Nearly 5,000 people claiming Universal Credit in Chesterfield

Nearly 5,000 people are claiming Universal Credit in Chesterfield, according to new figures.
Picture for illustrative purposes from Pixabay.Picture for illustrative purposes from Pixabay.
Picture for illustrative purposes from Pixabay.

A total of 4,787 are claiming the benefit, which replaces six previous benefits with a single monthly payment, in the town- say the Department for Work and Pensions.

Across the East Midlands, more than 160,000 people are in receipt of Universal Credit.

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Nationally, 2.5 million people rely on the benefit- an increase of five per cent over the month.

But employment rate across the UK is also at a 'record high' of 75.9 per cent, added the DWP.

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“Universal Credit provides a vital safety net to millions, preventing families from falling through the cracks," he added.

"We continue to make improvements – in the last month alone we have increased childcare support, announced new funding to help veterans and their families, and brought in new measures to crack down on fraudsters.”

To learn more about Universal Credit, people should visit www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk to find out if they are eligible and what support is available.