The number of people on Universal Credit in Bolton is at its highest level since May 2021, figures show - with more than a third of claimants in employment.

According to provisional Department for Work and Pensions data from April 14, 32,425 people were receiving Universal Credit in Bolton – the highest number since May 2021.

And according to the latest figures, from March, 38 per cent of people on Universal Credit in Bolton were in employment.

Cost of living crisis: Bolton working people are seeking help

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.”

According to the latest figures, from March, 38 per cent of people on Universal Credit in Bolton were in employment.

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

The exact amount varies on 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 more widely accessible.

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.

Figures from February show that 48% of households receiving Universal Credit in Bolton are families with children, including 8,695 single-parent households.

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."