Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in the light of the findings by the Office of Budget Responsibility in Economic and fiscal outlook: March 2026, published on 3 March, that recent increases in labour force survey unemployment have not translated into higher numbers in the searching-for-work group of universal credit, what assessment they have made of whether the recent increase in unemployment is concentrated among individuals outside the benefits system, specifically (1) young people residing with parents, (2) individuals supported by partner income or savings, (3) individuals moving into other benefit categories, or (4) individuals becoming economically inactive rather than claiming universal credit.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the number of unemployed people by age and region is published and available at Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

Published information on Universal Credit Searching for Work by age and region is available at Stat-Xplore - Log in and in the attached spreadsheet.

Information on the Clamant Count of unemployment-related benefits is published and available at - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

The ONS also publish statistics on estimates of the patterns of work and worklessness amongst household – which are published and can be found here - Working and workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics, though no age and region split is available

Not every ILO unemployed jobseeker is in receipt of Universal Credit or Jobseekers Allowance or expected to be. Some may be ineligible. Some may be eligible but choose not to claim unemployment-related benefits.

People in employment on low earnings; unemployed people and certain groups amongst the economically inactive can all claim Universal Credit.

The Claimant Count of people on unemployment-related benefits (UC searching for work conditionality and JSA) fell by 30,000 in the year to January 2026.

No independent analysis of benefit uptake among newly unemployed individuals has been commissioned by the Department.

The Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: release strategy, last updated in October 2025, and the Department for Work and Pensions statistical work programme, outline that a measure to assess Universal Credit (UC) and income related legacy benefit take-up for the working-age population is currently under development by the department.

We are aiming to achieve our long-term ambition of an increased employment rate by reforming the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market.

This agenda is key to delivering economic growth and rising living standards. It requires action to: reverse the trend of rising economic inactivity; support people into good quality work; help people to get on in work and increase their earnings; and develop the skilled workforce that key sectors need to grow.

In November 2024, we set out our plan in the Get Britain Working White Paper, with three pillars:

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus into a Jobs and Careers Service which is more focused on skills and career progression than benefits and compliance, responsive to the needs and challenges of local labour markets and aligned with the needs of employers.
• Tackling economic inactivity due to ill health through joined up work, health and skills support and the Pathways to Work guarantee of tailored support for those with health conditions who claim out of work benefits.
• Delivering a Youth Guarantee so that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many individuals, broken down by age group and region, are recorded as unemployed on the according to the labour force survey but are not captured in the universal credit unemployed caseload because they are (1) ineligible, (2) supported by savings or partner income, (3) recently unemployed with very short spells, or (4) otherwise not claiming benefits.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the number of unemployed people by age and region is published and available at Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

Published information on Universal Credit Searching for Work by age and region is available at Stat-Xplore - Log in and in the attached spreadsheet.

Information on the Clamant Count of unemployment-related benefits is published and available at - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

The ONS also publish statistics on estimates of the patterns of work and worklessness amongst household – which are published and can be found here - Working and workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics, though no age and region split is available

Not every ILO unemployed jobseeker is in receipt of Universal Credit or Jobseekers Allowance or expected to be. Some may be ineligible. Some may be eligible but choose not to claim unemployment-related benefits.

People in employment on low earnings; unemployed people and certain groups amongst the economically inactive can all claim Universal Credit.

The Claimant Count of people on unemployment-related benefits (UC searching for work conditionality and JSA) fell by 30,000 in the year to January 2026.

No independent analysis of benefit uptake among newly unemployed individuals has been commissioned by the Department.

The Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: release strategy, last updated in October 2025, and the Department for Work and Pensions statistical work programme, outline that a measure to assess Universal Credit (UC) and income related legacy benefit take-up for the working-age population is currently under development by the department.

We are aiming to achieve our long-term ambition of an increased employment rate by reforming the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market.

This agenda is key to delivering economic growth and rising living standards. It requires action to: reverse the trend of rising economic inactivity; support people into good quality work; help people to get on in work and increase their earnings; and develop the skilled workforce that key sectors need to grow.

In November 2024, we set out our plan in the Get Britain Working White Paper, with three pillars:

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus into a Jobs and Careers Service which is more focused on skills and career progression than benefits and compliance, responsive to the needs and challenges of local labour markets and aligned with the needs of employers.
• Tackling economic inactivity due to ill health through joined up work, health and skills support and the Pathways to Work guarantee of tailored support for those with health conditions who claim out of work benefits.
• Delivering a Youth Guarantee so that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government, in light of the Office of Budget Responsibility's March 2026 forecast revisions, whether they have commissioned any independent analysis of benefit uptake among newly unemployed individuals; and if so, what the findings are on eligibility, uptake rates, and claim timing relative to labour force survey unemployment spells.

Answered by Baroness Sherlock - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Information on the number of unemployed people by age and region is published and available at Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

Published information on Universal Credit Searching for Work by age and region is available at Stat-Xplore - Log in and in the attached spreadsheet.

Information on the Clamant Count of unemployment-related benefits is published and available at - Nomis - Official Census and Labour Market Statistics and in the attached spreadsheet.

The ONS also publish statistics on estimates of the patterns of work and worklessness amongst household – which are published and can be found here - Working and workless households in the UK - Office for National Statistics, though no age and region split is available

Not every ILO unemployed jobseeker is in receipt of Universal Credit or Jobseekers Allowance or expected to be. Some may be ineligible. Some may be eligible but choose not to claim unemployment-related benefits.

People in employment on low earnings; unemployed people and certain groups amongst the economically inactive can all claim Universal Credit.

The Claimant Count of people on unemployment-related benefits (UC searching for work conditionality and JSA) fell by 30,000 in the year to January 2026.

No independent analysis of benefit uptake among newly unemployed individuals has been commissioned by the Department.

The Income-related benefits: estimates of take-up: release strategy, last updated in October 2025, and the Department for Work and Pensions statistical work programme, outline that a measure to assess Universal Credit (UC) and income related legacy benefit take-up for the working-age population is currently under development by the department.

We are aiming to achieve our long-term ambition of an increased employment rate by reforming the system to enable greater participation, progression and productivity in the labour market.

This agenda is key to delivering economic growth and rising living standards. It requires action to: reverse the trend of rising economic inactivity; support people into good quality work; help people to get on in work and increase their earnings; and develop the skilled workforce that key sectors need to grow.

In November 2024, we set out our plan in the Get Britain Working White Paper, with three pillars:

• Reforming Jobcentre Plus into a Jobs and Careers Service which is more focused on skills and career progression than benefits and compliance, responsive to the needs and challenges of local labour markets and aligned with the needs of employers.
• Tackling economic inactivity due to ill health through joined up work, health and skills support and the Pathways to Work guarantee of tailored support for those with health conditions who claim out of work benefits.
• Delivering a Youth Guarantee so that all young people have access to education, training or help to find a job or apprenticeship.

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