Research and analysis

Claimant Service and Experience Survey 2018 to 2019

Published 20 July 2020

The Claimant Service and Experience Survey (CSES) is an ongoing cross-sectional study with quarterly interviewing. The survey is designed to monitor claimant satisfaction with the services offered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and to enable claimant views to inform improvements to the delivery of benefits and services. The data in this report is based on 15,000 telephone interviews conducted between 29 August 2018 and 3 May 2019, with claimants who made contact with DWP any time during the three months prior to the start of the fieldwork.

The survey focuses on 10 key benefits:

• State Pension

• Pension Credit

• Attendance Allowance

• Carer’s Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance for children

• Personal Independence Payment

• Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

• Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Universal Credit

Where appropriate, the report highlights which of the four areas of DWP’s Customer Charter the data relate to (Easy access, Getting it right, Keeping you informed and Right treatment). The Charter provides a standard against which customer service delivery can be measured and provides an effective framework to drive improvements to engagement, interaction and satisfaction for both claimants and staff. The Customer Charter supports DWP’s ambition to become an exemplar of effective service delivery.

This research was commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions and conducted by Kantar. Our thanks go to all those who gave up their time to take part in this study.

At a glance

Overall satisfaction with DWP services fell in 2018/19.

Eight in ten claimants were satisfied with DWP services overall

86% in 2016/17

84% in 2017/18

81% in 2018/19

Abbreviations:

Abbreviation	Benefit or pension
AA	Attendance Allowance
CA	Carer’s Allowance
CSES	Claimant Service and Experience Survey
DLA child	Disability Living Allowance child
DLA w/c or DLA working age and child	Disability Living Allowance working age and child
ESA	Employment and Support Allowance
IS	Income Support
JSA	Jobseeker’s Allowance
PC	Pension Credit
PIP	Personal Independence Payment
SP	State Pension
UC	Universal Credit

About the survey

The Claimant Service and Experience Survey (CSES) allows DWP to better understand how the satisfaction of its claimants’ changes over time for each of the key benefits. As well as collecting an overall measure of satisfaction, the survey also quantifies DWP’s performance on a broad range of other measures, including claimants’ experiences with DWP staff and the use and effectiveness of different channels of communication. By monitoring these measures, and others, DWP continues to ensure the effective delivery of benefits and to improve its services where possible. A summary of the methodology is provided in a separate methodological note published alongside this report. Tables which present the 2018/19 survey data are also published alongside this report and referenced throughout. For comparison purposes, this report presents data for the three years since 2016/17. Reports from previous surveys are available on GOV.UK (see the ‘Where to find out more’ section at the end of this report).

Key changes to benefits over the research period

Each year the survey must keep pace with changes to the benefit landscape:

UC Live service was first introduced in a small number of areas in April 2013, followed by the introduction of UC Full Service in November 2014. In 2017/18, the survey included samples for both UC Full Service and UC Live Service, with findings for UC presented together as a single service (in line with National Statistics and in all UC statistical reporting). In 2018/19 the UC sample only included UC Full Service claimants so results from 2018/19 are not directly comparable to previous years. DWP reports UC as a single service in National Statistics and in all UC statistical reporting. DWP therefore has not differentiated between UC Live and Full service since the CSES 2017-2018, published on 31st January 2019. After 1 January 2018 claimants were not able to make a new claim to UC Live Service, and in 2018/19 therefore the UC sample only included UC Full Service claimants. Results from 2018/19 should be treated with caution when making direct comparisons to previous years of the survey.

Similarly, the size and composition of the DLA claimant population has changed. PIP has replaced DLA for working age claimants between 16 and State Pension age, however DLA continues as a benefit for new claimants on behalf of children under 16 years of age. In 2016/17, adult and child claimants were sampled in equal proportions for the survey and both included in a combined DLA measure. The 2017/18 and 2018/19 surveys only included DLA child claimants, and this therefore means that results from 2017/18 and 2018/19 are not directly comparable to 2016/17.

The new SP was introduced in April 2016 for new claimants. Both old and new SP claimants are considered as a single sub-group in this report.

Further details are provided in the methodological note.

Methodological considerations

The survey was designed to cover claimants of main benefits who had been in contact with DWP over a three-month period prior to the start of fieldwork. This includes contact with DWP and Jobcentre Plus (it does not include contact with any sub-contracted or independent bodies that conduct healthcare assessments). Therefore, it is a survey of claimants who have had recent contact with DWP rather than of all benefit claimants.

Claimants may often have multiple contacts with DWP in the three months prior to the interview but parts of the interview focus on a specific contact or recent transaction the claimant had (for example making a claim or reporting a change in circumstances). Claimants often have multiple contacts with DWP in the three months prior to the interview. The questionnaire uses a pre-defined list of transactions that sets out different forms of contact, and claimants select the first relevant transaction that is read out from this list (answer codes are randomised within each of the list’s three sections). As such, the transaction selected may not be the only transaction made by the claimant. Please note that UC recipients are actively encouraged to interact with the service in a digital manner through their online account wherever possible. Face-to-face contact or telephone calls with UC claimants are likely to reflect more complicated circumstances and / or support needs, which may impact on their perceptions of the service they receive.

The main benefits or services referred to in this report are designed to meet the differing needs of claimants, whether that be unemployed people, people on a low income, disabled people or those who have reached retirement. The nature of the service provided, and the expectations of the claimant may vary depending on the specific benefit received and the demographic characteristics of the claimant. Therefore, we recommend looking at trends over time for each benefit individually, rather than comparing benefits.

The types of claimants for each benefit has changed over time, reflecting changes to those benefits. This includes the migration of DLA working age claimants to PIP, the migration of claimants to UC and the full rollout of UC Full Service. We therefore recommend some caution when interpreting overall satisfaction with DWP services for all claimants and by benefit. Any change in overall satisfaction might be partly explained by the change in the types of claimants receiving benefits over time.

