Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Crisis sparks surge in benefits claims
25,000 more access unemployment support
Almost 25,000 extra people in Kent claimed unemployment benefits last month as the county’s economy suffered at the hands of the Covid-19 lockdown. New figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal a staggering 75% rise in the number of people either claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, or out-of-work and claiming Universal Credit. Unemployment had already been rising slowly but steadily in Kent in the year-and-a-half before the coronavirus crisis. Back in February, about 32,500 people in the county were receiving unemployment benefits, while the following month the number jumped by little more than 300.
But in April, as the nation ground to a standstill following the lockdown’s implementation in late-march, the figure soared. Just over 57,400 people applied for employment-related benefits - marking an unprecedented monthly rise of 24,495. Medway saw the largest increase in the number of claimants between March and April, and Thanet second. In Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks meanwhile, figures more than doubled.
Most of those claiming were aged between 25 and 49 accounting for 56% of requests across the county.
It is likely the numbers would have been far higher, had it not been for the government’s furlough scheme, which is currently supporting 7.5 million jobs across the UK.
Jo James, chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, says a host of factors is likely to be behind the dramatic rise in claimants. She said many people working in retail and manufacturing would not have been placed on the government’s furlough scheme by April, and may have been applying for unemployment benefits in the interim. She added that self-employed business owners are also likely to have claimed unemployment benefits while they waited to receive money through the government’s income support scheme.
“We have a high percentage across Kent of self-employed people who are now applying for Universal Credit,” she said. But she expects this may change soon, adding: “As businesses start to go back we will see claims go down”. Meanwhile, MP for Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch says she is unsure how the figures will look in the longterm.
She tweeted: “It’s hard to tell if this is a permanent or temp figure given Gov has encouraged people to claim UC during this crisis but claimant count in [Chatham and Aylesford] has sadly shot through the roof - 1,305 higher than March 2020.”