MORE than 12,300 people in Bolton are now receiving Universal Credit.

The monthly personalised benefit was rolled out across Bolton in November 2018.

The figures, which reveal that more than 339,000 receive Universal Credit in the North West, comes after it was revealed that the UK employment rate had hit a joint-record high of 76.1 per cent.

Unemployment also dropped over the year to 3.8 per cent in September, with the rate for women of 3.6% now the joint-lowest since records began.

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince said: "Universal Credit is a force for good, delivering personalised support right across the North West and helping people find work. For people who want to find work, there’s a wide range of help available in jobcentres, including training courses, CV writing sessions and jobs fairs.”

Nationwide, more than a third of Universal Credit claimants are in work.

Universal Credit, which is now available in every jobcentre across the UK, simplifies the benefit system and replaces six previous benefits with a single monthly payment.

The new payment replaces Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit.

However, there are still people in Bolton claiming legacy benefits such as JSA and ESA.

READ MORE: Welfare benefit reforms have cost Bolton residents an estimated £7m every year

READ MORE: Millions of pounds won back at welfare benefit tribunals with council's support

Those claiming legacy benefits will eventually be moved onto Universal Credit but the Department for Work and Pensions is taking a "measured approach" to the roll out.

This means the only way a resident on legacy benefits would move over to Universal Credit now is if they had a change of circumstances such as moving address.

With the benefit now available in all jobcentres, the number of people on Universal Credit will continue to rise naturally, and does not necessarily signify an increase in unemployment for the area.