MORE than one in ten under 30s are signed off work with no need to find a job in 41 areas dubbed Britain’s “shirkers’ capitals”.

Some 662,000 aged 18 to 29 are claiming (UC) worth up to £420 a month.

A UK Universal Credit form with British coins and a pile of unpaid utility bills.More than one in ten under 30s are signed off work with no need to find a job in 41 areas dubbed Britain’s “shirkers’ capitals” Credit: Alamy A view looking east down Church Street in Hartlepool, from the tower of the Art Gallery, a Victorian building.Hartlepool has the highest percentage of 18 to 29 year-olds off work claiming Universal Credit Credit: Alamy

Hartlepool has most, at 15.4 per cent, followed by and Thanet in Kent.

Other local authorities in the top ten are Rotherham and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

Including under 30s, some 2.8million are not working due to health conditions, 800,000 more than in 2019.

Our figures come after on new claims for conditions such as and anxiety.

The former PM’s think-tank said — 8.4million are on it, up a million in a year — and Personal Independence Payments could cause economic stagnation.

Dr Charlotte Refsum, of the Institute, said: “The system is drawing too many into long-term dependency for conditions often treatable and compatible with work, and not doing enough to support recovery. It is bad for the country and bad for people’s health.”

Former Tory leader Sir said many of the and anxiety claims “can be resolved by getting to work, and finding something to do”.

He said: “The whole ­system’s still mad.”

The Department for Work and Pensions said it was spending £2.5billion to deliver “one million opportunities” for young people to “shift from a welfare to working state”.

The top 10 'shirkers’ capitals' in Britain

  1. Hartlepool (2,087, 15.4%)
  2. Blackpool (2,696, 14.3%)
  3. Thanet (2,232, 13.7%)
  4. Redcar and Cleveland (2,245, 13.5%)
  5. North East Lincolnshire (2,632, 13.4%)
  6. Rotherham (4,820, 13.2%)
  7. West Dunbartonshire (1,508, 12.9%)
  8. North Ayrshire (2,054, 12.6%)
  9. Great Yarmouth (1,494, 12.4%)
  10. Knowsley (2,747, 12.2%)

Eze Chidiebere Paul

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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