Claims Made to Universal Credit Related This Bulletin Looks at the Number of Claims Documents for Universal Credit in Kent and Medway

Statistical Bulletin September 2021

Claims made to Universal Credit Related This bulletin looks at the number of claims Documents for Universal Credit in Kent and Medway. For more information on This includes the number of new claims unemployment and DWP made, the number of new starts to the benefits claimants please benefit and the total number of people who see our Unemployment and Benefits page are now claiming Universal Credit.

• The number of new claims to Universal Credit in the four weeks to 8 July were much lower than pre- NOTE: When referring to Kent we mean the Kent coronavirus levels; 5,155 compared to 6,568 in the County Council Area four weeks to 12 March 2020. which includes all twelve local authority districts but • 3,277 monthly new starts to Universal Credit in July does not include the 2021. Medway Unitary Authority. • New starts in July 2021 were highest amongst claimants aged 25–34 (952). These were 31% lower Further Information than March 2020. Kent Analytics Kent County Council • 156,233 people on Universal Credit in July 2021, an Invicta House increase of 94.5% (+75,909) since March 2020. Maidstone Kent • 13.8% of people in Kent & Medway were claiming ME14 1XX Universal Credit in July 2021, similar to the figure for Great Britain (14.6%).

[email protected] • The number of male claimants has increased at a 03000 417444 faster rate than female claimants since March 2020; +109.3% compared to +83.9%.

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Introduction The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes information on the number of claims being made to Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is a payment to help with living costs for those on a low income or who are out of work. Universal Credit provides a single payment per household based upon the circumstances of the household. Support for housing costs, children and childcare costs are integrated into Universal Credit. It also provides additions for disabled people and carers.

Universal Credit can be claimed even if the claimant is still employed but they have a low income. Many people have seen their income reduce due to coronavirus measures. For example, if a person has been furloughed and their income has fallen to 80% of their usual income, they may be able to make a claim for Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is available in every jobcentre across Great Britain.

In response to the coronavirus crisis, the Government has made changes to Universal Credit, including increasing the monthly standard rate from £317.82 to £409.89 for single people aged 25 or over. This increased support - £20 per week – has recently been extended to the end of September 2021. It has also removed the 'minimum income floor' to help self-employed people whose income has fallen. The minimum income floor is how much the Department of Work and Pensions expects you to earn each month, based upon the national minimum wage and the number of hours you work. The Government has also increased the allowance for private renters who need help with housing costs.

Monthly Universal Credit Standard Allowance

Single and under 25 £342.72

Single and 25 or over £409.89

In a couple and both under 25 £488.59 per couple In a couple and either of you is £594.04 per couple 25 or over The DWP has also put measures in place to speed up the application process such as redeployment of staff to cope with the surge in applications, and temporarily removing the face-to-face interview while social distancing guidelines are in place.

The first section of this bulletin looks at the number of new claims (applications) to Universal Credit which were made in postcode areas which cover Kent and Medway between May 2021 and July 2021.

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We have used the four postcode areas which largely cover Kent & Medway, CT, ME, DA (which overlaps into Greater London) and TN (which overlaps into East Sussex). As a result of this overlap the total figure is not for Kent and Medway alone as it will include some residents in Greater London and East Sussex. Note: A very small part of Dartford and Sevenoaks are within the BR postcode area. These have been excluded from this analysis. A map of the postcode areas used can be found at the end of this bulletin.

The data shows new claims made to Universal Credit irrespective of whether the claimant goes on to be awarded the benefit.

Data is available by date of claim and is also summarised by week of claim.

Secondly this bulletin looks at those people for whom a new claim had been awarded and started between May 2021 and July 2021.

This data looks at Universal Credit starts to claimants living in Kent and Medway Jobcentre Plus areas.

There are thirteen Jobcentre Plus areas in Kent and Medway. Jobcentre Plus areas are those areas that are covered by each Jobcentre Plus office. They do not correspond with local authority district boundaries, but they do sit within Kent and Medway boundaries.

Finally, this bulletin looks at all those who are receiving Universal Credit in Kent and Medway compared to Great Britain, their sex and whether they are in work or out of work claimants.

Analysis The coronavirus pandemic, and the lockdown response implemented by the UK government, has impacted on the ways in which many people are able to work. Some people have the ability to work from home. However, others may have seen their income decrease because they have been furloughed, have seen their working hours reduced or have lost their jobs, or been unable to work. For many people this has impacted on their ability to earn an income. As a consequence, many workers have needed to claim Universal Credit to replace lost income through not being able to work.

