DWP finally admits the real reason for rise in Universal Credit claims

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally admitted why Universal Credit (UC) claims are actually rising. Despite months of blaming lazy workshy claimants, it’s always been clear that the increase is due to forced migration. And now the DWP have finally owned up to that.

DWP finally admits they’re the reason for so many new Universal Credit claims

The DWP’s designated propaganda merchant, Sir Stephen Timms, was, of course, the one forced to make the admission.

Tory MP Louie French asked in a written question:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the causes of the increase in Universal Credit claimants who are not required to work; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of Universal Credit claimants who are not required to work.

Despite not being the Secretary of State, the minister for disabled people drew the short straw. Timms answered on 5 January, 2026:

The vast majority of the increase in the UC Health caseload is because the decision was taken by the last government to move sick and disabled people from Employment and Support Allowance onto Universal Credit at scale – a transition we inherited, along with a system where the incentives were wrong and health claims had been growing since 2019.

An admission, sort of

Well, it’s an admission of sorts. Once again, Labour are blaming the Tories, because they’re going to do that for as long as possible. But it’s still proof that the DWP know why UC claims for people who can’t work have risen. Maybe now they can tell their own MPs and the gutter press that.

As the Canary previously reported, the rags love to scaremonger about how much UC claims have “risen dramatically”. Back in August, the Daily Mail reported that:

jobless benefits claimants up by a million since Labour came to power

DWP Universal Credit migration victims far worse off

But as we said at the time, this completely ignores the fact that the push to force ESA claimants to move UC was ramped up between 2023 and 2025. This is, of course, a tactical move by the government and media to turn “working people” against those who can’t work. Because why let logic stop you from turning the working class against each other.

This narrative always misses out on the fact that so many forced to move over have lost their benefits. Over 400,000 people had their benefits stripped away because they didn’t apply for Universal Credit in time. That adds up to 24% of claimants who the DWP forced to migrate, 79% of which were women. They’re not the only ones to lose out on vital support. Labour also cut support for 170,000 children since the migration from Tax Credits began.

On top of that, the ones who have moved over are also worse off. Approximately 200,000 households that the DWP made move to UC lost around £59.54 a week. That’s over £230 a month that people are just expected to do without, whilst food and bills continue to rise.

The forced migration has been so bad for disabled people that professionals who support vulnerable claimants wrote an urgent letter to the government. In a letter to Debbie Abrahams, the National Association of Welfare Rights Workers warned that the move put disabled claimants at risk:

These claimants will all have long-term health conditions and/or disabilities, and their legacy benefits are likely to be their only source of income. A failure to migrate to universal credit therefore carries a high risk of destitution, rapid deterioration in their health, and even death.

Timms is still spreading disability hate

However, despite all this proof that the people aren’t claiming Universal Credit out of choice, the minister for disabled people continued to spread dangerous rhetoric. In answer to the second part of French’s question about reducing the number of claimants who aren’t required to work, Timms talked utter bollocks:

We’re determined to fix the broken system we inherited and are removing the financial incentives in Universal Credit that discourage work, and we have redeployed 1,000 work coaches to help thousands of sick and disabled people who were previously left without contact for years.

By calling the benefits people rely on to live “financial incentives” Timms is continuing the lie that disabled people claim unemployment benefits because it pays better than work. This is so untrue it’s actually baffling that a minister who has worked within disability for so long is keeping it up.

Labour will do anything to blame disabled people

These people aren’t just deciding not to work; the DWP has literally already found they’re unfit for work. So by pushing ahead with this bullshit of “getting back to work”, Timms knows that the department will endanger disabled people’s lives. At this point, though, it’s crystal clear that the DWP and Labour don’t care whether disabled people live or die. Even when it’s proven that they’re at fault, they’ll still continue to blame us, because that fits their narrative.

Featured image via the Canary