8.4 million people now claim Universal Credit as its 13-year roll-out nears completion 14 April 2026 Responding to the latest Universal Credit data for March, Louise Murphy, Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: “The 13-year roll-out of Universal Credit is nearly complete, with over eight million now claiming the benefit, and around 15 million people living in families that receive it. “With the final phase of the roll-out focused on moving people from legacy benefits onto UC, the profile of who claims UC is changing too. “Two-thirds (65 per cent) of the 810,000 increase in UC claimants over the past year have been people over the age of 50, while half of UC claimants now have no work requirements. “This should remind policy makers of where Universal Credit needs to go next – making sure that support is better tailored towards people’s circumstances. Some claimants are very detached from the labour market, while for many older people returns to work must be de-risked and more flexible.”
