MORE people were on universal credit in York in March than a year before, new figures show.

And an MP in the city said more people find themselves applying for the credit as "life has been tough".

Universal credit is a benefit available to those out of work, disabled or below a threshold of earnings and savings.

Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show 11,524 people were using the benefit in York as of March – a four per cent rise on the year before.

In March, 45 per cent of universal credit recipients in the city were employed.

In York, 8,823 households were receiving the benefit. The number of recipients in the area peaked in February 2021, when 13,236 were receiving the benefit.

Speaking on the figures, York Central MP Rachael Maskell said: "Life has been tough for so many people across York with more people finding themselves applying for the support of universal credit.

"The costs on food, fuel, heating and housing have been really high for the past year, meaning that income is often exceeded by bills and other costs.

“While budgeting every penny through this cost-of-living scandal, it is clear that benefit payments, like wages, have fallen behind in value and are simply not paying their way.

"I am grateful to Joseph Rowntree Foundation for recalculating the real cost of living, making the case that benefit payments need to reflect the reality of prices today.

"I’m thankful for all who volunteer in York to help people get through these difficult days.”

Across England and Wales, the number of households with a member on universal credit reached a record peak in February, at nearly 4.5 million across the countries.

In total, 112 local authorities hit their highest ever number of universal credit recipients in March – more than 30 per cent of all areas.

Anna Stevenson, benefits expert at anti-poverty charity Turn2Us, said "far too many households" are still struggling financially.

She said: "The Government needs to make sure support is there when people need it - and that it’s the right support to get through this crisis.

"The longer term, systemic answer, is to build an effective social security system in which people can thrive."

Sam Tims, economist at the New Economics Foundation think tank, said "inadequate levels of support" combined with low pay and insecure work was forcing people receiving benefits into difficult decisions.

Combined with a winding-up of older benefits and reduced employment opportunities, the number of people using universal credit across England rose dramatically over the pandemic – and has remained high since.