about the trajectory of their health problems or disabilities, and are more likely to see their barriers to work as being mostly related to their health condition/disability. DLA claimants are less likely to express an interest in returning to work and could be said to be further from the labour market than IB customers.
• Only a small proportion (9%) of DLA respondents said that they have had contact with Pathways to Work or New Deal for Disabled People (this figure might be expected to increase over time as the survey was conducted before the rollout of Pathways to Work).
• Wage aspirations are high for the DLA group. Half the male claimants said they would need to earn at least £300 a week after tax to make coming off benefits worthwhile. DLA receipt may be partially responsible for the high level of this threshold, in so far as claimants fear that taking up employment will ultimately lead to loss of DLA entitlement. 

Notes to Editors

These research reports are published on 14 July 2009 as part of the DWP Research Series, Report 584 – 'Disability Living Allowance and Work Expectations – Analysis of the NDDP Eligible Population' and Report 585 – 'DLA CLAIMANTS: A NEW ASSESSMENT- The characteristics and aspirations of the Incapacity Benefit claimants who receive Disability Living Allowance'.

The authors are respectively, Anne Conolly and Jon Hales from NatCen (Report 584) and Christina Beatty and Steve Fothergill from The Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University (Report 585)

The reports can be found at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rrs-index.asp.

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