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Small rise in Moray Universal Credit claims in August


By Alan Beresford

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THERE was a slight rise in the number of people claiming Universal Credit (UC) in Moray, newly released figures have revealed.

The number of Universal Credit claimants in Moray has risen slightly.
The number of Universal Credit claimants in Moray has risen slightly.

Some 6655 people in the region were claiming UC in August, up 10 from the previous month.

This mirrors the Scotland-wide situation where there has been a small rise from 474,621 to 477,996.

These figures include those claiming UC as an in-work benefit as well as those who are unemployed.

Nationwide, the statistics have shown that new UC claims are returning to pre-Covid levels.

In respect of the UK, the number of UC claimants fell from 5,883,861 to 5,842,568 between July and August.

UC replaces the following benefits: Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Working Tax Credit.

More information on how UC works can be found at www.gov.uk

Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP. Picture: mimsdavies.org.uk
Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP. Picture: mimsdavies.org.uk

Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP said: “As we continue to push ahead with our recovery, it’s great to see another significant fall in unemployment and the number of people on payrolls rising by 241,000 in August – the biggest monthly increase on record – showing our Plan for Jobs is working.

“We’re helping employers recruit for the record number of vacancies out there, particularly in growing sectors, and supporting people of all ages and backgrounds to overcome barriers, land their next role, and progress in work.”

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince
Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince added: “We continue to support millions of people around the country with Universal Credit.

"We know that the best route out of poverty is through work, and with more than 1 million vacancies, our multi-billion pound Plan for Jobs – including 13,500 new work coaches – is ensuring those on Universal Credit who are able to can move into work or increase their hours.”

In Moray, the DWP are running a number of programmes to help people re-enter work or improve their skills

Sector Based Work Programmes (SWAPs) involve working with local employers and partners to to improve the skills and prospects of employment for customers. These programmes allow DWP customers direct insight into what the company does, what working for them can offer, training and work experience.

There are a variety of training courses due to start in the next few months as well as the ongoing Job Entry Targeted Support and Job Finding Support courses to support customers moving closer to the labour market.

Anyone wishing to hear more about how they might participate should speak with their work coach.

The Kickstart initiative for people aged 16 to 24 is proving to be popular with smaller employers, who previously felt they could not afford to support or train placement employees. The funding to the minimum wage threshold as well as £1500 for provision of training now makes this more viable.


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