Claimants' experiences of the social security system during the first wave of COVID-19

COVID-19 arrived in the UK early in March 2020. By 23rd March 2020, the UK experienced the first national lockdown. As businesses and livelihoods stalled, an unprecedented number of applications were made for Universal Credit (UC). Drawing on data from the most comprehensive national study examining working-age benefits — i.e. Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Universal Credit (UC) — during the pandemic, this report provides an understanding of the experiences of benefit claimants during the first wave of COVID-19.In this report, we combine data from two data sources:- National survey: between 21st May 2020 and 15th June 2020 we surveyed 6,431 claimants: 3,306 existing claimants (1,419 on UC, 1,887 on ESA/JSA) and 3,125 new claimants (2,616 on UC, 509 on ESA/JSA). The survey captured a range of information including claim details, support used when claiming, employment situation, income and financial strain and demographic information. The first wave survey is available for wider use in the UK Data Archive.-Qualitative interviews: between June 2020 and September 2020 we carried out 74 in-depth interviews with claimants, focusing on their experiences of claiming, receiving and managing their benefit payments. The sample included a diversity of participants in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, household type, geographical location, employment status, as well as both new and existing claimants.Through these two datasets, we are able to present a picture that combines nationally representative findings with in-depth insights into the experiences of individual claimants. This report focuses on two key aspects of people’s experiences: (i) the process of claiming social security benefits; and (ii) financial adequacy as claimants receive and manage their payments.