October 11, 2022 4.46 pm This story is over 20 months old

Job seekers benefit claims drop by a fifth in Lincolnshire

Most areas in Lincolnshire saw a decrease in unemployment
Job Centre Plus is now in the old Lincolnshire Echo offices. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The number of people who are on Job Seekers Allowance or are searching for work on Universal Credit has dropped by a fifth in many areas of Lincolnshire.

The latest ONS Claimant Count for September, released by Jobcentre Plus, shows that compared to last year the number of claimants is down by 4,340 across the Lincolnshire districts in general, and down 880 for those aged 18-24.

The biggest year-on-year drop took place in East Lindsey with a 980 claimant decrease to 2,335 in total. This equates to a 30% drop.

This was followed by Lincoln, which saw a claimant drop of 705, a drop of 19%. and South Kesteven which saw a decrease of 690 (around 23%).

No areas reportedly saw an increase in claimants with the lowest drop being 420 in West Lindsey.

For those aged 18-25, East Lindsey saw claimants decreased most, with a 185 drop to a total of 365,

South Kesteven had 170 fewer claimants than last year, a drop of 30%, while in South Holland there were 155 fewer claimants compared with last September (down 38%).

The lowest drop for youth unemployment was in Lincoln, with 10 fewer claimants – around 17%.

Across the East Midlands, the number of people employed is at 2.312 million, up 4,000 for the year and the number unemployed is at 74,000, down 31,000.

Department for Work and Pensions Minister for State Victoria Prentis said the figues “show the strength of our labour market.

“Our unemployment rate remains at a near record low and there are a high number of people on payrolls.

“To support economic growth it is vital we encourage workers into the labour market, making the most of the skills and experience this country holds whilst tackling the barriers jobseekers face.

“We recently made changes to Universal Credit and our older workers’ offer so even more claimants receive intensive support from a dedicated Work Coach, to help them not only get into work, but also to seize opportunities and increase their job prospects and pay.

“We are committed to looking after the most vulnerable which is why we are delivering at least £1,200 of support to families this winter while also saving households an average of £1,000 a year through our Energy Price Guarantee.”