The DWP are at it again, refusing to respond to a Freedom of Information request, on the grounds that, “On this occasion, the balance of the public interest test falls in favour of withholding this information. statistics on this issue will be published in due course”.
They tried that one before when Samuel Miller requested ESA mortality statistics;
http://mikesivier.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/gotcha-bureaucrats-bid-to-stifle-freedom-of-information-is-uncovered/ possible broken link, more information here:-
DWP refuses to disclose universal credit alternative payment figures
The Department for Work and Pensions has refused to disclose figures relating to the number of alternative payment arrangements made under universal credit.
Responding to a freedom of information request, which also wanted to know how many people were receiving UC payments more frequently than once a month and the number who were having their rent paid direct to their landlord, the DWP said official statistics would be published “in due course” and wanted to ensure that it was a “properly planned and managed process”.
The DWP said: “There are public interest arguments against disclosure of this information at the present time. These arguments include that it is in the public interest to adhere to the existing publication process for official statistics, which includes time for the data to be collated and properly verified.
“It is also in the public interest to ensure that the publication of official information is a properly planned and managed process, to ensure that the data is accurate once placed into the public domain.
“It is also in the public interest to ensure that the information is available to all members of the public at the same time, and premature publication could undermine the principle of making the information available to all at the same time through the official publication process.
“On this occasion, the balance of the public interest test falls in favour of withholding this information. As explained above, statistics on this issue will be published in due course.
“The department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.”
The most recent DWP figures for universal credit show that:
- Between April 2013 and 28th February 2014, a total of 5,910 people have started on universal credit
- Gender breakdowns of starters to universal credit show that the majority are males, with a male to female ratio around 7:3
- The majority of new claims are for unemployed people aged under 25.
The lovely wibbly wobbly old lady 
Reblogged this on Vox Political and commented:
As one of my articles is mentioned here, need I make any further comment?
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I think that link to your article is broken Mike, I’ll try and fix it!
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Reblogged this on sdbast.
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Reblogged this on Beastrabban’s Weblog and commented:
More smooth lies and excuses to excuse the denial of yet another Freedom of Information request. When I was at school, back in the 1980s, the BBC ran a series on the way civil servants were blocking action by government ministers. In a nod to the BBC’s long running political comedy, ‘Yes, Minister’, the series was entitled, ‘No, Minister’. They also ran another documentary on the way the Official Secrets Act was used to prevent information reaching the public. If the BBC still had any guts, they’d commission a similar series looking at the way FOIA requests are routinely being denied in order to save the government’s policies and the careers of its most vicious and incompetent ministers.
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What a damn good idea Beast, mind you as the corporation seem to be the tories mouthpeice, I wonder if they’d ever get it off the drawing board.
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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They know that by releasing these figures that all hell would break loose – they will take no notice even if a court told them to release them – either that or fudge said figures so that it makes them look as though they are getting things right!
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Reblogged this on Jay's Journal and commented:
If only there where ways to make them give out the true figures…
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Every time anyone requests concrete stats from DWP, they obfuscate, delay and deny or come up with some (flimsy) excuse as to why they can’t release them (not in the public interest, commercially sensitive, vexatious and so on and so forth)
What we could do with is a high level DWP employee prepared to make the figures public…
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