More than 1.2million people have now claimed Universal Credit in three weeks as coronavirus heaps pressure on the welfare state.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey revealed the huge figure and said claims are still more than three times the average per day.
The government previously said 950,000 people had begun a claim between March 16, when Boris Johnson told people to stay home, and March 31.
Last night Ms Coffey told ITV's Robert Peston: "It's now been just over 1.2million in just over three weeks.
"I think yesterday it fell to under 40,000 new claims, but given our average daily is about 10 to 12,000 that's still a significant number."
It emerged yesterday the Universal Credit helpline has been hit by 5.8million calls in seven days.
The figure included 2.2million calls to the DWP's helpline on a single day, Monday 30 March.
Officials were forced to quadruple capacity in the system that verifies people's identity after more than 100,000 at a time ended up in online queues.
The shocking figures may include repeat callers. Some people the Mirror spoke to were having to call again and again without getting through.
Last night the DWP admitted access to its phone lines had to be "controlled" in order to stop critical services like NHS 111 collapsing.
DWP chiefs have also been forced to completely halt a major review of disabled people's benefits, which will hand thousands of people a higher payment.
But officials insisted delays in verifying people's identity are now down to five minutes, and otherwise people were not delayed in filing a UC claim online.
Ms Coffey said the increased claims were coming from all walks of life.
And she admitted they include the self-employed - who have been told to wait until June for a bailout package from the government.
She said: "It's not solely people who necessarily have lost their job.
"It may be the case it's people who are now self-employed, and their incomes have fallen significantly, and they're applying for Universal Credit as well to help them in the short term."
The self-employed do not qualify for Statutory Sick Pay. They can claim 80% of their profits for three months as a lump sum in June - but not before then.
Universal Credit has been made more generous for the self-employed, with a minimum income floor removed and the benefit increased by £1,040 a year.
