More than 10,000 people in Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex now on Universal Credit

More than 10,000 people across Crawley, Horsham and Mid Sussex are now on universal credit, according to the Department for Work and Pensions
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There are 4,514 people in Crawley, 2,869 in Horsham and 2,737 in Mid Sussex.

Almost 276,000 people in the South East overall are now supported by bespoke Universal Credit, according to the latest official figures.

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New data, released this week, shows 2.7 million people across Britain are receiving Universal Credit support – an increase of 5 per cent from the previous month.

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The publication of the latest figures comes just days after the UK employment rate rose to a new record high of 76.2 per cent, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.

Unemployment levels remain at a low rate of 3.8 per cent, according to the data.

Universal Credit, which is available in every jobcentre across the UK, simplifies the benefit system and replaces six previous benefits with a single monthly payment.

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With the new system people are moving into work faster and staying in work for longer than they were before, the DWP said.

A spokesman added: “Significant improvements have been made over the past year including increasing the amount available to claimants as an advance to tide them over until they receive their first payment and increasing the time parents and guardians have to claim back childcare costs.”