Claims made to Universal Credit This section looks at the number of new claims (applications) per week made to Universal Credit in the postcode areas covering Kent and Medway in the 4 weeks to 8 July 2021 compared to the 4 weeks to 12 March 2020 before the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) were seen (herein pre-coronavirus).

The claims figures in this release are defined as the total number of claims that are made to Universal Credit, up to the count date. A claim does not automatically mean a claimant will receive a Universal Credit payment. The

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data presented here includes all claims made within the time period. If an individual goes on to make multiple claims, each claim will be included in the headline figure. Claims that were not progressed to the individual starting on Universal Credit are also included.

There are four postcode areas covering the majority of Kent and Medway. Postcode areas are not restricted to county boundaries. As a result, two of the Kent postcode areas overlap into other surrounding areas, DA and TN. The DA postcode area overlaps into Greater London and TN overlaps into East Sussex. A very small part of Dartford and Sevenoaks are covered by BR postcodes. These have been excluded from this analysis as the vast majority of BR postcodes are outside Kent and Medway. A map of Kent and Medway postcode areas can be found at the end of this briefing.

DWP weekly claims reporting runs from Friday to Thursday each week. DWP new claims data is released on a quarterly basis and provides counts of the new claims made each day during the reference period.

New claims in Kent & Medway There were, on average, 1,642 claims per week made to Universal Credit in the 4 weeks to 12 March 2020 (pre-coronavirus). Restrictions were introduced throughout the country in March 2020, leading to an increase in the number of claims for Universal Credit.

In the week beginning 16 March 2020, the number of new claims made weekly increased three-fold to 4,976. In the two weeks following the announcement of the national lockdown from 23 March 2020, there were 42,927 claims made to Universal Credit: 20,567 and 22,360 in the week ending the 26 March 2020 and 2 April 2020, respectively. Each of these weeks is more than 10 times the weekly average for the year to the 12 March 2020 of 1,731. This may relate to the announcement made on 26 March 2020, that self-employed people in financial difficulty would have 80% of their monthly wage covered through the government furlough scheme (Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme).

The number of weekly new claims gradually decreased through April and May 2020. The numbers, however, remained considerably above the levels seen pre-coronavirus. Since June 2020, claims per week made to Universal Credit have generally been stable, notwithstanding fluctuations potentially related to restrictions introduced in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In the week leading up to 5 November 2020 the number of weekly new claims increased to 2,647; +42% (+789) versus the previous week. This increase coincided with the second national lockdown in England. Weekly new claims similarly increased slightly to 2,535 (week ending 7 January 2021) following the announcement of the third national lockdown from 5 January 2021;

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+119% (+1,378) versus the previous week, although this reflects the usual seasonal pattern, at least in part.

In the 4 weeks leading up to 8 July 2021 an average of 1,289 weekly new claims were made to Universal Credit. This is an increase of 6% compared to an average of 1,212 claims in the 4 weeks to 10 June 2021, which is comparable with the figure for Great Britain (+8%). The number of weekly new claims made has generally declined through January–April 2021. In the succeeding months the number of weekly new claims has been relatively stable at an average of 1,244. In both May and June 2021, the average weekly new claims are considerably lower than the average for the 52 weeks to 12 March 2020 (1,692). This is shown in Chart 1.

In total, since restrictions were introduced (week beginning 13 March 2020) in response to the coronavirus pandemic, there have been 188,126 claims made to Universal Credit across Kent and Medway.

Chart 1. Weekly new claims to Universal Credit Weekly new claims made to Universal Credit in postcode areas which cover Kent & Medway 25,000 First National Lockdown (23 March 2020)

20,000

15,000 Number 10,000

Second National Lockdown Third National Lockdown (5 November 2020) (5 January 2021)

5,000

0 02-Jul-20 16-Jul-20 30-Jul-20 01-Jul-21 14-Jan-21 28-Jan-21 04-Jun-20 18-Jun-20 03-Jun-21 17-Jun-21 08-Oct-20 22-Oct-20 09-Apr-20 23-Apr-20 08-Apr-21 22-Apr-21 13-Feb-20 27-Feb-20 10-Sep-20 24-Sep-20 11-Feb-21 25-Feb-21 03-Dec-20 17-Dec-20 31-Dec-20 13-Aug-20 27-Aug-20 05-Nov-20 19-Nov-20 12-Mar-20 26-Mar-20 11-Mar-21 25-Mar-21 07-May-20 21-May-20 06-May-21 20-May-21

Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

New claims by postcode area in Kent & Medway There are four postcode areas which cover the majority of Kent and Medway, CT, ME, DA (which overlaps into Greater London) and TN (which overlaps into East Sussex). As a result of this overlap the total figure is not for Kent and Medway alone as it will include some residents in Greater London and East Sussex.

