Universal Credit Publication
Official Statistics in Development
Published by: Analytics Division, Department for Communities
Contact: Analytics Division
Telephone: 028 90515424
Email: analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk
Theme: Benefit Statistics
Coverage: Northern Ireland
Frequency: Quarterly
Publication date: 27 August 2025
Key points
A summary of the main stories of Universal Credit at 31 May 2025 are as follows:
- 191,770 households on the caseload, an increase of 2.3% from February 2025
- 179,000 of the households were in paid receipt of Universal Credit, accounting for 93% of the households on Universal Credit
- 223,850 individual claimants were on Universal Credit, an increase of 2.1% from February 2025
- 5,060 new households started claiming Universal Credit in May 2025
- 2,010 households completed their migration to Universal Credit from legacy benefits in May 2025, as part of the ‘Move to UC’ phase of migration, bringing the total number of migrated households to 41,880
- £1,010 was the average monthly amount of Universal Credit paid to the 179,000 households in payment, an increase of £80 from May 2024
- 34,400 claimants were in the ‘searching for work’ conditionality regime, representing 15% of the caseload
- 57% (127,910) of claimants were in the ‘no work requirements’ conditionality regime.
- 43% of households in payment (76,990 households) were single people without children
Introduction
This publication contains statistics on Universal Credit (UC) in
Northern Ireland from its commencement on 27 September 2017 until the
end of May 2025. UC began rolling out on a phased geographical basis in
Northern Ireland on 27 September 2017. Roll out for new claims in
Northern Ireland completed on 5 December 2018.
The next phase
of migration from legacy benefits to UC, known as ‘Move to UC’ started
on the 16 October 2023. This will include customers in receipt of
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance , Income Support, Housing Benefit, Tax
Credits, as well as Income related Employment Support Allowance
customers who are also in receipt of Tax Credits.
UC provides a single award per household based upon the circumstances of the household. Support for housing costs, children and childcare costs are integrated into UC via additional elements. It also provides additions for disabled people and carers. UC is available to people who are in work and on a low income, as well as to those who are out of work. UC replaces six existing benefits and tax credits; Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.
Data accompanying this publication
Supplementary tables (Open Document Spreadsheet) accompanying this publication are available on the Department for Communities (DfC) website
Move to UC
The migration of Tax Credit and legacy benefit claimants to Universal Credit began in October 2023. By the end of May 2025, a total of 79,950 notification letters had been sent, inviting legacy benefit claimants to begin their migration to UC. Of those households who had reached their migration deadline by the end of May 2025, 78% had made a claim to UC. This claim rate was higher for single claims (85%), than couple claims (69%). More detailed breakdowns can be found in table 9a & 9b of the supplementary tables.
In May 2025, 2,010 migrated households received a Universal Credit
award, bringing the total number of households completing their
migration to 41,880.
Claimants
The number of claimants on Universal Credit reached 223,850 in May
2025. This is an increase of 2.1% from February 2025 (219,250 claimants)
and an increase of 18.4% from May 2024 (189,090 claimants).
Figure 1: Claimants on Universal Credit up to May 2025
Age & Gender
Age and Gender information is now available for UC customers in Northern Ireland and will be routinely released as part of this publication. As of May 2025, 39% of UC claimants were male and 61% of UC claimants were female.
Figure 2: Claimants by Age & Gender at May 2025
Conditionality Regime
All claimants on Universal Credit are assigned to a conditionality
group that determines what type of work-related activity they must carry
out to retain eligibility for Universal Credit. In May 2025 there were
34,400 claimants in the ‘searching for work’ conditionality regime,
representing 15% of the caseload. This is an increase from 32,930
claimants in May 2024.
Figure 3: Claimants by UC conditionality regime up to May 2025
In May 2025, there were 127,910 claimants on Universal Credit in
the ‘no work requirements’ conditionality regime. This represents 57% of
the caseload. This has increased from 93,860 claimants with ‘no work
requirements’ in May 2024 and is the highest proportion of claimants
since rollout.
Figure 4: Claimants by UC conditionality regime at May 2025
In May 2025, there were 49,530 Claimants in the ‘working with
requirements’ and ‘working with no requirements’ regimes, accounting for
22% of the caseload. Universal Credit claimants in other conditionality
regimes may also be in work but are not included in this total. For
example some claimants in the ‘searching for work’ regime may be in
employment, but require further assistance from their work coach to
increase their income.
Households
The number of households on Universal Credit had been rising steadily
since it was rolled out in Northern Ireland. There were 191,770
households on Universal Credit at May 2025. This is an increase of 2.3%
from 187,460 households in February 2025 and an increase of 18% from May
2024 (162,540 households).
Figure 5: Households on Universal Credit up to May 2025
In May 2025, the majority of households (93%) were in paid
receipt of Universal Credit (179,000), an increase from 176,000 in
February 2025. There were 12,770 households not in receipt of payment.
