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Universal Credit (April 2021)

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Universal Credit brings together out-of-work benefits and tax credits and will eventually replace Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.

As a dataset, Universal Credit allows for assessments to be made of unemployment and, because eligibility is extended to those in work, levels of in-work poverty.

Claims for Glasgow (2020)

Recent data shows the impact of COVID-19 and the associated lockdown in Glasgow.

Table 1 Universal Credit Claims for Glasgow 2020

 

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

In-work

10,024 

10,370 

16,598 

19,351

20,510 

21,775 

22,494 

23,613 

23,709 

24,215 

24,792 

Unemployed   

25,917

26,986

36,451

44,018 

45,565

46,313

46,578

46,256

45,894

46,475

46,765

Total

35,941

37,356

53,049

63,369

66,075

68,088

69,072

69,869

69,603

70,690

71,555

Source: DWP

With an estimated working age population of 447,300 (NOMIS, aged 16 to 64, 2019) the percentage of the working age population on Universal Credit change has increased between February and December as follows

  • In-work claimants: from 2.2% to 5.5%
  • Unemployed claimants: from 5.8% to 10.5%
  • All claimants: from 8.0% to 16.0%

It should be noted that these figures exclude people that have been furloughed.

Claims in Context

Using the estimates of the working age population in the NGC (763,400) and Scotland (3,497,800), Glasgow's December uptake rates compares as follows:

  • In-Work: Glasgow 5.5%, NGC 5.1%, Scotland 5.1%
  • Unemployed: Glasgow 10.5%, NGC 8.9%, Scotland 8.5%
  • All claimants: Glasgow 16.0%, NGC 14.0%, Scotland 13.6%
Table 2: Universal Credit Claims in Context (for comparison)

 

                 Glasgow

      Non-Glasgow Conurbation

                  Scotland

 

In-Work

Unemploy 

Total   

In-Work

Unemploy 

Total

In-Work

Unemploy 

Total

Feb 2020

10,024      

25,917

35,941

17,801        

42,279

60,080

79,400

176,685

256,085  

Dec 2020 

24,792

46,765

71,555 

39,312   

68,276

107,588 

178,156    

297,387

475,553

Change
No 

14,768    

20,848

35,614

21,511

25,997

47,508

98,756

120,702

219,468

Change
%

147.3

80.4

99.1

120.8

61.5

79.1

124.4

68.3

85.7

Source: DWP

Geographical Variation in Claimant Rates

As expected, there is considerable geographical variation in these claimant rates. Using data for Intermediate Datazones some areas have been identified that have over one in four of eligible adults claiming Universal Credit, these are:

  • Castlemilk: Glenwood North
  • Drumchapel: Drumchapel North, Drumchapel South, Drumry East
  • East End: Dalmarnock
  • Govanhill: Govanhill East & Aikenhead, Govanhill West
  • Greater Govan: Govan & Linthouse, Ibrox East & Cessnock
  • Greater Pollok: Carnwadric West, Crookston South
  • North Glasgow: Maryhill East, Milton East and Wyndford

Further details on the increase in Universal Credit claims for areas in Glasgow are available here.

Claimant Rates (Surrounding Local Authorities)

Although Glasgow has been most affected, there are other areas in surrounding local authorities that have claimant rates in excess of 25%, these are:

  • East Dunbartonshire: Hillhead (Kirkintilloch)
  • Inverclyde: Greenock Town Centre & East Central, Greenock Upper Central
  • North Lanarkshire: Cumbernauld Central, Craigneuk Wishaw
  • Renfrewshire: Paisley North West
  • South Lanarkshire: Fairhill, Hillhouse, Burnbank Central & Udston (all in/near Hamilton)

 

Data by Age of Claimant

As the data is available by age of claimant, a later briefing will estimate levels and concentrations of young people receiving a form of Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is preferable to other measures; the ONS advice as set out in the Office for National Statistics is "to interpret monthly movements in the Claimant Count with caution".

How to Contact Us

If you would like further information or advice please contact us by Email.

Last modified on 10 April 2024

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