Rochester (ME) postcode area saw the highest number of weekly new claims in the week ending 8 July 2021 (379). Furthermore, ME postcode area consistently saw the highest number of weekly new claims in each of the 4

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weeks to 8 July 2021 (see Table 1 and Chart 2 overleaf). The number of weekly new claims represent a change of -14% (-62), -19% (-93), -27% (- 139), and +18% (+59) compared to the 4 weeks to 12 March 2020.

Tonbridge (TN) postcode area saw the second highest claims (329) for the week ending 8 July 2021. This represents a decrease of 36% (-183) weekly new claims compared to week ending 12 March 2020. Over the same time period the number of weekly new claims in Canterbury (CT) and Dartford (DA) postcode areas decreased by 63% (-199) and 11% (-35), respectively.

Table 1: Weekly new claims to Universal Credit DWP weeks are from Friday to Thursday. Dates here are Week Ending. (CT) (DA) (ME) (TN) Canterbury Dartford Rochester Tonbridge Total 17 June 2021 293 287 377 303 1,261 24 June 2021 317 270 408 313 1,306 01 July 2021 304 306 375 308 1,303 08 July 2021 293 281 379 329 1,285 4 week total 1,207 1,144 1,539 1,253 5,155 Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Chart 2: Weekly claims to Universal Credit Weekly claims for Universal Credit in postcode areas covering Kent & Medway

25,000

20,000

15,000 Number 10,000

5,000

(CT) Canterbury (DA) Dartford (ME) Rochester (TN) Tonbridge Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Starts to Universal Credit This section looks at the number of starts to Universal Credit. The starts figure shows the number of claims which have gone through the application process and have been awarded Universal Credit.

The data is available to Jobcentre Plus areas. The Jobcentre Plus office at which a claimant is recorded is based upon the postcode of where the claimant lives. Thirteen Jobcentre Plus areas cover Kent and Medway.

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Data is available on a monthly basis. The latest months’ figures are provisional (“P”) and liable to revision in future releases.

Totals may not sum due to rounding at source.

New claims started in Kent & Medway The number of monthly new claims started in Kent and Medway substantially increased in April 2020. In April 2020, 37,153 new claims started, an increase of 715% (+32,592) compared to the previous month. Fewer starts to Universal Credit were reported in May 2020 (32,160). Nevertheless, 27,599 more claims started than in March 2020 (+605%).

There were 8,035 and 6,139 starts to Universal Credit in June and July 2020, respectively, representing a sharp decline from the previous months. With the exception of November 2020, from August 2020 to January 2021 the number of starts returned to pre-coronavirus levels, ranging between 5,100 and 5,787. In November 2020, the number of monthly new claims started rose sharply to 7,238, representing an increase of 25% (+1,462) compared to the previous month. This followed the announcement of the second national lockdown from 5 November 2020.

In July 2021, there were 3,277 starts to Universal Credit. This is a 4% (+125) increase versus the previous month (3,152). This is also 33,876 (-91%) fewer starts to Universal Credit compared to the peak in April 2020. The number of new starts increased 23% (+783) from April to May 2021, however still remained at pre-coronavirus levels. June and July 2021 saw the lowest level of new starts since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. This is shown in Chart 3 overleaf.

In total, there have been 141,889 claims starting on Universal Credit since 13 March 2020 in Kent and Medway. Of these, 69,313 (49%) started between 13 March and 14 May 2020.

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Chart 3: Monthly new starts to Universal Credit Monthly new starts to Universal Credit in Kent & Medway 40,000 37,153

35,000 32,160

30,000

25,000

20,000 Number

15,000

10,000 8,035 7,238 6,151 6,139 5,776 5,787 5,218 5,100 5,342 5,461 4,561 4,384 4,225 5,000 3,442 3,152 3,277

Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Starts to Universal Credit were highest in the Chatham Job Centre Plus area (605) in July 2021, then Maidstone (405) and Gravesend (294). Chatham has consistently reported the highest number of new claims started throughout the current reporting period (May 2021 = 800; June 2021 = 570) and accounts for between 18.1% and 18.9% of starts to Universal Credit during this period. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, on average, starts to Universal Credit in Chatham are 35% (29–45%) higher than the next highest area.

