Labour is struggling to get people off benefits and back into work after the number of welfare claimants securing employment fell to a seven-year low. The rate of Universal Credit claimants moving into work in the first nine months of 2025 was even lower than during the pandemic, when public health restrictions caused many businesses to reduce hiring. Despite efforts to get more people on benefits into paid employment, official figures show there were 1.6 million on Universal Credit with a requirement to search for work in December last year. Despite Sir Kier’s pledge to get people off benefits and into employment, official figures show there were 4.2 million people on Universal Credit with no requirement to work in December. Government officials have previously said that a significant amount of the increase was the result of claimants moving from other sickness payments on to Universal Credit.