The sample was changed to stratify claimants by contact type in 2018/19 to better reflect the claimant population.

Further details on the transaction type selection, sample composition and analysis are provided in the methodological note accompanying this report.

Statistical conventions

Percentages in charts do not always add to 100 per cent due to rounding. Where questions allow survey participants to give more than a single response these do not add to 100 per cent.

All commentary in the report focuses on differences that are statistically significant at a 95 per cent confidence level since 2017/18. These differences are indicated on each chart with a small arrow. Changes that are not statistically significant are described as broadly stable.

When looking at data for specific benefits, the base sizes for benefits such as UC (circa 4,500), ESA and PIP (both circa 3,000) are much larger than those for benefits such as SP, AA, CA, DLA child, IS (circa 450), JSA (circa 750) and PC (circa 1500). Therefore, the margins of error around findings for ESA, PIP and UC are smaller than those of other benefits and it is possible to identify relatively small changes as being statistically significant for these benefits.

This also applies to the Claimant Characteristics section, whereby the responses for groups with higher base sizes, such as white (circa 11,000) or heterosexual (circa 12,000), will have a lower margin of error than groups with smaller base sizes, such as Asian/Asian British (circa 500) or gay or lesbian (circa 243).

DWP Project lead: Maxine Willitts

Email: [email protected]

DWP Press Office: 0203 267 5129

Comments? Feedback is welcome

ISBN 978-1-78659-178-4. Research report no. 986

Overall satisfaction

Overall satisfaction among claimants decreased

In 2018/19, 81 per cent of claimants who had contacted DWP in the three months before the survey were satisfied with DWP services overall. This has decreased from 84 per cent in 2017/18 and represents a longer-term decrease since 2016/17.

See Table 1.1 in Data tables for more details on all figures in the Overall satisfaction section of this report.

86% in 2016/17

84% in 2017/18

81% in 2018/19

Base: All claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (15,471), 2017/18 (15,514), 2018/19 (15,000)

Satisfaction among Universal Credit Claimants

In 2018/19, 79 per cent of UC claimants reported that they were satisfied with the service they received, including 33 per cent who were ‘very satisfied’.

83% in 2016/17

80% in 2017/18

79% in 2018/19

Base: All UC claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (3,996), 2017/18 (5,969), 2018/19 (4,500)

*Note: Due to changes in the sample composition for UC claimants, findings cannot be compared across the last three years, as indicated by the separated arrows.

Satisfaction among Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants remained stable

The proportion of satisfied Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants in 2018/19 remained stable at 86 per cent.

85% in 2016/17

84% in 2017/18

86% in 2018/19

Base: All JSA claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (3,888), 2017/18 (3,009), 2018/19 (750)

Satisfaction with Income Support remained stable

In 2018/19, 91 per cent of IS claimants reported that they were satisfied with the service they received. This is broadly stable with 2017/18 (92 per cent).

94% in 2016/17

92% in 2017/18

91% in 2018/19

Base: All IS claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (497), 2017/18 (450), 2018/19 (450)

Satisfaction among Employment and Support Allowance claimants decreased

In 2018/19, three in four (75 per cent) of ESA claimants reported that they were satisfied. This is a decrease from 2017/18 (81 per cent) and 2016/17.

82% in 2016/17

81% in 2017/18

75% in 2018/19

Base: All ESA claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (4,013), 2017/18 (2,997), 2018/19 (3,000)

Satisfaction among Personal Independence Payment claimants decreased

In 2018/19, 74 per cent of PIP claimants reported that they were satisfied overall. This is a decrease from 2017/18 (82 per cent) and continuing decrease from 2016/17.

87% in 2016/17

82% in 2017/18

74% in 2018/19

Satisfaction among Disability Living Allowance for children claimants remained stable

In 2018/19, 89 per cent of DLA child claimants were satisfied with the service they received from DWP. This proportion has remained broadly stable since 2017/18 (85 per cent).

85% in 2016/17

85% in 2017/18

89% in 2018/19

Base: All DLA claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (431 (DLA working age and child)), 2017/18 (452 (DLA child)), 2018/19 (450 (DLA child))

*Note: Due to changes in the sample composition for Disability Living Allowance claimants, findings cannot be compared with years before 2017/18, as indicated by the separated arrow.

Satisfaction among Carer’s Allowance claimants decreased

In 2018/19, 88 per cent of CA claimants were satisfied with the service they received. This has decreased from the proportion recorded in 2017/18 (92 per cent).

92% in 2016/17

92% in 2017/18

88% in 2018/19

Base: All CA claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (441), 2017/18 (435), 2018/19 (450)

Satisfaction among Attendance Allowance claimants remained stable

More than nine in ten AA claimants (95 per cent) were satisfied with the service they received in 2018/19, broadly stable since 2016/17.

92% in 2016/17

92% in 2017/18

95% in 2018/19

Base: All AA claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (445), 2017/18 (442), 2018/19 (450)

Satisfaction among Pension Credit claimants remained stable

Overall satisfaction reported by PC claimants remained stable at 92 per cent in 2018/19.

93% in 2016/17

92% in 2017/18

92% in 2018/19

Base: All PC claimants who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (460), 2017/18 (455), 2018/19 (1,500)

Satisfaction among State Pension recipients remained stable

Just over nine in ten SP recipients (92 per cent) reported that they were satisfied with the service they received. This level of satisfaction has remained stable since 2016/17.

93% in 2016/17

93% in 2017/18

92% in 2018/19

Base: All SP recipients who had made contact with DWP in the last three months: 2016/17 (458), 2017/18 (482), 2018/19 (450)

Customer Charter

This section of the report examines the four core elements of DWP’s Customer Charter: ‘Right treatment’, ‘Easy access’, ‘Getting it right’ and ‘Keeping you informed’.

A number of questions in the survey asked claimants to focus on a recent specific transaction with DWP (in the last three months). Where claimants had been involved in more than one transaction in the last three months they selected the first relevant transaction that was read out from a pre-defined list.

