Universal Credit is available in Pembroke Dock as the national rollout of the new benefit reaches 22 more jobcentres.

By Christmas, the new benefit will be in three-quarters of all jobcentres across the country, and recent figures show that over 125,000 people are now receiving it. Single jobseekers in Pembroke Dock will be able to claim the new benefit, which is predicted to boost national employment by 300,000.

Universal Credit is a revolutionary new benefit that simplifies the welfare system, incentivises jobseekers and helps people to be better off in work. The latest research shows that Universal Credit claimants spend more time looking for work, move into work quicker and stay in jobs for longer compared to those on Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Minister for Welfare Reform, Lord Freud said: “Universal Credit is a revolution in welfare - a system that, for the first time, supports people both in and out of work. Already people across the country are benefitting from this greater flexibility.

“Under Universal Credit, we are helping to create a higher wage, lower tax, and lower welfare society, with people moving into jobs faster, and able to increase their earnings safe in the knowledge that they are better off in work.”

Universal Credit is designed to replace six existing benefits with one monthly payment, and for the first time, will combine in and out of work benefits. To help people find work quicker, our work coaches and recruiters have teamed up to create the Daily Jobseeker - an online resource with tips and advice on how claimants can get into work. Already, a third of those claiming the new benefit are employed, and once fully rolled out, Universal Credit will make around three million of Britain’s households better off.

The new system shifts focus away from the number of hours a person works to the amount they earn, removing the need to switch between benefits when working more than 16 hours a week.

Once fully rolled out, Universal Credit will save taxpayers over £2.6bn each year in reduced fraud and error. With access to HMRC’s real time earnings data, benefit payments can now be calculated exactly, and adjusted automatically to eliminate overpayments and ensure people receive the correct level of support both in and out of work.