Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what statistics his Department collects on deaths of benefit claimants; and how it is decided and by whom in his Department which statistics on such claimants will be (a) collected and (b) published.

Under the Social Security (Notification of Deaths) Regulations 2012 and s125 of Social Security Administration Act 1992, individual level death registration information of date of death, is provided to the Department so that appropriate action can be taken with their benefit. Additionally next of kin also provide information on the date of death of an individual. This information is not routinely compiled or published.

Ministers specify the subjects on which they would like any new statistics to be produced and the Head of Profession for Statistics decides how the statistics will be produced and published in an impartial and objective manner.

Statistics should be published as soon as the Head of Profession for Statistics deems they are ready and of the right quality, pre-announcing the publication in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority codes of practice. DWP Statistical releases are produced and published separately to and independently from other Departmental comment or publications.