Right treatment

The Right treatment metric corresponds to the following items outlined in the customer charter.

You can trust us to:

• do what we say we will do

• be helpful, polite, and treat you fairly and with respect

• try to understand your circumstances

• follow processes correctly

• tell you what to do next if you’re not satisfied with how you’ve been treated

• protect your personal information (our personal information charter tells you more)

• investigate all reports of fraud, to protect public money

The metric is a composite measure of 30 question responses. These questions include items relating to whether claimants thought that the information DWP provided, and the staff that they interacted with, were helpful during their transaction.

Right treatment has remained stable

The overall Right treatment metric has remained stable, scoring 82 per cent in 2018/19 compared with 83 per cent in 2017/18. This follows a decrease between 2016/17 and 2017/18 (from 87 per cent to 83 per cent). For all benefits the Right treatment metric remained stable, except for IS, for which it increased.

87%

in 2016/17

83%

in 2017/18

82%

in 2018/19

Base: 2016/17 (14,140), 2017/18 (14,819), 2018/19 (13,518)

Around eight in ten and above claimants reported that DWP did what they said they would do

Claimants whose transaction required action from DWP were asked whether DWP did what they said they would do. Overall, 82 per cent overall reported that DWP did what they said they would do, a decrease from 84 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 77 per cent for PIP claimants, to 92 per cent for IS and SP claimants. For PIP claimants there has been a decline from 85 per cent reporting that DWP did what they said they were going to do in 2017/18, to 77per cent in 2018/19. See Table 3.11 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting DWP did what they said they would do, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	82%
State Pension	92%
Pension Credit	86%
Attendance Allowance	87%
Carer’s Allowance	90%
Disability Living Allowance child	91%
Personal Independence Payment	77%
Employment and Support Allowance	79%
Income Support	92%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	83%
Universal Credit	79%

Base: All claimants whose main transaction required action from DWP and gave a valid answer; Overall (7,184); SP (377); PC (1,024); AA (378); CA (392); DLA child (346); PIP (1,543); ESA (1,069); IS (177); JSA (210); UC (1,668)

Around eight in ten claimants reported that they found staff helpful

Overall, 86 per cent of claimants reported that staff were helpful during their recent transaction with DWP, a decrease from 88 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 79 per cent for claimants who DWP got in touch with through their online account or who made a phone call to DWP, to 91 per cent for claimants who received telephone calls from DWP in general. Among claimants visiting Jobcentre Plus, 88 per cent reported that information provided was helpful during their most recent visit.

From 2017/18 to 2018/19, there have been decreases for claimants reporting that staff were helpful by communication method. This decreased from 90 per cent to 88 per cent for Job Centre Plus, from 83 per cent to 79 per cent for telephone calls made to DWP, and from 90 per cent to 83 per cent for telephone calls received from DWP. See Table 5.1 to 5.5 for more details

Percentage of claimants reporting staff were helpful, by communication method, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	86%
Jobcentre Plus staff	88%
Telephone calls made to DWP	79%
Telephone calls received from DWP	83%
Telephone calls received from DWP in general	91%
DWP got in touch through online account	79%

Base: total number of responses for overall (17,308); Jobcentre Plus staff (6,078); telephone calls made to DWP (4,766); telephone calls received from DWP (1,223); telephone calls received from DWP in general (1,902); DWP got in touch through online account (598)

Note:

• Jobcentre Plus staff base is all claimants who had contact in person in the last 3 months
• telephone calls made to DWP base is all claimants who made a call to DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP is all claimants who received calls from DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP in general is all claimants who claimed ESA, JSA or UC, received calls from DWP in general
• DWP got in touch through online account is all claimants who were contacted by DWP through their online account during their transaction

All bases are made up of claimants who gave valid answers. Please note that the overall figure is calculated using the total number of responses to the questions included in this chart.

Around nine in ten claimants reported that staff treated them fairly

Overall, around nine in ten claimants (92 per cent) reported that staff treated them fairly during their recent transaction with DWP. Claimant reporting that staff treated them fairly during their recent transaction was generally high across all communication methods. This ranged from 88 per cent for those got in touch with through their online account or who made a phone call to DWP, to 93 per cent for those who received telephone calls from DWP in general or for those visiting Jobcentre Plus.

For claimants who DWP got in touch with through their online account, there has been an increase from 84 per cent in 2017/18 to 88 per cent in 2018/19. See Table 5.1 to 5.5 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting they were treated fairly, by communication method, 2018/19

Communication method	Percentage
Overall	92%
Jobcentre Plus staff	93%
Telephone calls made to DWP	88%
Telephone calls received from DWP	92%
Telephone calls received from DWP in general	93%
DWP got in touch through online account	88%

Base: total number of responses for overall 17,470); Jobcentre Plus Staff (6,174); telephone calls made to DWP (4,846); telephone calls received from DWP (1,239); telephone calls received from DWP in general (1,898); DWP got in touch through online account (586)

Note:

• Jobcentre Plus Staff base is all claimants who had contact in person in the last 3 months
• telephone calls made to DWP base is all claimants who made a call to DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP is all claimants who received calls from DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP in general is all claimants who claimed ESA, JSA or UC, received calls from DWP in general
• DWP got in touch through online account is all claimants who were contacted by DWP through their online account during their transaction

All bases are made up of claimants who gave valid answers. Please note that the overall figure is calculated using the total number of responses to the questions included in this chart.

