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Coronavirus: London's commuter towns see sharp rise in benefit claims
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53697256London's commuter towns have seen the highest rate of people moving onto Universal Credit since the coronavirus lockdown began, BBC research has found. Guildford, Stevenage and Hemel Hempstead have had disproportionate rises in people claiming the benefit.
Nearly 5.5 million people are now claiming benefits across Britain - an 81% increase since March.
Experts said the drop in office-based working in the capital has impacted employment in commuter towns.
Some of those who have applied for Universal Credit were forced to do so because they did not qualify for other government support, such as the furlough scheme or help for the self-employed.
