Statistics showing how many people die while claiming out-of-work disability benefits will be revealed next week, the Government has announced.

Their publication on August 27 comes after the Information Commissioner overruled attempts to withhold the statistics which originally were requested by a campaigner using freedom of information laws.

But the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said it always intended to publish them.

A spokesman said: "The Government has always said it intends to publish the statistics but they need to meet the high standards expected of official statistics."

In April, the commissioner asked the DWP to publish the number of claimants of incapacity benefit and employment and support allowance who have died between November 2011 until May 2014.

It added this should be broken down to several categories, including the number of claimants found fit for work.

The initial freedom of information request was sparked by concerns that disabled people were being declared fit for work, having their benefits stopped, and then dying.

Prime Minister David Cameron pledged in June to publish the figures, saying it was "important we publish data and this Government has published more data about public spending than any previous government."

A petition on the change.org website calling for the statistics to be published has garnered more than 260,000 signatures.