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Almost 500,000 Universal Credit applications processed in nine days
The government has processed nearly half a million Universal Credit applications in the past nine days, as the number of people trying to access the benefit has spiked since the government introduced welfare changes to help workers facing financial hardship as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Work and pensions secretary Thérèse Coffey told MPs on Tuesday that there had been a surge in applications for Universal Credit as the coronavirus crisis has taken its toll on employment and incomes.
Dr Coffey told the Work and Pensions Select Committee on Wednesday: “In the last nine days we have processed nearly half a million claims.
“I want to assure people that help – even if it is not currently the level of help they would like – is there to help them through the safety net of the welfare state.”
Peter Schofield, permanent secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions, said that the outbreak is “an unprecedented moment in terms of our country but also in terms of people contacting us and seeking access to benefits.”
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Mr Schofield said that since last Monday the department has put around 477,000 claims through the system, almost three times the number of applications that process during an average month.
The latest government figures show that between 13 December 2019 and 9 January 2020, just 160,000 claims were made.
Despite increased financial hardship that is expected from the COVID-19 outbreak, Dr Coffey said that the government would not end the five-week wait for Universal Credit, despite pressure from housing figures earlier this week.
The Chartered Institute of Housing, Crisis and London Councils all called for the wait to be scrapped, saying most people would not have the savings to cover that period.
Dr Coffey told MPs: “The underlying principles of Universal Credit have not gone away.
“By that I mean the design is meant to be based on your general income. We need a month to assess what your likely income is going to be.
“But as I keep reiterating, the advances can be made to people pretty quickly… We will still be sticking with that advance.”
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to unveil measures later today to help self-employed workers facing financial difficulties.
Last week the government said it would pay 80% of wages of furloughed workers, but it has since come under pressure to protect self-employed workers, too.