Around eight in ten claimants reported that staff understood their circumstances

Overall, 84 per cent of claimants reported that staff understood their particular circumstances during their recent transaction with DWP. This ranged from 75 per cent for claimants who DWP got in touch with through their online account, to 87 per cent for claimants visiting Jobcentre Plus. There has been a decrease from 80 per cent in 2017/18 to 78 per cent for claimants who made telephone calls to DWP, and a decrease from 84 per cent in 2017/18 to 82 per cent in 2018/19 for claimants who received calls from DWP. See Table 5.1 to 5.5 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting staff understood their particular circumstances, by communication method, 2018/19

Communication method	Percentage
Overall	84%
Jobcentre plus staff	87%
Telephone calls made to DWP	78%
Telephone calls received from DWP	82%
Telephone calls received from DWP in general	86%
DWP got in touch through online account	75%

Base: Total number of responses for overall (17,443); Jobcentre Plus Staff (6,137); telephone calls made to DWP (4,837); telephone calls received from DWP (1,232); telephone calls received from DWP in general (1,892); DWP got in touch through online account (595)

Note:

• Jobcentre Plus Staff base is all claimants who had contact in person in the last 3 months
• telephone calls made to DWP base is all claimants who made a call to DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP is all claimants who received calls from DWP during their transaction
• telephone calls received from DWP in general is all claimants who claimed ESA, JSA or UC, received calls from DWP in general
• DWP got in touch through online account is all claimants who were contacted by DWP through their online account during their transaction

All bases are made up of claimants who gave valid answers. Please note that the overall figure is calculated using the total number of responses to the questions included in this chart.

Around seven in ten claimants reported that DWP took their personal circumstances into consideration when setting up their claimant commitment

A claimant commitment is a record of the responsibilities that claimants accept in return for receiving a benefit. Overall, 75 per cent felt DWP took their personal circumstances into consideration when they set up the claimant commitment, an increase from 71 per cent in 2017/18. More than three in four of JSA claimants (78 per cent, an increase from 74 per cent in 2017/18) and UC claimants (76 per cent) felt that DWP took their personal circumstances into consideration when they set up the claimant commitment. A lower proportion of ESA (68 per cent) felt that DWP took their personal circumstances into consideration. See Table 5.7 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who felt DWP took their personal circumstances into consideration when setting up commitments, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	75%
Employment and Support Allowance	68%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	78%
Universal Credit	76%

Base: All claimants who claimed ESA, JSA or UC; Overall (8,250); ESA (3,000); JSA (750); UC (4,500)

Easy access

The Easy access metric corresponds to the following items outlined in the customer charter.

We will:

• make more of our services available online, to use at a time that suits you
• publish information about benefits and services online at GOV.UK
• explain clearly how to contact us in other ways

The metric is a composite measure of 10 question responses. These questions include items relating to whether claimants reported that they found it easy to contact DWP, use their online account or to access GOV.UK.

Ease of access has remained stable

The overall ease of access metric has remained broadly stable in 2018/19 at 71 per cent, compared with 72 per cent in both 2017/18 and 2016/17. It has also remained stable across all benefits.

72% in 2016/17

72% in 2017/18

71% in 2018/19

Base: 2016/17 (15,528), 2017/18 (15,514), 2018/19 (15,000)

Overall, around seven in ten claimants reported that they found it easy to get in touch with DWP

Claimants were asked how easy they found getting in contact with DWP regarding their transaction. Overall, 72 per cent of claimants reported that they found it very or fairly easy to get in contact with DWP, an increase from 70 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 58 per cent for ESA claimants, to 86 per cent for SP claimants. For PIP claimants, there has been a decrease from 69 per cent reporting that they found it easy to get in touch with DWP in 2017/18, to 60 per cent in 2018/19. See Table 2.4 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported that it was easy to get in touch with DWP during their transaction, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	72%
State Pension	86%
Pension Credit	80%
Attendance Allowance	80%
Carer’s Allowance	80%
Disability Living Allowance child	80%
Personal Independence Payment	60%
Employment and Support Allowance	58%
Income Support	78%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	73%
Universal Credit	76%

Base: All claimants; Overall (15,000); SP (450); PC (1,500); AA (450); CA (450); DLA child (450); PIP (3,000); ESA (3,000); IS (450); JSA (750); UC (4,500)

Communication by text message was very popular among claimants who used it

Less than ten per cent of claimants across the various benefits reported receiving a text message from DWP, ranging from zero per cent (for SP and AA claimants) to seven per cent (for DLA child claimants). Most claimants who had received a text from DWP said that they were a helpful way to be kept updated. This ranged from 89 per cent for PIP claimants to 97 per cent for UC claimants. Claimants of other benefits are excluded due to the very small numbers who reported receiving text messages. See Table 2.14 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting that text message was a helpful way to keep updated, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	95%
Personal Independence Payment	89%
Employment and Support Allowance	93%
Universal Credit	97%

Base: All claimants who received text messages from DWP; Overall (423); SP (1); PC (11); AA (1); CA (6); DLA child (28); PIP (120); ESA (72); IS (10); JSA (31); UC (143) SP, PC, AA, CA, DLA child, IS and JSA have been excluded from the chart due to low base sizes (<40).

Around nine in ten users of UC online accounts found them easy to access and maintain or easy to use

UC Claimants who had contacted DWP through their online account in the previous three months were asked how easy it had been to access the online account, and how easy it had been to use. In 2018/19, 88 per cent said that it had been very or fairly easy to access and maintain their online account, while 90 per cent said that it had been very or fairly easy to use. See Table 7.8 and 7.9 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting that the online account has been easy to access and maintain and easy to use, 2018/19

Online account is:	Percentage
Easy to access and maintain	88%
Easy to use	90%

Base: All UC claimants who contacted DWP through their online account in the last 3 months (1,279)

Note: These charts are not comparable with previous years due to changes in question wording.

Getting it right

The Getting it right metric corresponds to the following items outlined in the customer charter.

We will:

• provide you with the correct decision, information or payment
• explain things clearly if the outcome is not what you’d hoped for
• say sorry and put it right if we make a mistake
• use your feedback to improve how we do things

The metric is a composite measure of 10 question responses. These questions include items relating to whether claimants thought that the decisions were clearly explained, whether payments were correct and on time or if the staff they dealt with were well-informed.

