The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance went down by 1, 100 from October to 139, 500 in November - 3, 100 fewer than the same period last year.

BBC: Unemployment in Scotland falls by 19,000

Over the same period, over-payment due to fraud and error in the two best-measured benefits, Income Support and Jobseekers Allowance, went down by 18% though much of that came from stricter front-line procedures, and Income Support over-payments rose slightly last year.

ECONOMIST: Benefits fraud

It was the 10th consecutive fall and was coupled with another cut in the number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance, which was down by 12, 100 last month to 1.56 million, the lowest since June 2011.

BBC: job centre sign

Monday's vote was the latest in a series of defeats for the government's flagship Welfare Reform Bill - peers also voted down changes to ESA and Disability Living Allowance.

BBC: Benefit cap defeat will be reversed, says Clegg

MPs have voted down Lords changes to reduce entitlements to employment and support allowance.

BBC: Northern Ireland MPs express benefits concern

MPs voted down Lords changes to entitlements to the employment and support allowance (ESA), during a debate on 1 February 2012.

BBC: Welfare Reform Bill - part one

The suggestion that they fund a replacement for the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA), a grant for teenagers scrapped by the government in England, has gone down badly.

BBC: Education & Family