Universal credit
Universal credit is a payment for people under state pension age and on a low income or out of work. It includes support for the cost of housing, children and childcare, and financial support for people with disabilities, carers and people too ill to work.
The figures are for February 2025.
In February 2025, the proportion of persons aged 16-65 on universal credit (UC) was 18.3% in the Lancashire-12 area, 20.3% in the Lancashire-14 area and 20.1% in the North West region. These were all higher than the England proportion of 17.7%.
Blackpool (29.8%) had the highest UC total proportion in Lancashire-14, followed by Blackburn with Darwen (28.0%), Burnley (27.9%), Pendle (27.0%), Hyndburn (26.1%), Preston (20.9%) and Rossendale (19.0%). All of these were above the England proportion. Ribble Valley (9.0%) had the lowest proportion.
Blackburn with Darwen (28,082), Blackpool (26,744), Preston (21,716), Burnley (16,859) and Pendle (16,071) had the largest UC totals in the Lancashire-14 area. Ribble Valley (3,484) had the lowest number.
Monthly change
Compared to the previous month, the Lancashire-12 UC total increased by 1.5% and the Lancashire-14 total increased by 1.4% (England=+1.6%). All the Lancashire-14 local authority areas saw increases to their UC totals over the month.
Yearly change
Compared to the previous year, the total number of persons on UC has increased by 13.7% in Lancashire-12 and increased by 13.9% in Lancashire-14 (England=+16.3%).
Pendle (+21.6%) had the largest yearly percentage increase, followed by Blackburn with Darwen (+18.4%), Preston (+15.8%), Rossendale (+15.4%) and Hyndburn (+15.1%). Lancaster (+8.0%) had the lowest increase. Pendle and Blackburn with Darwen were the only two areas with increases above the England increase.
Universal credit sub-category
The 'not in employment' UC sub-category accounts for about 64% of the total number of people on UC in England, and in Lancashire-12 and Lancashire-14. However, this percentage varies by local authority area.
The yearly percentage increases for 'not in employment' are similar in the Lancashire-12 (+19.8%) and Lancashire-14 (+19.8%) areas. Both are lower than the England increase (+20.8%).
For 'in employment', the yearly percentage increase for the Lancashire-12 area (+3.9%) is lower than the Lancashire-14 area (+4.1%). Both increases are lower than England (+9.0%).
All Lancashire-14 areas recorded yearly increases to the 'not in employment' sub-category. Apart from Blackpool (-0.8%) and Lancaster (-0.6%), all other Lancashire-14 areas recorded yearly increases in the 'in employment' sub-category.
Source: People on universal credit via DWP via Stat-Xplore and population estimates from the Office for National Statistics via the National On-line Manpower Information System (Nomisweb - Population estimates/projections dataset), powered by LG Inform Plus.
Universal credit data
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publishes monthly universal credit statistics by local authority boundary. The chief statistician for the DWP designated these as official statistics from August 2023. The data can be sourced from the DWP Stat-Xplore online data selection tool. Further information on universal credit statistics can be found via this link.
The bulk of the migration of claimants on the previous legacy benefits to universal credit is expected to be completed by March 2026.
Full service rollout
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
16-65 denominators
As from November 2024, the working age denominators have changed to those persons aged 16 to 65 (from 16 to 64). The working age proportions have been produced using the mid-year population estimates published by the Office for National Statistics.
Page updated 21 May 2025