The most common reason for a Universal Credit award being reduced to nil
is due to monthly earnings within the household exceeding the earnings
threshold.
Household Starts
In May 2025, 5,060 new households started on Universal Credit. The
three-month average was 4,550 households. Of the new household starts,
2,010 were households which migrated to UC (as part of ‘Move to UC’)
from legacy benefits, bringing the total number of migrated households
to 41,880.
Figure 6: Household starts on Universal Credit up to May 2025
Family Composition
In May 2025, the highest proportion of Universal Credit households in
payment were single people (43%). This accounted for 76,990 households.
There were 73,090 lone parent households (41%), 21,280 couples with
children (12% of households) and 7,640 households consisting of couples
without children (4%).
Figure 7: Family composition of households in payment at May 2025
Average Payment
The average amount of Universal Credit paid to the 179,000 households
in payment in May 2025 was £1,010 per month. This was an increase of £80
from May 2024.
Figure 8: Average payment of households up to May 2025
Figure 9: Average payment of households by family composition at May 2025
Households with children had higher average payments due to
entitlement to support for one or more children, and a higher proportion
with entitlement to support for housing. Lone parents received on
average £1,280 whilst couples with children received an average of
£1,190 in May 2025.
Additional Elements
Under Universal Credit, households can qualify for additional
elements on top of their standard allowance, depending on their
circumstances. The number of households claiming additional elements had
been increasing gradually prior to the coronavirus pandemic as Universal
Credit gradually replaced existing legacy benefits for new
claims.
Figure 10: Households in payment receiving additional elements up to May 2025
In May 2025, 101,650 (57%) households in payment claimed housing element
and 94,380 (53%) households claimed child element for at least one
child.
Figure 11: Proportion of households in payment receiving additional elements up to May 2025
There were 41% (73,370) of households in payment claiming
limited capability for work element. This is applicable to any household
where an individual has limited capability for work or work related
activity. In May 2025, there were 2,370 (1%) households in payment that
received no additional elements.
Housing Support
Support for housing costs (housing entitlement) was included in
101,650 (57%) of households receiving a payment in May 2025. This is an
increase of 21,010 from May 2024. In Northern Ireland, support for
housing costs is made by direct payment to landlord, by default, where
renting. This policy position differs from Great Britain where Universal
Credit payments are made directly to the claimant by
default.
Figure 12: Households in payment receiving housing support up to May 2025
Social sector and private sector rent make up the vast majority
of housing assistance claimed by households. In May 2025, 56,430 of
households receiving a payment of Universal Credit with entitlement to
support for housing were in the social rented sector, compared to 43,370
in the private rented sector. Of the aforementioned social rented sector
households, 98% had their housing support paid directly to a landlord
compared to 48% in the private rental sector.
Advances
If a household on Universal Credit is in financial difficulty, they
can apply for a range of financial supports including an advance
payment. The ‘New Claim’ advance is the most common type of advance and
assists new claimants that do not have enough money to live on until
their first payment. In May 2025, there were 1,170 New Claim advances
issued to households with an average advance of £680.
Figure 13: New claim advances up to May 2025
Figure 14: Average new claim advance by family composition at May 2025
In May 2025, there were 140 new claim advances issued to lone
parents and 70 to couples with children. The average amount was £930 for
lone parents and £1,110 to couples with children. There were 860 new
claim advances issued to single people without children, with an average
of £570, and 100 issued to couples without children (average £980).
Sanctions
When making a claim to Universal Credit, claimants agree to meet
certain work requirements, depending on their circumstances. If work
requirements are not met without good reason, claimants can be subject
to a sanction, resulting in a reduction to the standard allowance
portion of their Universal Credit award. Sanctions are only put in place
as a last resort. In May 2025, 1,500 claimants had a deduction taken
from their Universal Credit award for that month due to a sanction. This
has increased from 1,380 claimants in February 2025.
Figure 15: Claimants with a reduction in benefit amount due to a sanction up to May 2025
Legislative changes in response to the Coronavirus pandemic
disapplied work search and work availability requirements leading to a
significant drop in the number of those affected from March 2020 until
early 2022.
Geography
The largest geographical area for claimants by Local Government
District is Belfast with 53,450 claimants. This represents 24% of the
Universal Credit claimant caseload.
Figure 16: Claimants by Local Government District at May 2025
The darker areas of the map are districts with higher numbers of
Universal Credit claimants, while the lighter areas are the districts
with fewer Universal Credit claimants. Additional geographical
breakdowns are available within the supplementary tables that accompany
this publication.
Notes
Rounding
Figures contained within this publication have been rounded to the nearest ten. Percentages and totals shown are calculated using unrounded figures before rounding. Some totals therefore may not sum due to rounding.
