The number of people claiming Universal Credit as a result of the coronavirus crisis has hit 1.4 million, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said.
The figure is an increase of 200,000 on the total Ms Coffey gave last week.
She said the welfare system was “capable of processing and managing those claims” amid concerns of financial hardship for people who are unable to access any of the coronavirus bailout measures.
“So we are capable of processing and managing those claims.”
Ms Coffey’s comments represent an increase from the figure she gave on April 8 of around 1.2 million people who had made claims since March 16.
