MORE than 1,000 extra young people in Bury are claiming Universal Credit than before the coronavirus pandemic, new figures reveal.

Department for Work and Pensions statistics show 3,006 people aged 16-24 in Bury were on Universal Credit as of August 13.

This was 1,393 more than the 1,613 who were claiming the benefit in early March, before the country went into lockdown.

The figures include people in work and on a low income or those not working because of health or caring commitments, alongside those who are unemployed and searching for a job.

Nationally, the figure almost doubled to 938,000 over the first five months of the Covid-19 crisis, with every area seeing an increase in the number of young Universal Credit claimants over the period.

 The ONS figures show the overall unemployment rate increased to 4.1% in the three months to July, the highest in nearly two years, with the number of those without a job rising by 62,000.

Around 695,000 UK workers have been removed from the payrolls of British companies since March.

But there were an estimated 434,000 vacancies in the three months to August, up 30 per cent from a record low between April and June, although this was still well below pre-virus levels.

Minister for employment Mims Davies said: “We recognise that the pandemic has been difficult for many people who are worried about their incomes and that’s why our £30bn plan for jobs is aimed at protecting, supporting and creating jobs and it’s welcome news that there is some recovery in vacancies.”