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Table 1 The socio-demographic characteristics of people seeking advice with claiming UC by year

From: Exploring the health and sociodemographic characteristics of people seeking advice with claiming universal credit: a cross-sectional analysis of UK citizens advice data, 2017–2021

 

2017/18

 

2018/19

 

2019/20

 

2020/21

No. of Claimants

% of Claimants

 

No. of Claimants

% of Claimants

 

No. of Claimants

% of Claimants

 

No. of Claimants

% of Claimants

(1)

(2)

 

(3)

(4)

 

(5)

(6)

 

(7)

(8)

Total Number of Claimants

59,514

  

146,109

  

397,892

  

399,896

 

Region

           

East Midlands

3,343

5.62%

 

10,860

7.43%

 

29,974

7.53%

 

28,582

7.15%

East of England

6,154

10.34%

 

15,892

10.88%

 

40,368

10.15%

 

42,413

10.61%

London

6,018

10.11%

 

14,822

10.14%

 

47,083

11.83%

 

49,409

12.36%

North East England

4,331

7.28%

 

10,571

7.24%

 

29,432

7.40%

 

32,481

8.12%

North West England

9,390

15.78%

 

19,119

13.09%

 

59,015

14.83%

 

58,946

14.74%

South East England

8,027

13.49%

 

22,619

15.48%

 

51,521

12.95%

 

48,505

12.13%

South West England

9,991

16.79%

 

18,801

12.87%

 

31,967

8.03%

 

30,217

7.56%

Wales

3,218

5.41%

 

9,990

6.84%

 

29,679

7.46%

 

32,310

8.08%

West Midlands

4,424

7.43%

 

13,400

9.17%

 

41,093

10.33%

 

39,823

9.96%

Yorkshire & the Humber

4,618

7.76%

 

10,035

6.87%

 

37,760

9.49%

 

37,210

9.30%

Total

59,514

  

146,109

  

397,892

  

399,896

 

Gender

           

Female

32,237

56.10%

 

83,436

59.16%

 

198,528

55.82%

 

191,598

58.73%

Male

25,222

43.90%

 

57,590

40.84%

 

157,136

44.18%

 

134,664

41.27%

Total

57,459

  

141,026

  

355,664

  

326,262

 

Age Group

           

<25

6,181

10.95%

 

14,076

10.05%

 

31,247

8.69%

 

32,839

9.67%

25–34

11,968

21.20%

 

29,505

21.07%

 

74,120

20.61%

 

77,726

22.88%

35–44

11,496

20.36%

 

29,674

21.19%

 

79,556

22.12%

 

75,721

22.29%

45–54

13,722

24.31%

 

33,319

23.80%

 

81,397

22.63%

 

70,703

20.81%

55–64

12,013

21.28%

 

31,090

22.21%

 

80,261

22.32%

 

68,760

20.24%

> 64

1,077

1.91%

 

2,344

1.67%

 

13,054

3.63%

 

13,971

4.11%

Total

56,457

  

140,008

  

359,635

  

339,720

 

Ethnicity

           

Black/Asian/Mixed

6,984

13.12%

 

17,244

14.80%

 

52,373

19.28%

 

43,455

18.57%

White

46,242

86.88%

 

99,307

85.20%

 

219,246

80.72%

 

190,606

81.43%

Total

53,226

  

116,551

  

271,619

  

234,061

 

Limiting Long-term Conditions

          

Yes

24,453

47.89%

 

61,135

49.96%

 

146,295

44.32%

 

121,769

38.86%

No

26,609

52.11%

 

61,224

50.04%

 

183,810

55.68%

 

191,582

61.14%

Total

51,062

  

122,359

  

330,105

  

313,351

 

Mental Health Conditions

          

Yes

5,387

29.52%

 

15,033

29.03%

 

35,082

29.13%

 

30,820

29.26%

No

12,860

70.48%

 

36,758

70.97%

 

85,370

70.87%

 

74,509

70.74%

Total

18,247

  

51,791

  

120,452

  

105,329

 

Household Type

           

With Dependent Children

13,189

32.99%

 

32,866

37.51%

 

77,752

38.24%

 

68,250

38.76%

Without Dependent Children

26,793

67.01%

 

54,742

62.49%

 

129,456

63.67%

 

107,855

61.24%

Total

39,982

  

87,608

  

203,327

  

176,105

 

Housing Tenure

           

Owned/Mortgaged

5,759

14.52%

 

14,167

16.23%

 

33,197

16.44%

 

35,551

20.53%

Private Tenant

11,487

28.96%

 

25,493

29.21%

 

59,256

29.35%

 

52,943

30.57%

Council Tenant

21,345

53.81%

 

45,427

52.06%

 

103,710

51.36%

 

80,971

46.76%

Homeless

1,073

2.71%

 

2,179

2.50%

 

5,748

2.85%

 

3,714

2.14%

Total

39,664

  

87,266

  

201,911

  

173,179

 

Employment Status

           

Employed PT

4,161

13.63%

 

11,374

15.03%

 

27,515

15.17%

 

23,327

14.72%

Employed FT

4,166

13.65%

 

11,562

15.28%

 

26,121

14.40%

 

27,701

17.48%

Self-Employed

1,270

4.16%

 

3,613

4.78%

 

9,134

5.04%

 

9,424

5.95%

Unemployed

20,924

68.56%

 

49,108

64.91%

 

118,589

65.39%

 

98,000

61.85%

Total

30,521

  

75,657

  

181,359

  

158,452

 

Marital Status

           

Married/Cohabiting

10,008

26.54%

 

24,142

29.90%

 

63,408

34.15%

 

56,165

36.41%

Divorced/ Separated

5,471

14.51%

 

12,200

15.11%

 

24,805

13.36%

 

18,259

11.84%

Widowed

1,020

2.70%

 

2,279

2.82%

 

4,812

2.59%

 

3,547

2.30%

Single

21,216

56.25%

 

42,113

52.16%

 

92,653

49.90%

 

76,281

49.45%

Total

37,715

  

80,734

  

185,678

  

154,252

 
  1. Note: This table summarises the yearly number (#) and percentage (%) of UC claimants by socio-demographic and health characteristics from 2017 to 2020. The number and percentage of missing are shown in Appendix Table A2.
  2. (1) PT refers part time. (2) FT refers full time.