More than 12,200 people in Peterborough officially not working and on Universal Credit due to health conditions, new figures show

​More than 12,000 people in Peterborough are currently registered as out of work due to ill health, it has been revealed.

​The figures from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) show that there are 12,261 people in Peterborough who are not working and are in receipt of Universal Credit due to health conditions.

The figure is separate from the number of people in Peterborough currently claiming Universal Credit either because they are out of work or because their income level entitles them to receive Universal Credit.

According to data from the DWP some 8,385 people in Peterborough were last month claiming job-related Universal Credit. It is an increase of 1,410 on the same month last year – a rise rate of 20 per cent.

The working age population in Peterborough is currently 129,728 people, according to data from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Nationally, there are currently 2.8 million people that the Government say are ‘locked’ out of work due to poor health and in receipt of Universal Credit.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP said: “2.8 million people – a near record number are locked out of work due to poor health.

"This is bad for people, bad for businesses and it’s holding our economy back.

“That’s why our Get Britain Working plan will bring forward the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, backed by an additional £240m of investment.

“And while it’s encouraging to see real pay growth this month, more needs to be done to improve living standards too.

"So, from April next year over three million of the lowest paid workers will benefit from our increase to the National Living Wage, delivering a £1,400 a year pay rise for a full-time worker.”