New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics

Iain Duncan Smith and Chris Grayling’s Department for Work and Pensions are at it again. Fresh from their erroneous private briefings on worklessness and a spate of “dubious or selective use of statistics concerning welfare and benefits“, the department has been telling porkies on the number of households affected by the new benefits cap.

Although overshadowed at the time by the means-testing of child benefits, George Osborne announced at Tory party conference:

“These days we’ve really got to focus the resources where they are most needed. We’ve got to be tough but fair…

“So, for the first time a cap on benefits. No family on out of work benefits will get more than the average family gets by going out to work.”

The softening up had taken place over the summer with one story in the Daily Mail on August 7th particularly striking:

“Britain’s benefits bonanza has been laid bare as it emerged 100,000 households rake in more than the average wage in welfare every year. They collect £30,899 before tax, while many workers can only aspire to an average wage of £23,422. Meanwhile 50,000 of those households are entitled to more than £500 a week - which adds up to more than £26,000 a year.

“Officials at the Department for Work and Pensions highlighted the figures after the coalition pledged an overhaul of the welfare system to make work pay.”

Employment Minister, Chris Grayling, no stranger to misuing statistics, told the paper, “When thousands of people are earning more on benefits than hard working families struggling to get by there must be something wrong and I’m shocked that this was allowed to happen.” The Express and Telegraph dutifully ran the story but no press release carrying the figures or quote appeared on DWP’s website.

A Parliamentary Answer last week to Labour MP for Stirling, Anne McGuire, from Mr Grayling gave lie to the DWP’s summer briefing:

“£26,000 a year is equivalent to £500 a week. Latest estimates show that in 2010-11 there are fewer than 25,000 working age households in receipt of more than £500 a week in all benefits and tax credits, excluding disability living allowance and child benefit.”

Pressure has been mounting on DWP’s press office to improve the transparency of their briefings. This latest development will only turn up the heat.

http://twitter.com/paulseery/status/28870393012 Paul Seery

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/misscampbell/status/28870434155 Jane Phillips

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/oneoflokis/status/28870503961 Liz K

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/matthewsdent/status/28870540410 Matthew S. Dent

Looks like Grayling's at it again, misusing and misleading with statistics. http://bit.ly/cggM71 (via @leftfootfwd)
http://twitter.com/yorkierosie/status/28870616072 yorkierosie

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/28870672921 Max

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/shamikdas/status/28870674585 Shamik Das

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71 by @wdjstraw http://myloc.me/dwfUM
http://twitter.com/hali__/status/28870771260 Hali Santamas

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/lisajames/status/28871620785 Lisa James

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/reeceemmitt/status/28872193886 Reece Emmitt

RT @leftfootfwd: Revealed: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/carerwatch/status/28874317466 Rosemary

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://twitter.com/wdjstraw/status/28874943755 Will Straw

Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/brianfmoylan/status/28875002241 Brian Moylan

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again.This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71 #csr
http://twitter.com/chazelgrove/status/28875063155 Claire Hazelgrove

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/sdc1964/status/28875094410 Steve Collinson

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/iandunt/status/28875100799 Ian Dunt

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/sinnaluvva/status/28875216434 Malcolm Evison

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://twitter.com/mr_pukeko/status/28875650154 Matt Jeffs

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/leaveitmark/status/28875944893 emma dow

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/maczar12/status/28876958128 Maureen Czarnecki

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
John Lees

I don’t understand – in the Question where did £26,000 come from and why does teh question ask for child benefit to be excluded from the calculation. Grayling uses £23,422 as the average and includes Child benefit – surly you need to compare aples with aples etc.
John Lees

It is quite clear in his answer:

“The cap will apply to the combined income from the main income replacement benefits, other means tested benefits, child benefit and child tax credit and other benefits such as carer’s allowance and industrial injury disablement benefit.”

The figure of 25 thousand families excludes child benefit as a part of their income and so will be lower? Personally I think £23,422 is still far to high – I would limit benefits to c.10k and time limit it. Also why should people get tens of thousands in subsidies to live in Kensington? We should support teh working poor not the workless rich.
http://twitter.com/bookworm1979/status/28879931544 Rebecca

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/notnowlulu/status/28881076086 Pam Cook

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/andy_s_64/status/28884463910 Andy Sutherland

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
http://twitter.com/soapboxlabouruk/status/28884654207 SoapboxLabourUK

RT @wdjstraw: Grayling is at it again. This time his department gets caught out with dodgy stats on the benefit cap http://bit.ly/cggM71
treeman

the amounts being talked about in benefits are what many working class people can only dream of as incomes!

26k in benefits would need about 35k in income! that’s a middle class wage!

god knows what the poor hard working sod on minimum wage thinks of this.

can we have the benefit system supporting the poor rather than making workless poor people rich please?
http://twitter.com/jackstone36/status/28897705215 Jack Stone

New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics | Left Foot Forward http://t.co/HWz8fj4
http://twitter.com/pmmrav/status/28901492608 Pat Raven

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://twitter.com/tenpercent/status/28904474504 TenPercent

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://twitter.com/mswigsy/status/28915378873 Wendy Maddox

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://politicalreboot.blogspot.com Eddy Anderson

Seriously, where does Left Foot Forward get these photos from? Brilliant! The one of Willetts yesterday was also excellent. More please.
Mr. Sensible

Surprise…
http://twitter.com/cityplymunison/status/28930982453 Plymouth City UNISON

CUTS NEWS: BENEFIT Stats: GOV lies uncovered: http://bit.ly/bEnOM9 #csr #cuts #swcuts
http://twitter.com/nickbloke/status/28932328709 Nick H.

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://twitter.com/ladyroisin/status/28977955506 LadyRoisin

ConDem Govt MORE LIES:RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu
http://www.bobchewter.freeuk.com bob chewter

it occurred to me ages ago that there was something wrong with the whole thing..prior to the election donors to the tories were lining up to hand over enormous sums..why? even a channel 4 reportet who crashed the junket was sussed out and made to leave , with cries of outrage..again why? what had they to hide..then during the election, anomalies happened, electors were being turned away in some districts..and since elected all we see is ‘we must cut this and that and its not our fault anyway..its labour pissing the money away on workshy..also before election cameron was meeting up with adam smith NHS privatisation group, why? asmost people accept it was the deregulated banks wwho got us into this mess, so why on earth are we compensatung them if we are paying off debts then who are we paying debts to? the banks ie the lot who got us into this mess..why didnt we just take them over and kick out the villains and keeo them in public hands..look what happened with the trains , connex south screwed up so it got nationalised, uts a fact that private companies are clueless at trying to ‘run’ public service ruin yes but not run.to me what is going on is just plain GRAND THEFT..period,..we are being robbed. they should be in jail, not in govt.
http://twitter.com/drzogilvie/status/9700851903893504 David Ogilvie

RT @leftfootfwd: New Grayling porkie on welfare reform statistics http://bit.ly/be3Esu