Universal Credit Statistics - February 2026
Date published:
Universal Credit is a payment to help support households that are out of work or are on a low income. Universal Credit was introduced in Northern Ireland on a phased geographical basis from 27 September 2017.
The UC publication now includes figures relating to Two Child Policy and Local Housing Allowance. In addition, figures previously released as part of the Benefit Cap Statistical Series are now included in the supplementary tables below.
The methodology used to calculate the number of households receiving Universal Credit with no additional elements has been revised to improve accuracy. Updated figures are presented in this publication and accompanying ODS file (Table 14).
The Universal Credit Statistics - February 2026 publication is available to view in HTML format.