Claimant count

The introduction of universal credit (UC) in 2013 resulted in inconsistencies in the coverage of the claimant count across the UK, owing to the different speeds of the UC roll out. In June 2015, the claimant count figures were consequently re-classified as 'official statistics in development' (previously experimental statistics) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Care should therefore be taken when analysing and interpreting the figures.

Under universal credit a broader span of claimants are required to look for work than under JSA. This can include some claimants who are in employment but earning below a certain earnings threshold. The rollout of the universal credit full service areas across Great Britain was completed by the end of 2018 and resulted in the number of people recorded as being on the claimant count increasing. The bulk of the migration of claimants on the previous legacy benefits to universal credit is expected to be completed by March 2026. Claimant count numbers are therefore expected to rise as the various stages of the migration are processed.

Impact of the universal credit full service roll out on the claimant count

Lancaster became a universal credit full service area in July 2016 – the first in the Lancashire-14 area. Claims could then be processed online, rather than via the phone. More complex claims are also processed. The result was an acceleration in the number of persons claiming universal credit in Lancaster.  This was followed by

• Burnley, May 2017
• West Lancashire, December 2017
• Blackburn with Darwen and Hyndburn, February 2018
• Preston and South Ribble, March 2018
• Chorley, April 2018
• Pendle, Ribble Valley and Rossendale, July 2018
• Fylde, Wyre and Blackpool, September 2018

Claimant count data versus official unemployment and small area data

The claimant count does not measure official unemployment. Official unemployment has a wider definition and includes those economically active unemployed persons who meet the definition criteria, and who do not claim benefits, either through choice, or for reasons of non-eligibility. Official unemployment figures therefore tend to be somewhat higher than the claimant count.

Official unemployment data is not available below the district/unitary authority level, whereas claimant count data is available for small geographic areas such as wards and smaller lower-layer super output areas (LSOAs). The claimant count therefore provides a good proxy for unemployment at the small local level. Generally, a high claimant count in an area is a good indicator of high unemployment in that area.