Getting it right has decreased

The overall metric for Getting it right has decreased to 80 per cent in 2018/19, from 86 per cent in 2016/17 and 85 per cent in 2017/18. This decrease has been driven by UC, ESA and PC. For all other benefits the Right treatment metric remained stable, except for PIP, for which it increased.

86% in 2016/17

85% in 2017/18

80% in 2018/19

Base: 2016/17 (15,528), 2017/18 (15,514), 2018/19 (15,000)

Overall, more than eight in ten claimants reported that payments have always been correct, but this was lower for UC claimants

Overall, 84 per cent of claimants who had received a payment from DWP in the previous three months agreed that payments had always been correct, a decrease from 86 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 76 per cent for UC claimants, to 95 per cent for SP and IS claimants. For ESA claimants, there has been a decrease from 88 per cent reporting that their payments have always been correct in 2017/18, to 85 per cent in 2018/19. See Table 3.2 for more details.

Percentage of claimants reporting that the payments received from DWP for their benefit have always been correct, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	84%
State Pension	95%
Pension Credit	91%
Attendance Allowance	94%
Carer’s Allowance	94%
Disability Living Allowance child	94%
Personal Independence Payment	86%
Employment and Support Allowance	85%
Income Support	95%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	87%
Universal Credit	76%

Base: All claimants who received a payment from DWP in the last 3 months; Overall (14,791); SP (449); PC (1,490); AA (446); CA (438); DLA child (447); PIP (2,953); ESA (2,953); IS (448); JSA (735); UC (4,432)

Payments arrive when expected for around nine in ten claimants

Claimants who had received a payment from DWP in the previous three months were then asked whether they had received their payment when they expected to. Around nine in ten claimants said they had received their payment when they expected to. with the proportion ranging from 89 per cent for AA and ESA claimants, to 97 per cent for DLA child claimants. See Table 3.3 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who received their payment when they expected to, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	91%
State Pension	96%
Pension Credit	93%
Attendance Allowance	89%
Carer’s Allowance	91%
Disability Living Allowance child	97%
Personal Independence Payment	90%
Employment and Support Allowance	89%
Income Support	96%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	91%
Universal Credit	90%

Base: All claimants who received a payment from DWP in the last 3 months; Overall (14,791); SP (449); PC (1,490); AA (446); CA (438); DLA child (447); PIP (2,953); ESA (2,953); IS (448); JSA (735); UC (4,432)

Note: This chart is not directly comparable with previous years due to changes in question wording.

Overall, more than seven in ten claimants reported that benefit decisions were explained clearly

Claimants who had received notification of a decision, change or sanction were asked how clearly the decision had been explained. Overall, 76 per cent of claimants reported that the decision had been clearly explained. This ranged from 70 per cent for UC claimants, to 91 per cent for DLA child claimants. For PIP claimants, there has been a decrease from 91 per cent reporting that benefit decisions were explained clearly in 2017/18, to 78 per cent in 2018/19. See Table 3.4 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported that the decision about their benefit was explained clearly, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	76%
Disability Living Allowance child	91%
Personal Independence Payment	78%
Employment and Support Allowance	77%
Universal Credit	70%

Base: All claimants who received notification of a decision, change or sanction; Overall (2,022); DLA child (41); PIP (812); ESA (825); UC (326)

IS and JSA have been excluded from the chart due to low base sizes (<40).

Note: DLAc is not directly comparable with last year due to small base sizes

Overall, around one in four claimants reported they had to report the same change in circumstances more than once, with in-work claimants experiencing this most often

Claimants who reported a change in circumstances to DWP, or who stopped a claim, were asked whether they had to report the same change more than once. Overall, 26 per cent reported that they had to do this, an increase from 14 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 11 per cent for SP claimants, to 33 per cent for JSA claimants. The proportion of CA, PIP, ESA, IS and JSA claimants who had to report a change in circumstances more than once has increased since 2017/18. See Table 3.17 for more details.

Percentage of claimants having to report a change in circumstances more than once, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	26%
State Pension	11%
Pension Credit	16%
Attendance Allowance	12%
Carer’s Allowance	23%
Disability Living Allowance child	16%
Personal Independence Payment	22%
Employment and Support Allowance	27%
Income Support	24%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	33%
Universal Credit	31%

Base: All claimants who reported a change of circumstances to DWP or stopped a claim, and gave a valid answer; Overall (3,777); SP (230); PC (527); AA (104); CA (219); DLA child (84); PIP (850); ESA (519); IS (103); JSA (106); UC (1,035)

Keeping you informed

The Keeping You informed metric corresponds to the following items outlined in the customer charter.

We will:

• deal with your request the first time you contact us, or as soon as we can
• tell you what will happen next, and by when
• keep you updated of progress

The metric is a composite measure of ten question responses. These questions include items relating to whether claimants reported that they were kept up to date with progress of their transaction, whether the frequency of contact matched their expectation or if everything was easy to understand.

Keeping you informed has improved

The overall Keeping you informed metric improved to 76 per cent in 2018/19, from 73 per cent in 2016/17 and 70 per cent in 2017/18. This improvement has been driven by JSA, ESA, UC and IS. For all other benefits the Right treatment metric remained stable, except for PIP, for which it increased.

