The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) faces mounting pressure to address what critics describe as an “out of control” Universal Credit issue after caseload figures revealed a sharp increase over the past year. New data shows that the number of people receiving Universal Credit has surged by 830,000 within twelve months, rising from 7.5 million in February 2025 to over 8 million in February 2026—the highest since the benefit’s introduction in 2013.
Despite the rising numbers, employment among claimants remains low. Only 3.1 million recipients currently have some form of employment, meaning that more than half, about 4.2 million people, fall into the “no work requirements” category. This group alone has grown by one million since February 2025, underscoring concerns about the program’s effectiveness in encouraging work.
Conservative Party Shadow Welfare Secretary Helen Whately criticized the government’s handling of welfare, stating: “Labour is letting the welfare bill spiral out of control while fewer people are in work and millions more are being written off onto benefits. The number of people on Universal Credit with no work requirements has surged by one million in a year alone because this government has been too distracted by internal chaos. Only the Conservatives have the team, plan and leader with the backbone to get a grip of welfare, restore fairness for taxpayers, and Get Britain Working Again.”
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In response to these concerns and amid intensified scrutiny of the Labour government, a DWP spokesperson defended their record and outlined plans to tackle the growing welfare bill. They noted, “Nearly 80% of the increase in Universal Credit cases since July 2024 is driven by people moving from legacy benefits—a transition started by the previous government. We inherited a broken welfare system and we’re fixing it. We’ve already rebalanced Universal Credit to tackle the perverse incentives that discourage work and redeployed 1,000 work coaches to support thousands of sick and disabled people who were previously left without contact for years.”
The DWP’s commitment signals an ongoing effort to reform Universal Credit to better support claimants while encouraging employment and easing the strain on taxpayers.