Establishing the potential for using routine data on Incapacity Benefit to assess the local impact of policy initiatives

Brown, J. , Hanlon, P., Turok, I., Webster, D. , Arnott, J. and Macdonald, E. (2008) Establishing the potential for using routine data on Incapacity Benefit to assess the local impact of policy initiatives. Journal of Public Health, 30(1), pp. 54-59. (doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdm074)

Abstract

<i>Background</i>: Incapacity Benefit (IB) is the key contributory benefit for people who are incapable of work because of illness or disability. <i>Methods</i>: The aims were to establish the utility of routinely collected data for local evaluation and to provide a descriptive epidemiology of the IB population in Glasgow and Scotland for the period 2000–05 using data supplied by the Department for Work and Pensions. <i>Results</i>: Glasgow's IB population is large in absolute and relative terms but is now falling, mainly due to a decrease in on flow. Claimants, tend to be older, have a poor work history and suffer from mental health problems. The rate of decline has been greater in Glasgow than Scotland, although the rate of on flow is still higher. <i>Conclusions</i>: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data can be used locally to provide important insights into the dynamics of the IB population. However, to be truly useful, more work needs to be undertaken to combine the DWP data with other information.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Chronic ill health and deprivation, incapacity benefit
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Turok, Professor Ivan and MacDonald, Professor Ewan and Hanlon, Professor Phil and Webster, Dr David and Brown, Dr Judith
• Authors: Brown, J., Hanlon, P., Turok, I., Webster, D., Arnott, J., and Macdonald, E.
• Subjects: R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine; H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Centre for Population and Health Sciences
• Journal Name: Journal of Public Health
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• ISSN: 1741-3842
• ISSN (Online): 1741-3850
• Published Online: 07 November 2007
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2007 Oxford University Press
• First Published: First published in Journal of Public Health 30(1):54-59
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.