The number of people claiming universal credit (UC) has hit a record high of eight million. Claimants jumped by more than a million in a year – from 6.9 million people in July last year.

The latest figure of 8.0 million for July 2025 is the highest level it has been since UC was introduced in 2013, according to official figures published on Tuesday. UC is a payment to help with living costs and is available for people in work who are on low incomes, as well as those who are out of work or cannot work.

The steep rise in the past year has been driven almost entirely by people who are not required to work, with 3.7 million in this category in July – a rise of 39% or 1 million since the same time in 2024. People in this bracket can include those in full-time education, over the state pension

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