The people receiving Universal Credit in south east London

Universal Credit is a monthly payment available to those on low incomes and those out of work.

The exact amount varies on your circumstances, but it is currently worth around £335 a month for a single person over 25.

Universal Credit has come under scrutiny in recent months, as the rising cost of basic household goods and energy has driven some to call for the rate to be increased, or for it to be made more widely accessible.

Across Great Britain there were 5.6 million people receiving Universal Credit as of April 14, up 35,000 from January 13, but down from a peak of six million people in March 2021.

Provisional data shows 162,000 people started receiving the benefit in the month to April 2022, 25 per cent more than the 122,000 starts made in the month to December.

READ MORE: All the road closures in Bexley for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

On Monday, the chief secretary to treasury, Simon Clarke, ruled out reinstating the £20-a-week uplift to the benefit, which was temporarily introduced during the pandemic – a policy recently called for by other Conservative MPs.

And last week, work and pensions minister Therese Coffee announced a £600 million plan to clamp down on benefit fraud, including plans to give new powers to DWP officers which would allow them to make arrests and seize evidence.

Below is a list of the number of people on Universal Credit in each south east London borough:

Bexley

According to the latest figures, from March, 42 per cent of people on Universal Credit in Lewisham were in employment.

According to provisional Department for Work and Pensions data from April 14, 17,287 people were receiving Universal Credit in Bexley – the highest number since January.

Figures from February show that 50 per cent of households receiving Universal Credit in Bexley are families with children, including 5,749 single-parent households.

Bromley

Thousands of single-parent households are receiving Universal Credit in Bromley, new figures show, as anti-poverty charity The Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls for the benefit to rise in line with inflation.

Department for Work and Pensions data from February shows that 45 per cent of the 17,295 households receiving Universal Credit in Bromley are families with children – including 5,908 single-parent households.

According to the latest figures, from March, 41 per cent of people on Universal Credit in Bromley were in employment.

Dartford

The number of people on Universal Credit in Dartford is at its highest level since December, new figures show.

According to provisional Department for Work and Pensions data from April 14, 8,676 people were receiving Universal Credit in Dartford – the highest number since December.

Figures from February show that 54 per cent of households receiving Universal Credit in Dartford are families with children, including 2,828 single-parent households.

Greenwich

The number of people on Universal Credit in Greenwich is at its highest level since January.

According to provisional Department for Work and Pensions data from April 14, 30,328 people were receiving Universal Credit in Greenwich – the highest number since January.

Figures from February show that 44 per cent of households receiving Universal Credit in Greenwich are families with children, including 8,842 single-parent households.

Lewisham

More than 10,000 single-parent households are receiving Universal Credit in Lewisham, new figures show, as anti-poverty charity The Joseph Rowntree Foundation calls for the benefit to rise in line with inflation.

Department for Work and Pensions data from February shows that 39 per cent of the 32,750 households receiving Universal Credit in Lewisham are families with children – including 10,423 single-parent households.

According to the latest figures, from March, 42 per cent of people on Universal Credit in Lewisham were in employment.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a charity tackling poverty in the UK, has criticised the Government for not increasing the benefit in line with inflation.

A senior policy advisor at the charity, Iain Porter, said: “With inflation nearing double digits, benefits were only uprated by 3.1 per cent, their lowest in real terms in 40 years.”

“We already know of parents skipping meals so their children can eat, families using a single lightbulb to limit electricity use, and cutting back on showers to save water.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Work and Pensions said: “Universal Credit provides a vital safety net to 5.6 million people, and we want everyone to get the support to which they’re entitled.

“We recognise the pressures on the cost of living, and we are doing what we can to help, including spending £22 billion across the next financial year to support people with energy bills and cut fuel duty."

Have you got a story for us? You can contact us here.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep up with all the latest news.

Sign up to our newsletters to get updates sent straight to your inbox.