Number of universal credit claims remains lower than in period before Covid-19 pandemic

New DWP statistics show that average of 42,000 claims per week received in four weeks to 8 July 2021 compared to pre-pandemic average of 54,000

The number of universal credit claims remains lower than in the period before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to new DWP statistics.

In Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 8 July 2021, published today, the DWP advises that in the four weeks leading up to 8 July 2021 there were an average of 42,000 claims made for universal credit, up by 8 per cent on the average of 39,000 claims in the previous four weeks but still less than the average of 54,000 claims per week in the 52 weeks before the first national Covid-19 lockdown.

Elsewhere, the statistics show that -

• there were 5.9 million people on universal credit on 8 July 2021, down from a peak of 6.0 million on 11 March 2021;
• there were 130,000 starts to universal credit (where the identity of the claimant has been verified and they have agreed their claimant commitment) in the four weeks to 8 July 2021, a 7 per cent increase on the 120,000 starts in the 4 weeks to 10 June 2021;
• 5.3 million universal claims were started between 13 March 2020 and 8 July 2021, with 2.4 million of those in the period from 13 March 2020 to 14 May 2020; and
• the average amount of universal credit paid to households was £790 per month in May 2021, an increase of £10 from £780 in May 2020.

The DWP's Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 8 July 2021 are available from gov.uk

Update (25 August 2021) - the Department for Communities has today published Universal Credit Statistics - May 2021 which show that 4,710 new claims were made to universal credit in Northern Ireland during May 2021 - comparable to pre-Covid levels - while the total number of households on universal credit at May 2021 stood at 116,810, an increase of 8 per cent compared to May 2020.