Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people aged 18 to 24 started a Universal Credit claim in the 12 months to May 2026; and, of those people, how many had (1) PAYE employment earnings recorded through HMRC's Real Time Information system, and (2) self-employment earnings recorded, in the assessment period in which their claim began.

440,000 people aged 18 to 24 started a Universal Credit claim in the 12 months to May 2026. Of these:

(1) 112,000 had PAYE earnings recorded in the assessment period in which their claim began.

(2) 7,000 had self-employment earnings recorded in the assessment period in which their claim began.

Notes:

1. A starter to Universal Credit is defined as an individual who has completed the Universal Credit claim process and accepted their Claimant Commitment.
2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.