Universal credit take up is lowest in borough
STOCKPORT has the lowest rate of uptake of universal credit in Greater Manchester – with just one in 93 people on the system.
According to latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 101,984 people in Greater Manchester were claiming the benefit in December.
That’s up from 94,054 people just a month earlier, with a further 7,930 individuals being put on the system the month before.
It means one in 27 people in Greater Manchester is on the scheme – a much higher rate than the national average. Oldham has the highest rate in the area – and among the highest in the UK - with the figure one in 14.
But Stockport, which has seen significant regeneration in recent years, is at the other end of the scale.
The overall increase came just before the government delayed the full roll out of the new single benefit again, following pressure from critics.
Chris Pritchard, an employer adviser manager for the DWP in Greater Manchester, said the increase was partly down to more people now being included in the claimant count for universal credit.
Under universal credit, claimants now include those in receipt of housing benefit or child tax credit as well as those who would have formerly claimed for Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Mr Pritchard added: “I don’t like to see an increase in those figures because we are doing everything we can to get more jobs to our customers.
“We are working with big employers with lots of level entry jobs to help people into employment.”
MPs were due to vote on whether to move three million existing benefit claimants onto universal credit, but this vote has been pushed back.
Instead there will be a trial of just 10,000 people this year.
Yet those making a fresh claim for benefits or people whose circumstances change will still be moved on to the scheme.
The system was first introduced in 2013 and was intended to replace six ‘legacy’ benefits, including unemployment benefit, tax credits and housing benefit.
The plan was to fully roll out the scheme by 2017, but management failures, IT blunders and design faults mean it has already fallen at least six years behind.
The system is not expected to be fully operational until December 2023.