Coronavirus: Common credit score claims hit month-to-month document

Claims for common credit score – the profit for working-age folks within the UK – hit a document month-to-month stage within the early weeks of lockdown.

There have been 1.5 million claims made between 13 March and 9 April, official figures from the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) have confirmed.

That is six occasions greater than in the identical interval final 12 months.

The info comes as separate figures confirmed the variety of folks claiming unemployment profit soared in April.

What’s common credit score?

Common credit score changed six different advantages, comparable to jobseeker’s allowance, revenue help, housing profit, and tax credit. This unites all these advantages right into a single cost.

The newest figures present that, as of 9 April, a complete of 4.2 million folks have been in receipt of common credit score.

This was an increase of 1.2 million folks in a single month. Additional claims from others searching for common credit score could have been unsuccessful or stay unfinished.

Many individuals claiming will probably be in work however on low incomes, however others can have misplaced their jobs.

The DWP mentioned that the variety of folks on common credit score had elevated by 40% on account of the coronavirus pandemic.

All areas had seen a rise within the whole variety of claims within the early phases of the pandemic, the division mentioned.

Nonetheless, the north west of England had seen the largest month-on-month improve, and was the area with the most individuals on common credit score.

Polly Neate, chief government of housing charity Shelter, mentioned: “With an enormous surge in folks making use of for advantages and early warning indicators of main job losses to come back, it is clear that Covid-19 goes to ship shockwaves via our economic system like by no means earlier than.

“Folks paying common rents face big shortfalls and lots of are racking up critical money owed that put their properties in danger. With out extra help, they are going to be swept up in a tidal wave of evictions when the federal government ban lifts.”

The present advantages lure

Copywriter Jon Fitzgerald was receiving tax credit, however they have been stopped when he utilized for common credit score when work dried up amid the coronavirus pandemic.

His common credit score declare was unsuccessful due to his financial savings, however the guidelines of the system imply his tax credit weren’t reinstated.

“We have now now misplaced nicely over half our present month-to-month revenue on the press of a button,” Mr Fitzgerald mentioned.

“We took the federal government recommendation in late March to use for common credit score to assist us via [but] now we have been left with out monetary help at a time after we most want it.”

Anybody contemplating making use of for common credit score is being urged to test their eligibility first, and guarantee they won’t find yourself worse off.

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