Universal Credit claims in Eastbourne almost double during pandemic

Eastbourne Universal Credit figures have almost doubled since the coronavirus lockdown began, new statistics reveal.
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More than 11,000 people were claiming the benefits in the town in July, according to The Jobcentre.

It is a 75 per cent increase since March, when there were 6,286 claims.

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The figures represent the total number of claims for Universal Credit across all groups – including those looking for work and the unemployed.

MP Mims Davies says the figures show the impact the virus is having (photo by Steve Robards)MP Mims Davies says the figures show the impact the virus is having (photo by Steve Robards)
MP Mims Davies says the figures show the impact the virus is having (photo by Steve Robards)

It is a stark reflection of the pressures people have been facing with the covid-19 pandemic, and there is a similar pattern in nearby areas.

In the Wealden area, Universal Credit claims have more than doubled from 4,060 in March to 9,164 in July.

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And in Lewes, those claiming have jumped from 3,493 to 7,276.

The latest figures have been released by Eastbourne Job CentreThe latest figures have been released by Eastbourne Job Centre
The latest figures have been released by Eastbourne Job Centre

Hastings has the largest number of Universal Credit claimants in East Sussex, with 12,448 in July, compared with 8,147 in March.

For East Sussex as a whole, The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has collected data purely from those claiming unemployment benefits.

The latest figures show 20,000 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of July 9, compared with 9,180 in March.

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It represents 6.3 per cent of the working-age population, up from around 2.9 per cent.

Minister for Employment and Mid Sussex MP Mims Davies said in a statement, “These figures show more of the impact the virus is having on our labour market and many people will be understandably concerned about the future – which is why we’ve set out our Plan for Jobs, to protect, create and support jobs as we build back our economy.

“We’ve already protected more than 9.5 million jobs throughout this period with the furlough scheme, supported more than two million self-employed people and paid out billions in loans and grants to thousands of businesses.

Ms Davies said the Eat Out to Help Out scheme is supporting thousands of jobs in the hospitality sector, and the cut to stamp duty has led to a ‘surge’’ in house sales.

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Next month, the Minister said, the government is launching a £2 billion Kickstart scheme, which it says will create thousands of ‘high quality jobs for young people’.

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