Benefit claims up 60 per cent as Covid impact hits Moorlands

840 more people seek JSA and UC compared to 2019

THE number of people in the Staffordshire Moorlands claiming benefits has increased by 60 per cent from this time last year – as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to hit the economy.

The figures, released yesterday by the Office for National Statistics, include claimants of Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and people claiming Universal Credit who are required to seek work.

A total of 2,235 people in the district

(3.9 per cent of the population aged 16 to 64) were claiming the benefits on September 1 this year – an increase of 840 on the 1,395 (2.4 per cent) who were making claims on the same date in 2019.

There were 1,325 men making the claims in September 2020 - 4.6 per cent of the male population aged between 16 and 64. This is up from 855 (three per cent) at the same time last year.

The number of women in the Moorlands claiming benefits was up from 540 (1.9 per cent of eligible women) to 910 (3.1 per cent).

Across Staffordshire, not including Stoke-on-trent, the number of people claiming the benefits has risen by more than 10,000 compared to this time last year – from 16,245 to 26,595.

Across the country, the number of benefit claimants rose more than 75 per cent, from just over 1.5million in 2019 to 2.7million in 2020.

The number of UK workers on payrolls increased by 20,000 last month, but has fallen by 673,000 between March and September due to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

County councillor and deputy leader of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Councillor Mark Deaville, said: “This was expected, but it is concerning.

“One of our main issues is to make sure that people are in work, which supports their mental health.

“Both the county and district councils are working with businesses to improve the situation. People need unthreatened jobs.

“We have all got to work and support each other through these times to look after people’s health.”

Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, said:

“Since the pandemic there has been a sharp increase in those out of work and job hunting – but more people telling us they are not actively looking for work.

“There has also been a stark rise in people who have been made redundant.”