WORCESTER has seen the number of people claiming benefits almost double since March, as coronavirus caused job losses.
The Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) says the number of people claiming Universal Credit rose from 4,011 to 8,145 between March and June.
There was a rise of 325 between May and June, meaning there were 8,145 Universal Credit claimants in Worcester in total.
People claiming Universal Credit is a combination of those who are unemployed and those working and claiming some form of benefits, such as the self-employed.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) latest figures reveal the number of unemployed people in Worcester in June was at 3,765, which is down on May’s total of 3,840 but still around 2,000 more than those out of work in March.
In a further comparison, it is more than double what the figure was a year ago when, in June 2019, there were 1,635 unemployed city people.
The ONS revealed on Thursday that nationally the number of workers on company payrolls fell by 649,000 between March and June.
The predicted national surge in unemployment had not materialised, but experts warn this is likely because large numbers of firms have put employees on the government-backed furlough scheme that ends in October.
Worcester MP Robin Walker said: “Whilst I welcome the fact that there has been a small decline in the number of (jobseekers allowance) claimants between May and June, it still reflects a very difficult situation and I would like to see the figures come down much further.
“I am hopeful that the package of measures that the Chancellor has announced in his Plan for Jobs will help and that we will see further falls in the claimant count and the beginning of a reduction in the overall Universal Credit numbers from next month.”
On whether unemployment could rise once the furlough scheme ends, the MP added: “I visited Worcester Bosch recently, people there were mostly ones brought back from furlough. They were saying that they had brought back half, and would bring back the other half next month.
“I think for a lot of businesses, as business returns, they will bring people back off furlough.
“The key thing is to provide an incentive to do that, so the extra funding and schemes (announced by the Chancellor) are very important.”
Lynn Denham, who stood as Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Worcester at the last general election, said: “The doubling in the number of people claiming universal credit since March is an awful lot of people, thousands more who are encountering the difficulty of the Universal Credit system.
“This is a huge economic hit for the city. It is really sad and difficult for families who are going to have a tough time.
“Where people are struggling, there is help and advice available not to make decisions in haste. If your home is at risk, it is really important to speak to mortgage lenders or landlords and housing officers at the city council. We absolutely don’t want more people to end up homeless.”
Elsewhere in the county, Wychavon saw the number claiming benefits rise to 8,031 in June, up from 7,751 in May, and Malvern saw a small rise to 4,343, up from 4,221 in May.
READ MORE: One year on from bones discovery, Brenda Venables mystery still remains unsolved
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here