Background information
Universal Credit is a single payment for each household, to help with living costs for those on a low income or out of work. Support for housing costs, children and childcare costs are integrated into Universal Credit. It also provides additions for people with a disability, health condition or caring responsibilities which may prevent them from working. Universal Credit replaces:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
The main features of Universal Credit are the following:
- it is available to people who are in work and on a low income, as well as to those who are out of work
- it is responsive to earnings, whereby the monthly Universal Credit payment will adjust accordingly as claimants move in and out of work
- most claimants on low incomes will still be paid Universal Credit and receive work coach support when they start a new job or increase their hours
- claimants will receive a single monthly household payment paid into a bank account. In some cases, payment can be split between claimants in a household
- support with housing costs can go to the claimant or be paid directly to the landlord
- most people will apply online and manage their claim through an online account
Contact information
- Issued by Analytics Division: analyticsdivision@communities-ni.gov.uk
- Statistician: Niamh Kennedy
- Media enquiries should be directed to the DfC press office: press.office@communities-ni.gov.uk
Data quality and methodology
The Universal Credit statistics have been developed to provide the primary official source of information about claimants and households on Universal Credit. They enable a variety of users to be informed about different elements of the benefit, as well as geographic information and characteristics of those taking up Universal Credit. The statistics are published quarterly in a timely manner to best meet user needs without compromising the quality of the data. While every effort is made to collect data to the highest quality, as with all administrative data it is dependent on the accuracy of information entered into the system.
Universal Credit Full Service (UCFS)
This is the main data source for the administration of Universal Credit claims. Information is entered by the claimant and verified by the jobcentre officials. Used as the base data source for these statistics to determine who is on Universal Credit and the details of the various elements of Universal Credit.
Retrospection
The statistics contained within the publication and supplementary tables are subject to revision in any future releases. This is to account for retrospective actions on the Universal Credit Full Service system (UCFS). The methodology, structure and format of the measures for gathering these statistics are still in development and are also in the process of being quality assured. As such this may also lead to a revision of the figures contained within. These revisions are performed in accordance with T3.9 of the UK Statistics Authority Code of Practice for Statistics. Revised figures within these tables may be from October 2017. More recent periods tend to be subject to a greater degree of revision than more distant ones.
Limitations
While quality assurance checks are completed on the NI Universal Credit data and statistical outputs prior to publication, errors in the statistics may occasionally arise due to IT system errors or human error. In the event of errors in statistical outputs, corrections will be made as soon as is practicably possible and notification of corrections will be published on the NI UC Statistics website. It is not currently possible to publish statistics on all aspects of Universal Credit data. Future changes to the statistical outputs will be led by user requirements and will be dependent on the availability of data needed to produce these outputs. Any additional outputs will be subject to rigorous quality assurance of methodology before publishing.
Glossary of terms
Additional elements
In addition to the standard allowance, there are additional amounts that a household may qualify for based on their circumstances. The additional elements are:
- Child element: an extra amount for each child up to a maximum of two children, or subsequent children if certain conditions are met
- Childcare costs element: a household will qualify for this element if they are currently paying for registered childcare
- Disabled child element: an extra amount for any disabled or severely disabled child no matter how many children you have or when they were born
- Limited capability for work element: one of two amounts for claimants with limited capability for work (abolished for most new claimants from 3 April 2017) or limited capability for work-related activity
- Carer element: a household will qualify for this element if they are caring for a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week
- Housing costs element: assistance primarily for households that are paying rent to a landlord. Eligible owner-occupiers can receive support for mortgage interest
Advance
Financial support that can be paid to claimants and paid back through future Universal Credit payments. Different reasons for an advance include:
- new claim: the household is in financial need and does not have enough money to live on until their first Universal Credit payment
- change of circumstances: the household is already claiming Universal Credit, and the payment is increasing due to a change in circumstances, but the increase has not yet been received
- budgeting: the household requires assistance with help getting a job, staying in work, or to pay for emergency household costs
Alternative payments
Households can receive two types of alternative payment arrangements:
- more frequent payments: in instances where it is identified that one monthly payment is not suitable for a household, it may be possible to have their Universal Credit award divided over the month and paid more frequently
- split payments: the payment of Universal Credit can be divided between two members of the household
Assessment period
A rolling one month period in which the household’s circumstances are assessed for the amount of Universal Credit they are entitled to.
Benefit cap
The limit to the total amount of benefits that most working age people can get. The benefit cap can be applied through Universal Credit so that the amount received by the household does not exceed the cap.
Benefit unit
See households.
Capital
Any capital and savings that a household has worth between £6,000 and £16,000 will reduce the overall Universal Credit that a household is paid. Having capital worth more than £16,000 means the claimant will not be entitled to Universal Credit.
