The number of universal credit (UC) claimants has soared to 8.3 million people - up from 7.2 million at the same time last year, new government figures show.

That is a 1.1 million increase in the space of a year, and is the largest annual rise in total claimants since early in the COVID pandemic - the 12 months to April 2021.

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.

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There has also been a sharp rise in the number of people claiming UC who have "no work requirements".

Four million people were in this category in October, up from 2.9 million people a year ago, statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show.

Claimants i

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