A new briefing analysing the latest Welfare Benefits data from the DWP is now available.
You can access the briefing here: Welfare benefits briefing – September 2026
Some key points from the briefing
- Universal Credit (UC) continues to rise – but much of the increase is down to claimants of older (“legacy”) benefits being moved onto UC through a process known as migration.
- Overall working age claimants also growing but much more slowly – one in four (24%) working age people now on at least one benefit.
- Nearly 50,000 working age people are on at least one out-of-work benefit (unemployment, sickness or carers)
- Almost 23,000 households with children are claiming UC, but slightly down over the year (May 26). At least 43,100 children live in these families.
- Over 30,000 working age people claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).