NEARLY three million people are claiming Universal Credit for health-related conditions — up from 2.1million last year.
Shocking new figures show 2.9 million in the 12 months to June were receiving the benefit in relation to illness or disability.
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The extra costs comes just two months after Ministers abandoned £5 billion of welfare savings due a backbench rebellion.
Officials say the increase over the past year comes from people changing from legacy benefits such as employment support, as they move to UC.
Welfare Secretary Pat McFadden MP said:“Too many people have been left behind.
“They have no support and no prospects to move out of inactivity and into work. “
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He added that Ministers are shifting their focus from “welfare to work, skills and opportunities”.
McFadden added that the measures would help move disabled people into “good, secure jobs“.
It comes as the number of so-called Neets – those not in education, employment or training – aged 16-24 in the three months to March rose to 948,000 from 923,000.
Lord Blunkett said this was “a societal and economic disaster”.