The number of new starts to Universal Credit between April and May 2021 increased in all areas in Kent and Medway – between 5% (Sittingbourne) and 70% (Ashford). Nevertheless, the current reporting period saw the lowest level of starts (10,654) since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The number of starts to Universal Credit has decreased by 91% (88–95%) between April 2020 and July 2021. This is shown in Table 2 overleaf. With the exception of November 2020, monthly new claims started in all areas have remained relatively stable and are similar to pre-coronavirus levels.

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Table 2: Monthly new starts to Universal Credit Change (No.) since Change (%) Change (No.) since Change (%) Jul 2021 (P) April 2020 since April 2020 June 2021 since June 2021 Ashford 196 -2,486 -93% 0 0% Canterbury 272 -3,209 -92% 18 7% Chatham 605 -5,174 -90% 35 6% Dartford 163 -2,973 -95% -25 -13% Dover 262 -2,016 -88% -3 -1% Folkestone 178 -2,286 -93% -16 -8% Gravesend 294 -2,278 -89% 12 4% Maidstone 405 -3,693 -90% 18 5% Margate 132 -1,838 -93% -22 -14% Ramsgate 172 -1,890 -92% 6 4% Sheerness 127 -1,089 -90% 25 25% Sittingbourne 194 -1,963 -91% 51 36% Tonbridge 277 -2,981 -91% 26 10% Total 3,277 -33,876 -91% 125 4% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Note: Figures marked "P" are provisional & subject to revision Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

New claims started by age group In July 2021, fewer claimants started on Universal Credit in all age groups compared to March 2020. The largest percentage change was seen in claimants aged 45–54 (419), which decreased 37% (-245) compared to March 2020. This is shown in Table 3 and Chart 4 overleaf.

Claimants starting on Universal Credit who are aged between 25 and 34 form the largest proportion reported in May (29.4%, 1,237), June (29.4%, 924), and July 2021 (29.2%, 952). This constitutes a similar proportion of claimants compared to pre-coronavirus levels (March 2020 = 30.1%)

The proportion of new Universal Credit claimants aged 16–24 has increased when compared to pre-pandemic levels. In July 2021, 25.5% of claimants starting on Universal Credit were aged under 25, compared with 22.2% in March 2020. This age range peaked in July 2020 (29.2%).

Conversely, the proportion of claimants starting on Universal Credit aged 35– 44 and 45–54 has decreased over the same time period. Those aged 35–44 have decreased from 21.1% (March 2020) to 20.0% (July 2021), and those aged 45–54 from 14.6% to 12.9%.

The proportion of claimants starting on Universal Credit 55–Over 65 has returned to pre-coronavirus levels, from 12.0% (March 2020) to 12.4% (July 2021).

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Table 3: Monthly new starts to Universal Credit by age group Change (No.) since Change (%) Change (No.) since Change (%) Jul 2021 (P) March 2020 since March 2020 June 2021 since June 2021 16 - 24 829 -186 -18% 101 14% 25 - 34 952 -422 -31% 28 3% 35 - 44 652 -310 -32% -22 -3% 45 - 54 419 -245 -37% -37 -8% 55 - Over 65 403 -144 -26% 40 11% Grand Total 3,255 -1,307 -29% 110 3% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Note: Figures marked "P" are provisional & subject to revision Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Chart 4: Monthly new starts to Universal Credit by age group Number of new starts to Universal Credit in Kent & Medway: Age group 1,600

1,400 1,374

1,200

1,015 1,000 962 952

829 800 664 652 Number 600 547

419 403 400

200

0 Mar-20 Jul-21 (P) 16–24 25–34 35–44 45–54 55–Over 65 Figures marked "p" are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

People on Universal Credit This section looks at the total number of people who are in receipt of Universal Credit in local authorities in which they live.

The data looks at the sex of the claimant and includes a comparison to Great Britain. The data also looks at whether a claimant is in employment or not in employment.

Universal Credit claimants in Kent & Medway Between March 2020 to July 2021, the total number of Universal Credit claimants in Kent and Medway increased by 94.5% (+75,909); 80,324 (March) to 156,233 (July). Eighty-seven percent of this increase (+65,967) happened between March and May 2020. The total number of Universal Credit claimants in Kent and Medway peaked in March 2021 (159,076). Since then, there was a gradual fall of 1.8% (2,843) in the number of people on Universal Credit between April and July 2021.

