THE number of people receiving Universal Credit in Wales has reached 137,000.

In Denbighshire, some 4,689 people are receiving the support, while in Conwy it was 4,766, Gwynedd at 3,434, and on the Isle of Anglesey the figure was 2,109.

In Wales, the highest figures recorded were in Cardiff with 17,540.

Data released by the Department for Work and Pensions in December showed that 2.7 million people across Britain were now receiving the support.

The DWP say the statistics represent a 5 per cent increase on the previous month.

The figures also come after the UK employment rate rose to a new record high of 76.2 per cent, while unemployment levels remained at 3.8 per cent.

Universal Credit has caused constroversy due to its standardised six-week wait for benefits. A foodbank leader in Denbigh said it had contributed to an increase in users who had fallen into poverty.

It replaces six previous benefits with a single monthly payment and is available to people who are out of work or on a low income.

Minister for Welfare Delivery Will Quince said that Universal Credit provided a 'vital safety net' for people who are out of work or on low wages across Wales and that "significant improvements" had been made in the past year.

Huw Thomas, DWP Group Partnership manager for Wales said: “Unlike the old system, Universal Credit is a flexible benefit that can be tailored to an individual’s needs and circumstances."

For more information on Universal Credit visit www.understanding universalcredit.gov.uk