Women caught in “poverty trap” with more than a quarter claiming UC in 30 areas

14 March 2024 , 14:36

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As many as a third of women are on Universal Credit in some parts of the country, DWP figures reveal (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Millions of women in the UK are stuck in a 'poverty trap' as figures show almost one in three are on Universal Credit in some areas.

Some 6.4million Brits were claiming in January, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows, 58% of whom were women. That means a million more women were on benefits than men, with 30 council areas where at least a quarter were claiming.

It came as a charity said this was mainly down the vast majority of single parents being mothers, many of whom were already in jobs but not being paid enough to make ends meet. The demands of parenthood combined with the need for flexible hours meant single mums were ruled out of higher-paid jobs.

Hartlepool had the highest rate of women on Universal Credit, the government figures showed, with 31% claimants - compared with 25% of men. Also with a high proportion of female claimants were Blackpool (30%), Barking and Dagenham (29%) and Middlesborough (29%).

Overall, some 18% of women of working age (18-65) were claiming Universal Credit in January, compared with 14% of men. The gender gap was the same for proportions of claimants who were employed, with 41% of women compared with 31% of men claiming having been in work. You can see the proportion of women claiming UC - and how it compares to men - using our interactive map.

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Vixctoria Benson, Chief Executive of charity Gingerbread, said: “These figures will come as no surprise to the vast majority of single parents - 90% of whom are women. Single-parent families have only one household income, so many are forced to rely on UC to make ends meet. As many single mums are the primary carer for their children they are often stuck in jobs below their level of skill or qualification due to the damaging combination of a lack of quality, flexible work and expensive childcare.

“We really need this government to pay more attention to the needs of single parents, we need to see all jobs advertised as flexible and UC paid at a realistic rate that reflects the actual cost of living. Otherwise we'll see more single-parent families stuck in the poverty trap.”

More women than men claim UC in every council area of Britain, but in some areas, the gender benefits gap is far greater. In Leeds, nearly 13,000 more women than men claim UC, the biggest difference in the count of claimants in the country.

But when it comes to the proportion of men and women claiming, the biggest gap is in Barking and Dagenham, where 29% of adult women claim UC compared to 20% of men. Gender equality charity the Fawcett Society has echoed calls for greater workplace support for parents.

Alesha De-Freitas, Fawcett Society Head of Policy, said: “Working women are often trapped in lower-paid roles that offer flexibility, or locked out of work altogether on account of looking after others – resulting in, on average, women earning £574 less per month than men. Our data has shown time and again that women are at the sharp end of the economic crisis, with 53% of women telling us that if they had more money, they would use it to put on their heating or lights more often. We also know women are more likely to be behind on their household bills.

“There are some quick, effective, and inexpensive ways that employers and our government can better support women – we need to see all jobs advertised as flexible, affordable childcare provision, and a paid parental leave system that allows parents to afford to share caring responsibilities.” In addition to the gender gap, the figures show a clear divide between the North and the South.

Seven of the top 10 areas with the highest proportion of adult female claimants are in the North of England and 15 of the top 30. That’s twice as many as in the South.

Excluding the City of London and Isle of Scilly - where the low population skews the figures - there are 16 council areas where one in 10 adult women or fewer claim UC. More than half of them are in the South East of England. This north-south divide is mirrored in the figures for male and all UC claimants.

Susie Beever