"The number of people now on Universal Credit in Coventry"

[dutchman]

There has been a substantial rise every month since the first lockdown in March



Nearly one in seven people in Coventry are now on Universal Credit, with the number of people resorting to the benefit rising substantially each month since the first national lockdown began in March.

As of October, 34,230 people in the area were claiming benefits through the system, the latest provisional figures from the Department of Work and Pensions have revealed.

That’s up from 33,640 people just the month before in September.

And it is a huge 97% increase on the 17,348 claimants in the month of March when the first national lockdown began.

It means 14% of people aged 16 to 64 in Coventry are now on Universal Credit.

The number of people resorting to Universal Credit benefit to survive in Nuneaton and Bedworth has risen each month since the first national lockdown began in March.

As of October, 12,567 people in the area were claiming benefits through the system, the latest provisional figures from the Department of Work and Pensions have revealed.

That's an increase of 72.5% on the 7,300 claimants in the month of March when the first national coronavirus lockdown began.

It means 16% of people aged 16 to 64 in the borough are now on Universal Credit.

Nationally, there were 5.7 million people across Great Britain claiming Universal Credit as of October.

That was up from 5.6 million in September, and nearly double the 3.0 million claimants in March.

It means 14% of people aged 16 to 64 are now claiming benefits through the system.

[dutchman]

How many of those were totally new claims as opposed to transfers from older benefits which are no longer available?