The Department for Work and Pensions has come under fire over a surge in Universal Credit claims, with new data showing the caseload has increased by 830,000 in just twelve months. The total number of claimants reached over 8 million in February 2026, the highest since the benefit's introduction in 2013, up from 7.5 million a year earlier.
Rise in No Work Requirements Group
Of the 8 million claimants, only 3.1 million were in any form of employment. This means that half of all Universal Credit recipients—4.2 million people—now fall into the "no work requirements" category. Between February 2025 and February 2026, this group alone grew by one million.
Conservative Shadow Welfare Secretary Helen Whately criticised the government, 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 because this government has been too distracted by internal chaos." She added that only the Conservatives have the plan to restore fairness for taxpayers and get Britain working again.
DWP Response and Reform Plans
In response, a DWP spokesperson defended the record and promised to "fix" the ballooning welfare bill. The spokesperson said: "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 pledge comes amid mounting pressure on the Labour government to address the rising welfare costs and ensure that the system encourages employment rather than dependency.
