Benefits claims in Moray fall by more than a third, new figures reveal
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THE number of people in Moray claiming benefits has fallen by more than a third compared to last year.
The latest figures show that in September this year there were 1375 people in the region in receipt of benefits, down by 705 on the same period as last year. It represents a fall of 34 per cent.
There was a similar percentage fall in those aged 18-24 claiming benefits over the same time period, going from 375 down to 255, a decrease of 32 per cent.
These latest statistics mark a change in the way the figures are compiled, moving from the alternative claimant count method to using those correlated by the Office of National Statistics.
The DWP said that the alternative claimant count was originally introduced to account for different rules between Jobseeker's Allowance and Universal Credit, while the latter benefit was still being rolled out to give a consistent number. Now that nearly all unemployed claimants are on Universal Credit, the DWP say that the alternative claimant count and the regular claimant count shows largely the same data.
The claimant count is also set to be updated more regularly than the alternative claimant count.
Jackie Cooke from Elgin Jobcentre said that with Christmas and new year approaching a lot of vacancies were becoming available in Moray.
She continued: “With the festive season fast approaching Jobcentre Plus is working with many industries to fill hundreds of jobs.
"Jobcentre work coaches are focussed on helping employers get the people they and the economy needs. To help with this we are hosting recruitment events Moray-wide and held a successful large scale jobs fair in Elgin in September, a Marketplace/jobs fair in Forres on October 7 and will be hosting a similar event in Buckie on November 2.
"We continue to host businesses to hold interviews.
“Our ‘Find a Job’ website, a DWP portal, signposts claimants to jobs in all industries.
"From job opportunities in Jobcentres to skills academies for people considering a new career, there’s a huge amount of help available, and our work coaches are working tirelessly to get people at any age, or career stage, into rewarding and stable employment.”
DWP Minister of State Victoria Prentis MP commented: “[These] figures show the strength of our labour market; our unemployment rate remains at a near record low and there are a high number of people on payrolls.
"To support economic growth it is vital we encourage workers into the labour market, making the most of the skills and experience this country holds whilst tackling the barriers jobseekers face.
“We recently made changes to Universal Credit and our older workers’ offer so even more claimants receive intensive support from a dedicated work coach, to help them not only get into work, but also to seize opportunities and increase their job prospects and pay.
“We are committed to looking after the most vulnerable which is why we are delivering at least £1200 of support to families this winter while also saving households an average of £1000 a year through our Energy Price Guarantee.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack MP added: “With the unemployment rate at a historic low, and many more people on the payroll than this time last year, [these] figures show that Scotland’s labour market remains strong.
“The UK government’s overarching priority is economic growth, for the benefit of people in Scotland and across the whole of the UK. One of the best ways to achieve this is getting even more people into highly skilled, well paid jobs, to help them and their families thrive.
“We’ve also put an extensive support package in place to help those worried about the cost of living in the short term. This includes protecting millions of the most vulnerable families with at least £1200 of direct payments and saving households an average of £1,000 a year through our new Energy Price Guarantee.”
