Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Scotland are not claiming what value of each benefit and pension entitlement; what proportion of each benefit and pension entitlement is unclaimed by claimants in Scotland; and if he will take steps to transfer the value of unclaimed benefits and pension entitlements to the Scottish Government.

Estimates of benefit take-up are not available at geographies below Great Britain. This is due to the size of the survey sample they are based on and methods used to generate robust national figures.

Following a consultation at July 2012 on the future on the “Income Related Benefits: Estimates for Take-Up” National Statistics series, DWP are planning to publish Experimental Statistics on benefit take-up rates. Further details are available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-201213-experimental

In February 2012 the Department for Work and Pensions published the report “Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take-up in 2009-10”. The full report can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up