Number of Wiganers claiming out-of-work benefits on the rise

The DWP had to change the way it listed claimant counts after Universal Credit meant many people not fit for work or not actively looking to get back in the workplace were included.

Now it works out a count based on what the total would have been had Universal Credit been in place since 2013.

And the tweaks show there were 7,495 people on out-of-work benefits in the borough as of last November, a rise of six per cent on the previous year.

Similarly the total of 1,324 jobseekers in the 18-to-24-year-old age bracket was a five per cent rise from the figure recorded 12 months before that.

In total there were 7,135 people on Universal Credit using the Wigan Jobcentre as of mid-February this year, with 4,856 clients in Leigh and 1,162 in Ashton.

Jobcentre staff are also working on a number of projects to get people back into employment in Wigan.

Jobs chiefs are still working with Greene King on its Primrose Farm site at Goose Green, with 240 people attending two recent open days for recruitment.

Drop-in sessions have also been held for staff of retailer Better Bathrooms made redundant by it going into administration.

Jobcentres are also working to promote the national Disability Confident campaign and are preparing to launch a new partnership with Citizens’ Advice giving more support to people going onto Universal Credit.

The UK is currently at a record employment level.