Universal Credit caseload reaches record 8.4 million people

The number of people claiming Universal Credit reached 8.4 million in May 2026, the highest figure since the benefit was introduced in 2013, according to Department for Work and Pensions statistics published on 18 August 2026¹. The count was up from 7.7 million in May 2025 and from 8.3 million in February 2026¹.

The department said the rise was driven mainly by managed migration from older benefits. Move to Universal Credit claimants accounted for 73.2% of the increase between May 2025 and May 2026¹. Between December 2023 and December 2025 the caseload grew by 2.0 million, of which Move to Universal Credit claimants made up 1.6 million, or 78.3%¹. The department said the number of Move to Universal Credit claimants peaked in December 2025 at 1.7 million and has remained stable since¹.

Between January 2026 and May 2026 the caseload rose by 37,000. Move to Universal Credit claimants fell by 16,000 over that period while other claimants rose by 52,000¹. In May 2026, 1.7 million people, or 20.1% of the caseload, had joined through managed migration¹.

Other measures in the release:

The share of claimants in the "no work requirements" conditionality regime was 51% and continues to increase¹. People in employment made up 37.7% of the caseload in April 2026, down from 41.9% in April 2025¹. Households with children accounted for 44% of all households with a payment in May 2026, and 164,000 households received the childcare element, a fall of 15% on May 2025¹. About 3.3 million households, or 47% of the total, had one or more deductions taken from their entitlement in May 2026¹.

The release also notes that between 18 December 2024 and 7 May 2025 some claimants with refugee status were incorrectly categorised by the department as Humanitarian Protection¹. It states that benefit and pension rates increased from April 2026, and that state pension age is being increased from 66 to 67 gradually between 6 April 2026 and 5 April 2028¹.

Why it matters for households

The caseload figure is a count of people who have accepted a claimant commitment and have no end date recorded on their claim. Not everyone counted receives a payment: of 7.2 million households in May 2026, 6.7 million had a calculated entitlement and a payment¹. The remaining households had no payment for that month.

The composition of the caseload affects what claimants are expected to do. Just over half of claimants were in the "no work requirements" regime in May 2026, a share that continues to rise¹. Among the 1.7 million managed migration claimants, 70.1% were in that regime¹. Conditionality determines whether a claimant must look for work or attend appointments, and the sanctions rules attach to those requirements.

For households moved from legacy benefits, the migration process is close to completion, with primarily claimants who need an appointee left to move¹. Just over 2,000 migration notices were sent between January and the end of April 2026, against 340,000 in the same period in 2025¹. Up to the end of June 2026, 2.4 million individuals in 1.8 million households had been sent a notice, and 2.0 million individuals in 1.6 million households had claimed, a household claim rate of 87%¹.

Deductions, which reduce the amount paid, applied to 47% of households in May 2026¹. These include advances, which are recovered from ongoing awards, and the repayment rules set how much is taken and for how long.

What happens next

Universal Credit statistics are now published quarterly, in February, May, August and November, following a user consultation held between 17 February and 31 March 2026¹. The accompanying statistical bulletin ceased releasing in May 2026¹. The next quarterly release is due in November 2026.