73% in 2016/17

70% in 2017/18

76% in 2018/19

Base: 2016/17 (13,891), 2017/18 (14,018), 2018/19 (14,909)

Overall, around seven in ten claimants reported that DWP told them what would happen next, but this varied by benefit type

Those claimants whose transaction required a response from DWP were asked whether they were told what would happen next. Overall, 72 per cent of claimants reported that they were told what would happen next, a decrease from 74 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 58 per cent for AA claimants, to 79 per cent for DLA child claimants. There has been a decrease among SP (from 74 per cent to 63 per cent) and PIP claimants (from 77 per cent to 71 per cent) reporting that they were told what would happen next between 2017/18 and 2018/19. See Table 4.1 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were told what would happen next in their transaction, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	72%
State Pension	63%
Pension Credit	68%
Attendance Allowance	58%
Carer’s Allowance	72%
Disability Living Allowance child	79%
Personal Independence Payment	71%
Employment and Support Allowance	69%
Income Support	78%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	75%
Universal Credit	72%

Base: All claimants whose main transaction required response from DWP; Overall (14,207); SP (424); PC (1,441); AA (428); CA (436); DLA child (437); PIP (2,907); ESA (2,833); IS (423); JSA (655); UC (4,223)

Overall, around six in ten claimants reported that they were given clear timings

Claimants whose transaction required clear timings to be given by DWP around what they would do were asked whether these had been given. Overall, 63 per cent of claimants reported that they had been given clear timing, a decrease from 68 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 57 per cent for AA claimants, to 76 per cent for DLA child claimants. There has been a decrease among CA (from 72 per cent to 66 per cent), PIP (from 70 per cent to 62 per cent) and ESA claimants (from 65 per cent to 61 per cent) reporting that they had been given clear timings between 2017/18 and 2018/19. See Table 4.2 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported that they were given clear timings about their transaction, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	63%
State Pension	65%
Pension Credit	64%
Attendance Allowance	57%
Carer’s Allowance	66%
Disability Living Allowance child	76%
Personal Independence Payment	62%
Employment and Support Allowance	61%
Income Support	66%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	69%
Universal Credit	59%

Base: All claimants whose main transaction required timings from DWP; Overall (11,079); SP (416); PC (1,440); AA (434); CA (430); DLA child (441); PIP (2,912); ESA (2,234); IS (228); JSA (278); UC (2,266)

Overall, around seven in ten claimants reported that they were kept up to date with the progress of their transaction, but this varied by benefit type

Those claimants whose transaction required updates from DWP were asked whether they were kept up to date with the progress of the transaction. Overall, around seven in ten claimants (68 per cent) reported that they were kept up to date, ranging from 47 per cent for AA claimants, to 77 per cent for JSA claimants. There has been a decrease among SP, CA and PIP claimants reporting that they were kept up to date with the progress of their transaction between 2017/18 and 2018/19 (63 per cent to 55 per cent, 72 per cent to 63 per cent, and 64 per cent to 54 per cent, respectively) See Table 4.3 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported that they were kept up to date with progress during their transaction, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	68%
State Pension	55%
Pension Credit	60%
Attendance Allowance	47%
Carer’s Allowance	63%
Disability Living Allowance child	69%
Personal Independence Payment	54%
Employment and Support Allowance	59%
Income Support	73%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	77%
Universal Credit	70%

Base: All claimants whose main transaction required updates from DWP; Overall (11,046); SP (306); PC (878); AA (348); CA (343); DLA child (367); PIP (2,159); ESA (2,038); IS (306); JSA (520); UC (3,781)

Around three in ten claimants reported that they were contacted by DWP less often than expected

Claimants whose transaction required ongoing contact with DWP were asked whether the amount of contact with DWP was more, less, or about as often as they had expected. The proportion that reported having had more contact than expected ranged from five per cent among AA claimants to 23 per cent among PIP claimants. This decreased from 10 per cent to 5 per cent for AA since 2017/18, while increasing from 17 per cent to 23 per cent for PIP and from 17 per cent to 19 per cent for ESA. See Table 4.5 for more details.

Percentage of amount of contact with DWP during transaction, relative to expectation, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Don’t know	Less often than you had expected	About as often as you had expected	More often than you had expected
Overall	9%	28%	45%	18%
State Pension	7%	31%	51%	11%
Pension Credit	14%	31%	43%	11%
Attendance Allowance	20%	36%	39%	5%
Carer’s Allowance	10%	30%	50%	11%
Disability Living Allowance child	9%	27%	52%	12%
Personal Independence Payment	10%	23%	44%	23%
Employment and Support Allowance	11%	26%	44%	19%
Income Support	9%	31%	46%	14%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	6%	32%	47%	15%
Universal Credit	7%	27%	44%	22%

Jobcentre Plus

The use of Jobcentre Plus services is limited to claimants of working-age benefits. Therefore, questions in this section were only asked of those claimants receiving ESA, IS, JSA or UC.

The main reason for visiting a jobcentre was for an interview or review meeting

Claimants who had not visited a jobcentre as part of their transaction were asked about their most recent visit to a jobcentre (in the last three months). The most common reason for visiting a jobcentre was for an interview or review meeting. The overall proportion visiting for an interview or meeting increased from 30 per cent in 2017/18 to 33 per cent in 2018/19. Despite this overall increase, the proportion visiting for an interview or review meeting among ESA claimants decreased from 17 per cent in 2017/18 to 12 per cent in 2018/19.

The overall proportion visiting the jobcentre to report a chance of circumstances remained stable overall but fell to 13 per cent from 19 per cent in 2017/18 in 2018/19 among JSA claimants.

The overall proportion reporting that they had visited the jobcentre for some other reason increased to 14 per cent in 2018/19 from 12 per cent in 2017/18. It also increased to 23 per cent in 2018/19 from 13 per in 2017/18 cent among JSA claimants. The proportion visiting for any other reason fell to 7 per cent from 11 per cent in 2017/18 among ESA claimants. See Table 6.1 for more details.

Claimant reported reasons for visiting the jobcentre, by benefit type, 2018/19

Reason for visiting jobcentre	Overall	Employment and Support Allowance	Income Support	Jobseeker’s Allowance	Universal Credit
Interview or review meeting at the jobcentre	33%	12%	26%	43%	38%
Reporting a change of circumstances to jobcentre Plus	12%	6%	9%	13%	14%
About eligibility for a benefit	9%	5%	11%	11%	10%
Reporting problems with a benefit they receive	4%	3%	3%	4%	5%
Other	14%	7%	11%	23%	11%

Base: All claimants who visited the jobcentre in the last three months for anything other than their main transaction, total number of responses used to calculate percentages; ESA (2,528); IS (285); JSA (375); UC (2,995)

Percentages shown are based on total number of responses including “Not visited Jobcentre Plus” and “Don’t know”.