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Month-to-month decreases in the total number of Universal Credit claimants in Kent and Medway through April to July 2021 were -0.4% (-625), -0.4% (-703), -0.9% (-1,481), and 0.0% (-34), respectively.

The figures presented above for Kent and Medway reflect the general trends seen in Great Britain, although the Universal Credit claimant rate has fallen at a slightly faster rate in the former (Chart 5).

In Kent and Medway, 13.8% of the population aged 16–64 now claim Universal Credits. This represents an increase of 6.7% since March 2020 (7.1%) but has declined from the March 2021 peak (14.1%). This is slightly lower than the figure for Great Britain (14.6%).

Chart 5: Percentage of 16-64 population on Universal Credit Percentage of 16-64 population on Universal Credit 16.0% 14.6%

14.0% 13.8%

12.0%

10.0%

8.0% Percentage

6.0%

4.0%

Kent and Medway 2.0% Great Britain

0.0%

Figures marked "p" are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Universal Credit claimants by Kent district The total number and proportion of Universal Credit claimants in Kent and Medway local authorities are presented in Table 4 and 5 overleaf.

The number of people in receipt of Universal Credit has increased significantly since March 2020, with some districts having more than double the number of claimants in July 2021 compared to March 2020.

The largest percentage increases in the number of people on Universal Credit were in Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, and Tonbridge and Malling, reported as +146%, +135%, and +131%, respectively. Although these districts had the largest percentage increases in claimants, the total number of people on Universal Credit prior to coronavirus restrictions were among the lowest in Kent. Indeed, in terms of numbers, these districts saw the lowest increases in Kent since March 2020 with the exception of Dover (+4,213); Sevenoaks

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(+3,615), Tunbridge Wells (+4,123), and Tonbridge and Malling (+4,225). In July 2021, these districts also had the lowest proportions of population on Universal Credit in Kent (excluding Medway). Sevenoaks has 5.8%, while Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling have 6.6% and 6.7%, respectively.

The smallest percentage increase in the number of people on Universal Credit between March 2020 and July 2021 was in Dover (+60.5%) and Thanet (+60.7%). Yet, in terms of numbers, Thanet has seen the largest increase in the number of claimants (+6,994) in Kent. In July 2021, 18,520 people in Thanet were in receipt of Universal Credit (22.9% of the district population), the highest figures in Kent.

In Kent and Medway, month-to-month change (%) in the number of people in receipt of Universal Credit through May to July 2021 was relatively small. In May 2021, this ranged between -1.4% (Tunbridge Wells) and +0.1% (Medway), between -2.3% (Sevenoaks) and -0.2% (Swale) in June 2021, and between -0.6% (Thanet) and +0.8% (Canterbury) in July 2021.

Table 4: Number of Universal Credit claimants in Kent districts Change (No.) since Change (%) Change (No.) since Change (%) Jul 2021 (P) March 2020 since March 2020 June 2021 since June 2021 Ashford 10,766 5,258 95% -27 0% Canterbury 11,505 5,725 99% 90 1% Dartford 9,324 5,041 118% -11 0% Dover 11,174 4,213 61% -21 0% Folkestone and Hythe 9,973 4,942 98% -41 0% Gravesham 10,493 5,290 102% 10 0% Maidstone 12,371 6,866 125% 22 0% Sevenoaks 6,298 3,615 135% -4 0% Swale 14,568 6,353 77% 41 0% Thanet 18,520 6,994 61% -118 -1% Tonbridge and Malling 7,447 4,225 131% 21 0% Tunbridge Wells 6,955 4,123 146% -4 0% Kent County Council 129,394 62,649 94% -42 0% Medway 26,839 13,264 98% 8 0% Kent and Medway 156,233 75,909 95% -34 0% South East 671,950 357,907 114% 1,865 0% Great Britain 5,917,053 2,905,534 96% 35,568 1% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Note: Figures marked "P" are provisional & subject to revision Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

