THE number of Universal Credit claimants has risen markedly over the last month in Devon and Cornwall, reflecting the rise in unemployment to a four-year high in the UK.

With around five-million unemployed nationally, around one in six private sector jobs and around five-million job roles altogether are now furloughed according to the Office for National Statistics figures.

Universal Credit numbers do not equate to people unemployed: the payment covers previously separate benefits including housing benefit, job-seekers allowance, child tax credit and working tax credit, and so those in work and on a low income also count among the figures as well as those currently unemployed.

In Cornwall, the number of UC claimants as of December 10, 2020 was 49,153, a rise of 933 on the previous month.

Breaking the numbers down to local constituencies there were 7,121 Universal Credit claimants in South East Cornwall as of December 10, 2020 (a rise of 112), 7,866 in North Cornwall (a rise of 74) and 5,350 in Torridge (a rise of 128).

Katherine Davey, Job Centre advisor for Bude and Launceston, said that there continues to be a lot of one-to-one-support for people claiming Universal Credit and needing to find employment. While job centres are open on reduced hours at the moment for face-to-face appointments (from 10am to 2pm), access to the service remains just the same by phone from 9am to 5pm, and the virtual workshops have been going very well, she said.

This month, the courses will include CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Course) and a sector-based work academy in food production. The Job Centre is working with employers in Callington and Bodmin and there will be jobs at the end, as there are at the end of each of these courses, says Ms Davey.

Further sector-based work academies coming up will include one with the NHS based in Truro.

“We are doing a lot of work with the 18 to 24 years age group and the Kickstart programme, which provides high-quality six month job placements,” said Ms Davey.

Under the Kickstart scheme, the Government pays the National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week to 16 to 24 year olds and this can be topped up by an employer if they wish.

Whereas previously, smaller employers had to register via a gateway organsiation, this rule has been relaxed and the minimum job threshold of 30 has been dropped.

“Launceston has had a couple of people sign up with national employers, and we’d really like to encourage local businesses to participate too,” she said.

Meanwhile the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) is also running its own work academies for this age group, and these have included for ‘emerging creatives’ (including digital) and those seeking a career in hospitality.

With ever more people claiming Universal Credit and looking to change direction, The Department for Work and Pensions has been recruiting in a big way itself: 13,500 new work coaches across the UK will soon be taking up their roles.