Independent Age has revealed that 1,300,000 (4 in 10) people entitled to Pension Credit are not receiving it. Pension Credit is an income-related benefit designed to lift pensioners out of poverty. Each year £3.5 billion worth of the credit goes unclaimed, over £6,000,000 of it here in Dagenham and Rainham. This is having a devastating impact on the most vulnerable in our communities, leaving almost 2 million nationwide aged 65 and older living in poverty today. 

The total number of unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency in May 2018 was 1,720. This represents a rate of 3.3% of the economically active population aged 16-64. The equivalent UK claimant rate was 2.8%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 4.2% in February to April 2018.

The number of claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency is 25 higher than May 2017 and 35 higher than April 2018. There were 330 claimants aged 18-24 in May 2018, 25 lower than May 2017.

The total number of unemployed claimants in Dagenham and Rainham constituency in December 2017 was 1,540. This represents a rate of 3.0% of the economically active population aged 16-64, the 208th highest of the 650 UK constituencies. (1st = highest claimant rate, 650th = lowest claimant rate.) The equivalent UK claimant rate was 2.5%. The UK unemployment rate, which includes people not claiming benefits and is estimated from survey data, was 4.3% between September and November 2017.