More than 225,000 people are now claiming the government’s Universal Credit benefit, official statistics show.

Accoridng to Inside Housing:

“Figures released this week by the Department for Work and Pensions show 225,002 households were claiming Universal Credit as of 10 March, a 10.6% increase on the 203,392 who were claiming the previous month.

Universal Credit has been gradually rollled out to different groups of people in different parts of the country since 2013. The benefit combines a number of working-age benefits, including housing benefit, into one payment made direct to households in most circumstances.

All remaining existing claimants are expected to be transferred on to Universal Credit by 2021, four years later than originally expected. A total of eight million households are expected to be eventually claiming the benefit.”