The sharp increase in Universal Credit (UC) claimants in recent years has been primarily fuelled by those transferring from older benefits rather than entirely new applications, official statistics reveal. The Department for Work and Pensions has published for the first time a detailed analysis showing the proportion of claimants who have transitioned to UC from so-called “legacy” benefits, including income support and jobseeker’s allowance.

Britain’s total UC claimant count reached 8.34 million in December 2025, rising by nearly one million from 7.36 million the previous year. Statistics released on Tuesday demonstrate that over three-quarters of this growth (775,790) resulted not from fresh claims, but from individuals transitioning onto UC from alternative benefits.

The Government has stated that UC implementation throughout Britain should conclude this year, with remaining legacy benefit claimants scheduled to transfer to UC by March. The operation to move individuals from older benefit types to universal credit – referred to as the “managed migration” of claimants – commenced on a limited scale in May 2022, before accelerating in April 2023.

During the 11-month period from May 2022 to April 2023, Britain’s total UC claimant figure increased by 360,000, rising from 5.54 million to 5.90 million.

However, since April 2023, the total has surged by 2.45 million, with 70% comprising individuals who have been moved from older benefits. Of the 8.34 million individuals claiming universal credit in Britain during December 2025, 1.70 million had transitioned onto UC in recent years through the Government’s managed migration of legacy benefit recipients.

The remaining 6.64 million claimants will have initially registered as new applicants, or moved across voluntarily from an earlier benefit system, during the timeframe since UC became fully operational in 2018.

Universal credit provides financial support with everyday expenses and is accessible to those in employment on modest earnings, alongside individuals who are unemployed or unable to work.

These latest statistics emerge less than a week following Manchester United co-owner and billionaire entrepreneur Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s remarks in an interview: “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits.”

The most recent available data, incorporating separate statistics for Northern Ireland, indicates that at least 8.6 million people throughout the UK were likely claiming universal credit towards the conclusion of 2025.