The sharp increase in Universal Credit (UC) claimants in recent years has been primarily fuelled by those transferring from older benefits rather than entirely new applications, official statistics reveal. The Department for Work and Pensions has published for the first time a detailed analysis showing the proportion of claimants who have transitioned to UC from so-called “legacy” benefits, including income support and jobseeker’s allowance. Britain’s total UC claimant count reached 8.34 million in December 2025, rising by nearly one million from 7.36 million the previous year. Statistics released on Tuesday demonstrate that over three-quarters of this growth (775,790) resulted not from fresh claims, but from individuals transitioning onto UC from alternative benefits. The Government has stated that UC implementation throughout Britain should conclude this year, with remaining legacy benefit claimants scheduled to transfer to UC by March. The operation to move individuals from older benefit types to universal credit – referred to as the “managed migration” of claimants – commenced on a limited scale in May 2022, before accelerating in April 2023. During the 11-month …