Thousands more North Yorkshire residents are claiming unemployment benefits due to the coronavirus crisis

Thousands more North Yorkshire residents are claiming unemployment benefits compared to a month ago, as the effects of the coronavirus crisis on the economy begin to bite.
ONS data shows that 14,180 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of Thursday, April 9.ONS data shows that 14,180 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of Thursday, April 9.
ONS data shows that 14,180 people were claiming out-of-work benefits as of Thursday, April 9.

The Labour Party says more people will soon face what it describes as “one of the weakest out-of-work safety nets in the developed world”, and has joined charities in urging reform to the system.

Office for National Statistics data shows 14,180 people were claiming out-of-work benefits in North Yorkshire as of April 9, compared to just 6,325 a month earlier.

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It means the share of the population signing on rose from 1.7% to 3.9%.

The statistics capture the early weeks of restrictions after Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the country into lockdown on March 23, meaning the numbers are likely to have risen since.

However, North Yorkshire’s claimant rate was still lower than the 5.7% across Yorkshire as a whole.

The ONS figures count those aged 16 to 64 who are on Jobseekers Allowance and some Universal Credit claimants, with numbers rounded to the nearest five.

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Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the rise shows the “severity of the crisis we are facing”.

The party has asked for immediate changes to the benefits system.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “These are challenging times, but Universal Credit is providing a vital safety net to those affected by the pandemic and we’ve taken action by injecting over £6.5 billion to support people using the welfare system.”

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