The number of claims for Universal Credit has climbed 13 per cent in the last three months as the cost of living crisis takes hold. 33,000 new claims for the benefit were made between January and April this year - up from 29,000 for the last quarter of 2021.
By mid-April, 5.6million people across the UK were claiming Universal Credit, an increase of 200,000 since November last year. It comes as inflation is forecast to hit 10 per cent later this year, and as the price of energy bills went up 54% last month.
The rate of unemployment dropped to 3.7% in the three months to March – the lowest since October to December 1974, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
