personal finance

Universal Credit claims soar 'five times' normal rate as Government offers cash advances


Universal Credit applications have skyrocketed during the coronavirus pandemic to as much as “five times” the usual number, according to Rishi Sunak. The Chancellor revealed at today’s briefing that although the number of claims had reduced in the last 10 days, they were still well above the “normal levels”. According to the Department of Work and Pensions, nearly a million Britons have submitted applications to access the benefit since the lockdown was implemented.

Mr Sunak said: “Others and myself have talked about Universal Credit claims, which have come down from where they were 10 days ago, which is comforting.

“But they’re still very elevated, relative to what normal levels might be, sometimes four or five times higher.

“That is obviously something we look at, and which we’ve strengthened the safety net.

“We’ve also put extra money to the tune of billions plus into the welfare system for those accessing the credit.”

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He added: “We’ve also provided more funding to the Department for Work and Pensions, for example, to help them process those claims and make sure people get the support as quickly as they need.”

The Department have been working to provide advances, which will enable people to access money soon.

The Chancellor continued: “When it comes to the job retention scheme, people who are put on that scheme at whatever scale, is, to me, the scheme working.

“The idea is that we did that so people were not laid off and were not unemployed.”

Shadow Attorney-General Shami Chakrabarti warned that the Government had to provide Britons the money they needed with “no alternative” as the coronavirus lockdown continues to impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.

She told the BBC: “What we don’t want is just advances on Universal Credit, we want people to just be given the money that they need to survive.

“Enough to feed yourself and to look after yourself and your family through this crisis.

“There is no alternative. By whatever mechanism, every single human being in the population has to have the means of existence through this crisis.

“It has demonstrated that we are only as healthy as our neighbours.”



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