U.K. Claims for Welfare Aid Running at Double Normal Levels

(Bloomberg) --

The number of Britons seeking Universal Credit welfare payments is still running at more than double its pre-virus average, according to government figures published Tuesday.

The Department for Work and Pensions said it received almost 25,000 new declarations a day on average in the week through May 5, taking the total since restrictions on activity were first imposed on March 16 to almost 2.5 million.

The figures underscore the hardship being inflicted by the lockdown put in place to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The government is currently paying the wages of furloughed employees until June 30, and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is expected to announce an extension of the program later Tuesday.

“As chancellor prepares to announce next phase of economic support, Universal Credit new claims remain well over DOUBLE normal levels,” Karl Handscomb of the Resolution Foundation think tank said in a Twitter post. “Another reason not to remove vital employment support.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.