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Table 5: Percentage of Universal Credit claimants in Kent districts Current Reporting Period Mar 2020 May 2021 Jun 2021 Jul 2021 (P) Ashford 7.0% 13.9% 13.8% 13.7% Canterbury 5.5% 11.0% 10.8% 10.9% Dartford 5.9% 13.1% 12.9% 12.9% Dover 10.0% 16.2% 16.1% 16.1% Folkestone and Hythe 7.6% 15.3% 15.2% 15.1% Gravesham 8.0% 16.2% 16.1% 16.1% Maidstone 5.2% 11.9% 11.8% 11.8% Sevenoaks 3.8% 9.2% 8.9% 8.9% Swale 9.0% 16.0% 16.0% 16.0% Thanet 14.3% 23.3% 23.1% 22.9% Tonbridge and Malling 4.0% 9.4% 9.2% 9.3% Tunbridge Wells 4.0% 9.9% 9.7% 9.7% Kent County Council 7.0% 13.7% 13.5% 13.5% Medway 7.8% 15.4% 15.3% 15.3% Kent and Medway 7.1% 13.9% 13.8% 13.8% South East 5.6% 12.0% 11.9% 11.9% Great Britain 7.4% 14.6% 14.5% 14.6% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Note: Figures marked "P" are provisional & subject to revision Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Universal Credit claimants by sex Women account for 55% of people on Universal Credit in July 2021. Between March 2020 and July 2021, there was a greater increase in male claimants than female claimants, with the former more than doubling (+109%; +36,834). The number of female claimants grew by 84% (+39,073) over the same time period (Table 6 overleaf). Women on Universal Credit traditionally outnumber men on the benefit. Notably, the proportion of people on Universal Credit that were men has increased from 42% to 45% since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, peaking at 48% through April to August 2020 (Chart 6 overleaf).

In July 2021, 12.6% and 15.0% of the male and female population aged 16– 64 in Kent and Medway were on Universal Credit, respectively. This is slightly lower than the figures for Great Britain (male = 13.6%; female = 15.5%).

Table 6: Universal Credit claimants in Kent & Medway by sex Change (No.) since Change (%) since Mar 2020 Jul 2021 March 2020 March 2020 Male 33,717 70,581 36,864 109.3% Female 46,584 85,657 39,073 83.9% Total 80,300 156,239 75,939 94.6% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

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Chart 6: Universal Credit claimants by sex Kent & Medway Universal Credit claimants by sex 160,000 100% March 2020: Start of the national lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic 90% 140,000

80% 120,000 Female (%) 70%

100,000 60%

80,000 50%

40% 60,000 Number of claimants

Male (%) 30% Proportion of claimants (%) 40,000 20%

20,000 10%

0 0%

Male (%) Female (%) Males (No.) Females (No.)

Figures marked "p" are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council By setting the same starting point (April 2019=100) Chart 7 shows how the number of male and female claimants have grown. While the number of male and female claimants have both increased at a similar pace throughout the year, in the months succeeding the lockdown restrictions the growth rate of the number of male claimants has been greater. This remained the case between May and July 2021 although the difference in the male and female claimant growth rates has narrowed considerably.

Chart 7: Growth in Universal Credit claimants by sex Growth in Kent & Medway Universal Credit claimants by sex Index: April 2019=100 350

300

250

200

150 Index: April 2019=100 April Index: 100

Males Females Figures marked "p" are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

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Universal Credit claimants by employment status In Kent and Medway, for Universal Credit claimants where the employment status was known, over a third (38.5%) were in employment in June 2021. This has increased from 34.4% in March 2020. This may be a consequence of workers having had their wages reduced to 80% of their usual levels under the furlough scheme.

There was a greater increase in the number of people on Universal Credit that are in employment than not in employment between March 2020 and June 2021, with those in employment growing by 117.7% compared to those not in employment growing by 82.5%. This is more prominently reflected in male Universal Credit claimants where those in employment and not in employment have increased by 154.5% and 93.4%, respectively. This is shown in Table 7 and Chart 8.

Table 7: Universal Credit claimants by employment status Jun-21 (R) Change (No.) since March 2020 Change (%) since March 2020 Not in Not in Not in Kent & Medway In employment employment In employment employment In employment employment Males 24,226 46,805 14,708 22,606 154.5% 93.4% Females 35,948 49,288 17,825 20,828 98.4% 73.2% Total 60,173 96,092 32,527 43,437 117.7% 82.5% Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

Chart 8: Universal Credit claimants by work status Universal Credit claimants in Kent & Medway by work status 180,000

160,000

140,000

120,000

100,000

80,000

Number of claimants 60,000

40,000

20,000

Not in employment In employment

Figures marked "p" are provisional. These figures will be subject to revision in subsequent releases. Source: DWP Stat Xplore Presented by: Kent Analytics, Kent County Council

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Appendix Map of Postcode areas in Kent & Medway

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Landscape

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TEXT

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