More than one in eight people across Nottinghamshire are now on Universal Credit, according to latest figures.
Data from the Department of Work and Pensions a total of 94,904 people across the county claimed benefits in the month of October.
This was up from 93,119 in September.
Compared to March - the first month of national lockdown - these figures have risen substantially.
In March, a total of 50,422 were claiming benefits and the rise in subsequent months equates to an 88% increase in claimants.
These figures mean a total of 13% of the Nottinghamshire population is now claiming Universal Credit.
Here is the area breakdown:
(Area // Jan // Feb // Mar // Apr // May // Jun // Jul // Aug // Sep // Oct // % of 16-64 year olds)
Mansfield: // 5,019 // 5,415 // 5,623 // 7,987 // 9,861 // 10,163 // 10,209 // 10,316 // 10,346 // 10,590 // 16%
Nottingham: // 17,183 // 18,450 // 19,371 // 25,022 // 31,422 // 32,689 // 33,605 // 34,160 // 34,679 // 35,482 // 15%
Bassetlaw: // 5,396 // 5,658 // 5,850 // 8,142 // 9,443 // 9,619 // 9,632 // 9,640 // 9,647 // 9,718 // 14%
Ashfield: // 5,015 // 5,417 // 5,658 // 8,313 // 9,883 // 10,177 // 10,294 // 10,445 // 10,540 // 10,805 // 14%
Newark and Sherwood: // 4,053 // 4,363 // 4,522 // 6,437 // 8,083 // 8,344 // 8,462 // 8,513 // 8,518 // 8,649 // 12%
Gedling: // 3,323 // 3,556 // 3,714 // 5,498 // 7,133 // 7,294 // 7,403 // 7,447 // 7,517 // 7,641 // 11%
Broxtowe: // 3,102 // 3,328 // 3,475 // 5,222 // 6,562 // 6,765 // 6,816 // 6,922 // 6,991 // 7,108 // 10%
Rushcliffe: // 1,947 // 2,086 // 2,209 // 3,474 // 4,670 // 4,830 // 4,882 // 4,881 // 4,881 // 4,911 // 7%
Sara Willcocks, head of external affairs at poverty charity Turn2us, said: "These new Universal Credit figures clearly show the pandemic’s profound and devastating impact on people’s income, employment and how close to the cliff edge many of us are - even prior to the first lockdown.
"Recent government schemes have protected some people from the economic consequences of the pandemic, yet there’s more that needs to be done.
"A Universal Credit system that is fit for purpose would do much to help people recover and to loosen poverty’s grip.
"If this government truly wants to stop people from being pulled into homelessness, hunger and debt, we urge them to increase to the child element of Universal Credit, maintain the increase to Local Housing Allowance rates and urgently review policies like the Benefit Cap and Two-child Limit."
Nationally, there were 5.7 million people across Great Britain claiming Universal Credit as of October.
That was up from 5.6 million in September, and nearly double the 3 million claimants in March.