Overall, around seven in ten claimants who used Jobcentre Plus services reported that they were satisfied with help to find employment for most benefits, but this was lower for ESA

Claimants who had used Jobcentre Plus services in the previous three months were asked how satisfied they were with the help they received from Jobcentre Plus staff to find employment. Overall, 67 per cent were satisfied, a decrease from 70 per cent in 2017/18. This ranged from 53 per cent for ESA claimants, to 72 per cent for IS claimants. These responses were similar to those given by claimants who had used job search facilities at the Jobcentre Plus in the previous three months, who were asked how satisfied they were with Jobcentre Plus facilities to assist them in searching for jobs, for example providing a computer to use if needed (see table 6.3 for more details). For ESA claimants, there has been a decrease from 61 per cent reporting that they were satisfied with the help they received from Jobcentre Plus staff to find employment in 2017/18, to 53 per cent in 2018/19. See Table 6.4 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall with Jobcentre Plus service in helping to find employment, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	67%
Employment and Support Allowance	53%
Income Support	72%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	71%
Universal Credit	66%

Base: All claimants who are not proxies and used JCP services in the last 3 months; Overall (5,979); ESA (1,153); IS (322); JSA (725); UC (3,779)

Around nine in ten claimants reported that Jobcentre Plus staff were well-informed

Claimants who had contact in person with Jobcentre Plus in the previous three months were asked whether they thought the staff who provided information were well-informed. Around nine in ten claimants (88 per cent) reported that staff were well-informed, ranging from 87 per cent for ESA and UC claimants, to 94 per cent for IS claimants. See Table 3.12 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported that Jobcentre Plus staff were knowledgeable, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	88%
Employment and Support Allowance	87%
Income Support	94%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	88%
Universal Credit	87%

Base: All claimants who had contact in person in the last 3 months and gave a valid answer; Overall (6,098); ESA (1,244); IS (319); JSA (710); UC (3,825)

Around nine in ten claimants reported that appointments took place on time

Claimants who had an appointment for face-to-face contact with DWP were asked whether the appointment took place on time. Around nine in ten claimants (92 per cent) reported that the appointment took place at the agreed time, ranging from 86 per cent for ESA claimants (to 93 per cent for JSA claimants. For ESA there has been a decrease from 93 per cent since 2017/18. See Table 2.13 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who reported jobcentre appointment (with regards to transaction) happened at the agreed time, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	92%
Employment and Support Allowance	86%
Income Support	90%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	93%
Universal Credit	92%

Base: All claimants who had an appointment for in person contact with the DWP regarding their main transaction; Overall (3,306); ESA (608); IS (198); JSA (401); UC (2,099)

Claimant characteristics

Note that for the Claimant Characteristics section, the responses for groups with higher base sizes, such as white (circa 11,00) or heterosexual (circa 12,000), will have a lower margin of error than groups with smaller base sizes, such as Asian/Asian British (circa 500) or gay or lesbian (circa 243).

Please note that a higher percentage of claimants who identified as gay or lesbian claimed ESA or PIP than those who described their sexuality in another way. Satisfaction was lower among all ESA and PIP claimants. Therefore, the low level of satisfaction among gay and lesbian claimants may be partly explained by the type of benefits they claim, rather than any difference in their experience in comparison with other demographic groups.

Equality measures

Around nine in ten claimants aged under 25 or over 65 were satisfied with DWP

For claimants aged 25 to 34, 45 to 54, 56 to 60, 61 to 65 and 66 to 74 there have been decreases since 2017/18. There has also been an overall decrease. See Table 8.3 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by age, 2018/19

Claimant type	Percentage
Overall	81%
Parent or guardian of under 16	89%
Age 16 to 24	87%
Age 25 to 34	82%
Age 35 to 44	81%
Age 45 to 54	78%
Age 55 to 60	74%
Age 61 to 65	79%
Age 66 to 74	90%
Age 75+	94%

Base: All claimants; Overall (15,000); Parent/guardian of under 16 (450); 16-24 (1,461); 25-34 (2,217); 35-44 (2,040); 45-54 (2,854); 55-60 (1,898); 61-65 (1,854); 66-74 (1,352); 75+ (874)

Satisfaction fell among both men and women

In 2018/19, 82 per cent of women and 80 per cent of men reported that they were satisfied with DWP overall. For both men and women there has been a decrease since 2017/18. See Table 8.4 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by gender, 2018/19

Gender	Percentage
Overall	81%
Male	80%
Female	82%

Base: All claimants; Overall (15,000); Male (7,315); Female (7,685)

Seven in ten claimants who identified as gay or lesbian were satisfied with DWP

In 2018/19, 83 per cent of claimants who described themselves as Heterosexual reported that they were satisfied with DWP overall. The proportion that were satisfied overall was 84 per cent among those who described themselves as bisexual, 71 per cent among claimants who described their sexuality as gay or lesbian, and 78 per cent among those who described their sexuality as other. There have been decreases in satisfaction since 2017/18 among those who describe themselves as heterosexual or straight (from 85 per cent to 83 per cent) or gay or lesbian (81 per cent to 71 per cent). See Table 8.2 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by sexual orientation, 2018/19

Sexual orientation	Percentage
Overall	83%
Heterosexual or straight	83%
Gay or lesbian	71%
Bisexual	84%
Other	78%

Base: All claimants excluding those who responded “Don’t Know” or “Refused”; Overall (12,865); Heterosexual or straight (12,193); Gay or lesbian (243); Bisexual (255); Other (174)

Around nine in ten claimants who described their ethnicity as Asian or other were satisfied with DWP