Claimant
Claimants on Universal Credit include all individual members of a household who have started and are still on Universal Credit at the end of the reported month.
Claimant commitment
A record of the responsibilities that have to be accepted in order to receive Universal Credit.
Claims
Submitted application to receive Universal Credit including a declaration of personal circumstances.
Closure
A closure represents the end of a claimant’s spell. This may mean that their claim is temporarily stopped due to a temporary change in circumstances, or it may be a permanent end to a claim.
Conditionality regime
Claimants must agree to do certain activities by signing a claimant commitment to receive their Universal Credit award. The conditionality regime determines what work related activity (if appropriate) a claimant is required to do, the level of contact with the claimant and the support that they will receive. The six groups are:
- No work requirements: for a claimant where health or caring responsibilities prevents them from working or preparing for work, are in full-time education or are over state pension age
- Planning for work: for a claimant that is expected to work in the future and is required to attend periodic interviews to plan for their return to work
- Preparing for work: for a claimant that is expected to take reasonable steps to prepare for work
- Searching for work: for a claimant that is not working, or with very low earnings, and doesn’t fit into any of the other labour market regimes
- Working, with requirements: for a claimant that is in work but could earn more, or is not working but has a partner with low earnings
- Working, no requirements: for a claimant that has individual or household earnings over the level at which they will be subject to conditionality
Claimants in the same household may be subject to different conditionality requirements. Claimants may also move between different conditionality regimes during their time on Universal Credit.
Declaration
When an individual/household provides information on their personal circumstances to begin a UC claim.
Entitlement
The maximum amount a household is eligible for. The amount a household will receive is worked out each month, so it may be different from one month to the next if they earn a different amount, or if their circumstances change.
Households
A single adult or a married or cohabiting couple and any dependant children. Also known as a benefit unit.
Housing costs
Assistance with the following housing costs:
- rent to a private landlord
- rent and some service charges if the claimant(s) rents from a housing association or local authority, for example council housing
- interest payments on a mortgage and some service charges if the claimant(s) owns the property they live in
In-payment
A household is in payment if they are receiving a payment of any amount of Universal Credit in an assessment period. A household will be classed as ‘not in payment’ if they do not receive any payment of Universal Credit in an assessment period.
Managed migration
See Move to UC.
Maximum amount
A household’s maximum Universal Credit award is made up of one standard allowance and any additional elements that apply. The maximum amount will also take into account earnings, capital and other income from the household.
Move to UC
Programme to transfer to Universal Credit existing legacy benefit claimants. Also known as managed migration.
Natural migration
Claimants transferring to Universal Credit from legacy benefits as a result of a change in circumstances.
Nil award
It may be the case that a household has their Universal Credit award reduced to ‘nil’ due to earnings, deductions or sanctions. In this case, the household will be recorded as receiving a payment amount of £0 and therefore will be classified as ‘not in payment’.
Other income
Other income that a household receives, for example, from a pension or some other benefits. The Universal Credit award will be reduced by £1 for every £1 of other income.
Payment due date
The date by which a household should have received their payment.
Sanction
Under Universal Credit, a claimant must follow their claimant commitment in order to receive their payment. If they fail to meet the responsibilities that they agreed to in the claimant commitment, they may be subject to a reduction in their Universal Credit standard allowance for a set period.
Standard allowance
The basic Universal Credit entitlement of the household before any additional elements are applied. The standard allowance for a household will depend on whether the household is a single or joint claimant and the ages of the claimants.
Start
A starter to Universal Credit is defined as a household or individual who has completed the Universal Credit claim process and accepted their claimant commitment and had their identity verified.
Taper rate
The rate at which earnings reduce a household’s award. It will reduce a household’s Universal Credit payment by 55p for every £1 of earnings above any applicable work allowance.
Work allowance
An amount that certain households can earn before their Universal Credit payment starts to be reduced by the taper rate. A claimant will be eligible for the work allowance if they are responsible for a child or young person, living with a disability or health condition that affects their ability to work.
Work capability assessment
An assessment that looks at activities related to physical and mental/cognitive functions. This is to determine whether an individual could be reasonably expected to work or undertake work related activity, or not.
Work coach
An official who provides support to Universal Credit claimants by mentoring and coaching to help the claimant meet the requirements recorded in their claimant commitment.
Official statistics in development
The figures in this publication have been classified as official statistics in development, previously known as “Experimental Statistics”. They have been compiled using data from records of Universal Credit benefit claims held by the Department for Communities. The methodology used and definitions of the statistics may be updated within subsequent releases, along with information on the impact of any changes to the time series already released. These statistics have been developed using guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority, and are new official statistics undergoing development. Further information is available on the (UK Statistics Authority web page) on the OSR website.
Users are invited to comment on the content, relevance and development of these statistics (Northern Ireland Universal Credit statistics feedback survey).