Across all claimant groups, at least eight in ten said they were satisfied with DWP overall ranging from 81 per cent among black and mixed-race claimants to 88 per cent among those describing their ethnicity as other. Satisfaction fell from 85 per cent to 82 per cent among White - British claimants. See Table 8.1 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by ethnicity, 2018/19

Ethnicity	Percentage
Overall	82%
White	82%
White - British	82%
White - other	83%
Mixed	81%
Asian	87%
Black	81%
Other	88%

Base: All claimants excluding those who responded “Don’t Know” or “Refused”; Overall (13,102); White (11,551); White-British (11,094); White-Other (452); Mixed (277); Asian (554); Black (593); Other (127)

Note: Other is not directly comparable with last year due to small base sizes

There was some variation in satisfaction by religion

In 2018/19, 88 per cent of claimants who described themselves as Sikh were satisfied with the service they received from DWP, as were 86 per cent of claimants who described themselves as Muslim. Overall satisfaction among other groups ranged from 72 per cent for Any other religion, to 83 per cent for No religion. See Table 8.5 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by religion, 2018/19

Religion	Percentage
Overall	83%
No religion	83%
Christian	82%
Buddhist	75%
Hindu	80%
Muslim	86%
Sikh	88%
Any other religion	72%

Base: All claimants excluding those who responded “Don’t Know” or “Refused”; Overall (13,001); No religion (3,807); Christian (7,941); Buddhist (71); Hindu (67); Jewish (39); Muslim (618); Sikh (51); Any other religion (407)

Note: Please be aware of very small base sizes which mean findings cannot be compared across groups.

The percentage of satisfied claimants with a disability fell

In 2018/19, 78 per cent of claimants with a disability (self-reported and asked “Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?”) reported that they were satisfied overall, this represents a fall from 80 per cent since 2017/18. The proportion of claimants without a disability remained stable at 88 per cent. See Table 8.6 for more details

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by whether has a disability, 2018/19

Claimant type	Percentage
Overall	82%
Has a disability	78%
Does not have a disability	88%

Base: All claimants excluding those who responded “Don’t Know” or “Refused”; Overall (13,055); Yes (8,924); No (4,131)

Note: Disability is self-reported with question “Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more?”

Satisfaction fell for claimants of all marital status except widowed claimants

In 2018/19, claimant satisfaction with DWP overall ranged from 76 per cent for Divorced claimants, to 87 per cent for claimants who were widowed. Satisfaction fell among single, married, separated and divorced claimants. See Table 8.7 for more details.

Percentage of claimants who were satisfied overall, by marital status, 2018/19

Marital status	Percentage
All	82%
Single	83%
Married	84%
Separated	80%
Divorced	76%
Widowed	87%

Base: All claimants excluding those who responded “Don’t Know” or “Refused”; Overall (13,043); Single (never married and never registered a same-sex civil partnership) (6,032); Married (living with husband/wife) (3,229); In a registered same-sex civil partnership (living with partner) (23); Separated (still legally married) (828); Divorced (2,042); Widowed (871); Separated (still legally in a same-sex civil partnership) (7); Formerly a same-sex civil partner (civil partnership now legally dissolved) (11); A surviving civil partner (his/her partner having since died) (0)

Digital propensity

More than nine in ten claimants have internet access

Overall, 93 per cent claimants reported having access to the internet, either at home or elsewhere, an increase since 2017/18 (91 per cent). Almost all claimants of IS, UC and DLAc said that they had internet access, 98 per cent in each case. The proportion with internet access increased among PC, AA, PIP and ESA claimants. See Table 7.1 for more details.

Percentage of claimants with internet access, by benefit type, 2018/19

Benefit type	Percentage
Overall	93%
State Pension	82%
Pension Credit	67%
Attendance Allowance	70%
Carer’s Allowance	93%
Disability Living Allowance child	98%
Personal Independence Payment	87%
Employment and Support Allowance	86%
Income Support	98%
Jobseeker’s Allowance	96%
Universal Credit	98%

Base: All claimants; Overall (15,000); SP (450); PC (1,500); AA (450); CA (450); DLA child (450); PIP (3,000); ESA (3,000); IS (450); JSA (750); UC (4,500)

Around four in ten claimants said they could use the internet for government digital services without help

Among all claimants with internet access, 43 per cent reported that they have used the internet without help for government digital services in the previous three months, with 56 per cent of those who had not used the internet for these services reporting that they could do so if needed. Claimants with internet access also reported doing other activities online, ranging from 54 per cent who used the internet without help to learn something new, to 75 per cent who used the internet without help to online keep in touch with people or organisations with email or social media. The benefit claimants who reported having the lowest digital propensity with regard to these measures were claimants on disability-related benefits, such as ESA and PIP, and pension related benefits SP and PC. See Table 7.6 for more details.

Percentage of claimants using the internet for services without help over the past three months, 2018/19

Internet usage	Percentage
Using a search engine on the internet to search for information without help	69%
Using the internet without help to keep in touch with people or organisations with email or social media	75%
Using the internet to help purchase and sell goods or services, or manage your finances	61%
Using the internet to learn something new online	54%
Using the internet without help to create and share content	55%
Using the internet without help for government digital services	43%

Base: All claimants with internet access (13,239)

Note: Claimants with internet access in the past three months

This chart is not directly comparable with previous years due to changes in question wording.

Report authors and acknowledgements

This report was produced by Nick Coleman, Charlotte Saunders, Alex Thornton, Steven Coutinho, David Xu, Simon Edscer and George Spedding at Kantar. Thanks are extended to Maxine Willitts, Richard Bridge, Joshua Meakings, Katie Pybus and all the other members of the DWP team who provided input into the research and report design.

Where to find out more

This report, along with a summary, data tables and methodological note can be found here: CSES 2018/19 Annual Report

Older research reports can be found here, but please note that some figures may be subject to change as survey definitions are amended over time:

• CSES 2017/18 Annual Report
• CSES 2016/17 Annual Report

Further information on the benefits covered by this report can be found here: Benefits information